When it comes to film adaptations of books, I am a strong advocate of reading the book first. But I waver when it comes to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. Winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize, I had expected a captivating page-turner of the intrigues of the Tudor court and a storyline that paid genuine homage to 16th century England. Mantel surely got that to a tee, because the language was equally inaccessible. While it was not written in ye olde English (thank goodness!), Mantel’s profuse use of pronouns made it a challenge to figure out which character was being referred to. And when there was a room full of Tudor men at court discussing politics, it was tiresome trying to figure out which ‘He’ said this, and which ‘He’ did that. Even when they weren’t at court, there was usually always Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII, and the Cardinal – all men, of course.

Mantel probably intended her ambiguous writing to create confusion, but I cannot understand the reason for it, and why this should trump readability. Hence, I was only too happy to hear that Wolf Hall is being adapted by HBO and the BBC for a TV mini-series! Being able to see who did or said what would be great. That said, Wolf Hall is a humanistic portrayal of Thomas Cromwell and his inner moments. There are few chances of humour and light-heartedness in this novel, as it is aptly focused on the seriousness of England’s political and religious upheaval. Mantel’s mastery of the language is impressive, and if you read books to appreciate writing, you should certainly give this book a shot.

Title: Wolf Hall
Author: Hilary Mantel
Publisher: Fourth Estate, 2009
Call No.: English MAN

Contributed by Carmen