Books from the Backlog #101

Posted February 27, 2020 by Carole in Books from the Backlog / 16 Comments

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.
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This week’s neglected book

Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel

Series: Thomas Cromwell Trilogy #1
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII’s court, only one man dares to gamble his life to win the king’s favor and ascend to the heights of political power

England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. The quest for the king’s freedom destroys his adviser, the brilliant Cardinal Wolsey, and leaves a power vacuum.

Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people and a demon of energy: he is also a consummate politician, hardened by his personal losses, implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage. With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death.

Why did I add Wolf Hall to my bookshelf?
I don’t remember where I picked up this book.  I am sure that I added it to my collection because I thought it sounded interesting, which I still do.  I actually have the first two books in this trilogy on my shelf and the third book is scheduled for release in early March.  It looks like this is one of those books that people either love or hate.  This book won the 2009 Man Booker Prize and the second book, Bring Up the Bodies, won the same award in 2012.  I am a little nervous about trying this one since it seems to get pretty mixed reviews from my friends on Goodreads.

What are your thoughts? Have you read this book?  Would you recommend it to others?

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16 responses to “Books from the Backlog #101

  1. Oh I remember seeing part of an episode of this show once. Haven't read the book though but it sounds good!

  2. I don't really read this type of book but I do hope you love it when you finally get to it. Also hope you are enjoying your current reads.

  3. I've had my eye on this one a few times, but never put it on my shelf. Maybe just try the first few chapters to see which side of the mixed group you'll land on. πŸ™‚

  4. I love Tudor fiction but I DNFed this book after a few chapters. I hated the writing style, I hated the layout of the sentences, the way the characters talked and thought…didn't like anything about it really! I hope the TV version is better to watch as I do have that!

  5. Bea

    Probably not something I'd pick up but it does seem interesting. Also, it seems like it might be a slow read as you'd need to really pay attention.

  6. Starting next year I am going to try and read all of the Man Booker Prize books (no time limit), so I will be reading these at some point. This one does sound interesting. The only Man Booker I have read so far is Milkman, and that book seemed to be a love it/hate it book, too. I didn't exactly love it, but I liked it a lot. ?✨

  7. I usually enjoy books which have won the Man Booker prize so now you have me curious about this series too! I hope you can start the series soon πŸ™‚