The Mirror & the Light

Completing The Mirror And The Light is like waking from a dream. I've read the entire trilogy one after the other and absolutely adored every page of every one. All three are written in a very idiosyncratic style, almost like a stream of consciousness but as if Cromwell is observing his own life at one remove. I've seen people turned off these books by that stylistic choice but to me it worked perfectly, at times it was like I was reading prose in the style of poetry - a constantly shifting perception of events, past influences and a haunting history melding together in a blur of emotions and ideas. Beautiful.

The entire trilogy has made it into my personal top 3 (I tend to lump book series together as one entity), second only to Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. It's been a long time since a (series of) book(s) moved me and affected me quite so much. Brilliant.

(my first book review here) I've just recently finished this magnificent book, with is the 3rd in the recently deceased Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy, which began with Wolf Hall. It is historical fiction, and reading the series has led me to reading more about Henry VIII's period; while I read a lot about Shakespeare's period when I was in school, I had never read much about the history just a few decades before that. As with the first two books, the writer's/main character's voice is perfect throughout, letting us see his world and his own complex character. Like Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, this is a remarkably feminist book for one that keeps women largely to the periphery--we see how hard women's lives are more by inference than by direct statement, because even though Cromwell is a brilliant man, he is still blinkered by his culture. I listened to all three books read by Ben Miles, who is perfect as reader. Highly recommended.

The Mirror and the Light is the final installment of the Wolf Hall Trilogy. Hilary Mantel has accomplished something awesome with these books. They are richly written and impressively intricate. Yes, there are many characters, and the politics and danger surrounding King Henry VIII's reign are complicated. This, for me, was not a quick, easy read. I did not expect it to be. I love the writing and always found myself sympathizing with Thomas Cromwell, a man who carried out some evil orders for his king (though he always tried to show mercy). Mantel creates a multi-layered character for Cromwell, along with a rough, sad background. This final piece of the trilogy offers an even deeper introspective mood for him than is previously shown.

Since this is very much based on fact, there are no plot spoilers, here. We know how Thomas Cromwell's life ends, and must but marvel at the mindset of those who lived and worked in the king's sphere. Cromwell was walking a perpetual tightrope, until the end. This is a challenging, rewarding read and I plan to read more by this author.

You know that sadness when you reached the end of such an awesome book that it will take a few days before you can start another one? It's even worse because you know this is the end of the trilogy and you probably won't read something as powerful in a good long while. Yeah, it's like that.