HILARY MANTELS’ THE MIRROR & THE LIGHT

 Book Review.       

Title.                     The Mirror & The Light

Author.                  Hilary Mantel

Published by.        4th Estate - London

IT’S LONG, IT’S DETAILED. IT SPELLS OUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE DURING HENRY’S REIGN AND WITH MUCH THAT WAS NOT NICE. IT’S A HELL OF A READ!

For me this was a long reading journey for the pages numbered 875. Also I had no intention of reading it in one go. In fact I read it off and on for the best part of a year. Before this much awaited one I had read Wolf Hall, published in 2010 with the historical commencement date of 1500. It won the Man Booker Prize and was well received. Bring Up The Bodies has moved on to 1535 and winning both the Man Booker and Costa Book of the Year Award in 2012. That is some achievement.

The story line was always about Henry VIII firstly with Cardinal Wolsey and then Thomas Cromwell as the power shifted between Henry’s two scheming servants. Our historical adventure travels through only part of the reign of Henry and  finally ends on 28th July 1540. This last one in the trilogy is a masterpiece even though not winning a prize.  It received many plaudits and they were well deserved. It was enthralling throughout and I have not read anything like it.

Thomas Cromwell, a commoner, son of a blacksmith from Putney, South London becomes the power in England for his Majesty the King after the demise of Cardinal Wolsey. It is about deceit, intrigue, religious tensions, corruption in high office and executions. But there is much more.

Hilary Mantel’s knowledge of her subject is amazing. It may not be to everyone’s taste in the manner it was written. There is much dialogue and the reader’s attention can be strained at times when there is a switch in who is speaking. Her imagination in creating the words spoken has to be admired. There is so much detail in here and that is amazing too. 

The final chapter actually moved me. It was sad and brilliantly written. It was a fitting chapter to end it. If you love history or have a penchant for The Tudors and can manage the style it is written in, then it is a must.

There are several pages at the end that explain the factual history of the time so the frame work on which these books are written can be examined. 

Finally - what a read!