Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (audio-book)
More than 10/10
As I have mentioned before I listen to stories / audio-books continually when I am on long car journeys and my commute to work. My normal approach to this is to get something simple and compulsive, but not too challenging, from the library shelf. Those of my readers who pay attention will know that I had a system once where the books I chose had to be from a given letter of the alphabet, working upwards from A. I abandoned that system when my beloved partner chose a book for me once, and it was out of sequence, and then I forgot where I was up to. I love systems, but I am open to chaos, too.
Anyway, Wolf Hall is challenging, and it is not simple, so it doesn't fit in with my normal preferred car-listening experience ('poor girl makes good by marrying a rich handsome stranger who she thought was bad but turned out to be good'). However, I have read this book in its paper form, and I was so pleased to be able to hear it read by a professional actor.
It was 22 CDs in all!!! That is over 22 hours listening. It's a big book, in every sense of the word, and I think it may be one of the best modern books I have ever read. Hilary Mantel takes you inside the head of Thomas Cromwell, as he works his way up to be Henry VIII's right hand man. I may have been a little in love with Thomas, as I read / heard this book.
BUT what I really want to say is - what incredible skill an actor must have to read all the characters in a book like this, making each one distinct and instantly recognisable. I've taken the audio-book back to the library, so I can't give credit to the actor (shame on me). He was marvellous.
If you like history, and audio-books, and have the time to listen, then please listen to Wolf Hall.
P.S. It helps if you know little of the Tudor history, or at least a little about the splitting off of the Church of England from Rome.
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