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Lots of good reviews on the book page and on the back of the printed version ... But a verbal one not included, by some one who knows more than me about Palestine, was: "Forget the long books, thoughtful treaties about Palestine, the one book you need to read to understand what is going on there is this 'Eight weeks in Palesine'"

I wonder what Mantel thought was wrong with Cromwell's name that she had to substitute it with a 'he' every time she refers to him. It would have made sense if there had been no other men in the narration, but there were and too many times it was necessary to re-read whole paragraphs to find out which 'he' she was talking about.

In a few occasions there were entire pages of irrelevant non-action and seemingly intentionally confusing writing, like when 'Liz Cromwell' seems to be flying (years after she's dead) and you're left wondering if you're reading some one's dream until a page or two later of the flight's description when it is finally explained that names of dead ladies have been given to birds.

A great novel and good historical fiction as the rest of the reviews show, but these unnecessary gimmicks that distract from the content of the novel make it a bit difficult to understand that it got so many awards.

In a few places it is a page-turner, but mostly it is not.

Good writing is that which is easy to read. This was not always

It is so funny when you find the same character in two different books yet in two different registers. It is good to meet them again, it is like re-encountering an old acquaintance. This historical novel has this and that – merchants, scribers, nuns, samurais, captains, the rich, the dispossed, all so full of life, some even bigger than life. All bring to our attention issues like loyalty, honesty, corruption, fear, bravery, lust, eligion. How unthinkably big power can get to be, yet how it can be defeated when enough people are determined to fight for justice and space for love no matter what.

I found especially touching how, when the main character seemingly looses all because he refuses to be corrupted, he gains the simpathy and respect of all around him (except his bosses) all who again seemed ruthless and selfish at the beginning. May be that is why I loved it, because it gives us the triumph of good over evil that we all long for, in such a logical terms, like it is the natural thing to happen because alongside this triumph we have witnessed human and natural miseries too.
And I thought the epilogue touching and emotional, not unnecessary at all.

Another one of Mitchell. Like Cloud Atlas it makes a strong bet on how this world – or at least our world – will be / is bound to change beyond recognition. It is good that readers of a mainstream novel are reminded how lucky we are to have endless and reliable supply of things like heat, electricity, communication channels. Journalists in not-sto-lucky places don't transmit this enough when reporting how life is in war torn countries, or even not officially at war, where there is no internet and electricity is available randomly. The story itself falls in the fantasy genre, but tehre are themes of human interest that makes one put the book aside and think – the greatness of true love, teenage problems, family, tenderness, and the arrogance and privilege, revenge and sorrow. And personal sacrifice. The setback is that in too many passages there are sentences that are puzzles that will be solved only later in the plot. There are so many of them I only fully enjoyed and understood the book the second time I read it – but then it was sublime and most moving.

The travel journal, the lover's letters, the thriller, the comedy, the sci-fi, and the after-collapse; six novellas in as many different genres and voices. A historic and dystopic vision of human nature, reminding us how it doesn't matter the century or the level of civilisation - humanity has always been about the strong crushing the weak. And yet, with some extraordinary human treats, how it is possible for the weak to succeed, even if posthumously, and with the help of sometimes a whole community.

There are a few gems for learning for those involved in struggles against the powerful nowadays.

Unlike other books ... this book is excellent and every one should read it.

This is a short novella describing 'a day in the life' of the owner of a company dealing with innovative communications and inventions. Apart from that there is no plot, just the description of some technology in the year 2889.

It is a voyage into the future from the 1880, or should we say a voyage into the present from that past. It is amazing how Verne imagined something very similar to what we now know as the internet and some of its applications.

And it is entertaining from a linguistic point of view; how the author deals with (makes its characters talk about) 21st century science speaking in 18th century English.

The best bits are when a 'lowborn' (a dispossessed) gets the change to point out to a 'highborn' (a privileged) 'this is what happens to us when you lot play your game of thrones'. So universal and timeless.

Now, on with the merciless critique:

Endless lists and descriptions of things that seem to have no relevance for the scene in question, or anywhere else in the book for that matter. Then into the action, which has to be explained by flashback of events that happened in the past, some times interlaced so much with the 'present' that you don't know if you are in the room described or in the fields years ago.

Then the chapter stops in the middle of the action, or in the middle of a conversation, to leave you in a 'cliffhanger'.

The next chapter that will relate to that character will be a few chapters afterwards (or maybe a book later) and will invariably start again with a lengthy description of places, clothes and food, only to start off new action or dialogue months after that cliffhanger, about which you will find out (or not) in between paragraphs relating to current and past events.

However: an accurate depiction of how politics work in real life. Once you get used and over those shortcomings, I see it as a kind of 1984 only set in the past in order to explain how politics - and all human relations for that matter - work. From what I know of History, it is well applicable to nowadays politics and also all the way back to the time humankind settled down to plant food efficiently so that some privileged could spend time doing other, more fun, less useful things, while generally living a lot better.

So finally, the ultimate explanation to Western woes: society has evolved to be one where sociopaths succeed to the point where most people on top positions of power are sociopaths otherwise they wouldn't have made it there.
Good theory that on one hand seems hard to disprove and on the other explains so many things.

Delicious show-off of knowledge of North-London streets and atmosphere.

But not too sure I buy the rest. Especially I don't like the idea of a woman 'enjoying' physical violence. Too much of a male fantasy for it to sound real, let alone what message is intended to the readership, hey, try this, women are likely to enjoy extreme violence?
Then the narrator goes mad and homeless. I missed some explanation of the steps that people who care always take to at least try avoid this happening, and this man did have people around him who cared.

I admire this author for his other works that I have watched/read though.