The two Cromwell novels are teeming with dualities and divisions.
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Animals and their natural tendencies, a common feature of sixteenth-century allegory, pepper both novels, both in actual presence and rich metaphor.
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One of the many enjoyable aspects of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies is how touchable the world is within: how we can smell, taste and feel those lives of nearly five hundred years ago. The dark hallways and smoky fires, the splash of barge oars in the Thames, the soft leather of unthinking wealth.
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There are few figures in British history as universally reviled as Thomas Cromwell. Held responsible for the suppression of the monasteries, the destruction of countless priceless books deemed too ‘popish’ and the attacking of statues, shrines and rood screens across the country, Cromwell has traditionally been viewed as a reforming bulldozer, manipulating the King’s hand to achieve religious changes against the Catholic Church at any cost.
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In preparation for The Mirror and the Light publishing next month, let us help you shine a light on the main characters of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy.
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Bringing the opulent, brutal Tudor world of Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII to glittering life, Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies have thrilled and delighted readers, critics and prize judges alike. Both novels won the Man Booker Prize and have sold over five million copies across the globe.
Starting today, let us take you through the story so far, introduce you to the main players and explore the key themes.
The Mirror and the Light is out now.
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