So it begins...

Have you ever...

Been so excited to have time to read that you plowed through a book a day? I hope you have!

After beginning summer break by reading several neat reads, I realized it might be worthwhile to share what I am reading so students can see what it means to be part of a "community of readers."

While I am in the process of picking up a book for my summer book club, I wanted to start summer off right by reading some books that have been on my "to read" list for a while.

The first book I picked up from my local library was Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. If you know me, you know that in addition to being an English teacher, I was also a social studies teacher for about .4 seconds, so historical fiction is probably my favorite genre. Additionally, I have a growing obsession with the Tudors that may have started when my husband and I traveled to England (and probably also stemming back from seeing Dame Judi Dench playing Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. BTW-she is also one of the best Lady Macbeths...but that is another issue.). 

Judi Dench is an awesome queen.

Anyway, I can't recall how Wolf Hall was recommended to me, but it had been on my Amazon list for years. The premise is that it tells the story of Thomas Cromwell, a man who was the "right hand man" of Cardinal Wolsey and later King Henry VIII. The story is told in third person, though it primarily follows Cromwell's version of events. I found this point of view difficult at times, as I wasn't always clear whose perspective was being shared (it doesn't help that apparently everyone back then was named Thomas).

The Tudors is super R-rated...

While I liked the first half of the story, the second half (once the Cardinal died) was less interesting, but perhaps this is because I know the story of Anne Boleyn so well. (Or maybe I like to think I do...the The Tudors definitely covered it in highly fictitious detail.) However, I think this would have been much more interesting if I knew less about the story of Henry's pursuit of a divorce. What I did like was how strong Anne Boleyn was in the story, and how Thomas Cromwell had to be crafty to both satisfy his king and the entourage that surrounded him once the king set his mind on Anne. I feel like the author really humanized these historical figures, and I especially appreciated the look into the life of Thomas Cromwell, who was one of the most famous to prominently rise from obscure birth to power in England without the benefit of the church.

About 600 pages later, I began the sequel Bring up the Bodies, a Man Booker Prize Winner which chronicles Cromwell's life up to the execution of Anne Boleyn (no spoilers here...unless you haven't heard about the six wives of Henry VIII). I probably don't do this the justice that The New Yorker does, but if any students or colleagues are looking for a sweeping historical novel, then this is a good candidate.

I found Bring up the Bodies interesting, as it provided a different perspective of Jane Seymour (Henry's third wife) and Thomas Cromwell's role in the elimination of prominent people who were close to the king. Cromwell becomes a little more jaded I think, and without admitting it totally (at least to himself), he doesn't mind taking down his enemies. In fact, while he admits that the evidence against his enemies isn't credible, he is determined to do what it takes to please the King and keep Henry's favor. I liked seeing the change in Cromwell, who toward the end hints that he can see that he will likely also have a bloody end if he falls out of favor with Henry.

I'll have to wait to read the last book in the trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, as it has not yet been published, and I want to see how self aware Mantel makes Cromwell toward the end of his life.

What I most liked about these novels was the way the story humanized Cromwell. In many historical fictions Cromwell is painted as sort of a villain, so it was interesting to see him painted as a basically good man who does "what he needs to do" in order to survive in this trying time. Hearing about his abusive upbringing and how he had to fight to make his way in the world makes sense: after all, wouldn't someone who was bullied for his whole childhood know how to be a great bully? This is all the more incredible when one considers that he is a "commoner" who grows to boss around the most noble families in England!

In short, if you like lengthy historical fiction, these are for you. (There is also a mini series of this now...) If not, you may like the next set of books I finished...

Happy Reading!