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Bring Up The Bodies

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"The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death." -- Leviticus 20:10 (NKJV)

In the first book in this planned trilogy, Wolf Hall, we saw the unexpected and adept rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in serving King Henry VIII. At the end of that book, Henry was smitten with Jane Seymour and Cromwell had a sense that this was an opportunity to overcome Anne Boleyn whom he had helped to become queen at the king's request.

In Bring Up the Bodies, we follow the plottings leading up to the death of the former queen, Katherine of Aragon, the failed attempts by Anne Boleyn to provide a male heir, the rise of the Boleyns, continental power politics, and the king's (and Cromwell's) desire to gain income from church lands. The book culminates in the trial and execution of Anne Boleyn and those found guilty of adultery with her. We also see Henry VIII as an aging man, grown more foolish in his desires to stay young. With lots of dialogue and stream of consciousness narration, we see the delicate balance that Cromwell had to keep in all of his endeavors. It was a mighty challenge.

The strength of this historical novel is making the events of a distant past more understandable and emotional for us at this distance in time. I applaud Ms. Mantel again for choosing Thomas Cromwell as her narrator. He is the ideal character to cast these events into a more objective light. She lightly trods the balance between real events and guessing what Cromwell thought of them in a way that seems wholly accurate . . . while making the telling much more compelling by placing us in it as we identify with Cromwell's desire to properly serve the king's and England's interests.

Brava!

The fall of Anne Boleyn has been told infinite times, certainly more so than any other episode in the reign of Henry VIII. It seems everyone, from scholarly historians to trashy novelists, has given us their version of events. However, Hilary Mantel, picking up right where she left us at the end of her award-winning Wolf Hall, manages to present a compelling and fascinating narrative, capturing the reader as if we were hearing it for the first time. As in her previous novel, events are seen through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell, accompanied by a fascinating cast of characters consistently cared for, as their lives intertwine against a backdrop of historical facts. If you have read Wolf Hall, it would come as no surprise that this book is magnificently well written; if you have not, please accept my recommendation and read them both.

I loved this book, even better than the first one. What a writer Hilary Mantel is, so detailed and gets you right into the mind of the characters. I only wish it was longer.

This book covers less than a year in the lives of Henry VIII and his facilitator and Master Secretary, Thomas Cromwell. King Henry, after having gone to a great deal of trouble to rid himself of his wife of 20 years, Katherine, in order to marry Anne Boleyn, who has now been crowned Queen Anne, has grown tired of Anne, especially since she failed to provide him with a son and male heir. He now has his eye on Jane Seymour, a plain and timid lady whom he finds restful compared to the volatile Anne and it is Cromwell's task to clear the way for Henry to marry her. The book is told from Cromwell's point of view and it is fascinating to follow his machinations, his attention to detail and the ruthlessness with which he makes people guilty of sins he knows they may not have committed, just as long as his objectives are served. The book also shows his more human side, in the treatment of his household staff and proteges! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and who loved "Wolf Hall" by the same author.

Recognized by none other than Time magazine literary critic Lev Grossman as one of the finest novels published this year, Hilary Mantel's "Bring Up the Bodies" is a compelling tour-de-force of a political thriller set in Henry VIII's Tudor Dynasty England, describing in vivid detail, the still mysterious circumstances leading towards the sudden downfall and execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn; their daughter would become Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen", admired by the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh and William Shakespeare. Mantel's latest is that rare breed of historical novel and political thriller, replete with the dazzling, lyrical prose and a most riveting plot that earned the Man Booker Prize for its predecessor, "Wolf Hall". Like its illustrious predecessor, "Bring Up the Bodies" is a riveting character study of Henry VIII's Secretary to the King and Lord Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, newly appointed head of the Church of England, mere months after the executions of Bishop of Rochester John Fisher and Lord Chancellor Thomas More. In a literary style as compelling as any of John Le Carre's Cold War thrillers, Mantel transforms Cromwell into her George Smiley, compelled to make political alliances with the very enemies he has despised for years, merely to do his King's bidding; he is dealt with the difficult and unenviable tasks of removing the brilliant, sharp-tongued, Anne Boleyn from her throne and terminating the Boleyn family's newly risen prestige and influence at the Court, which have occurred at the expense of the "Old Families" with their valid claims to Henry's throne, and other major figures of English nobility. Like George Smiley, Cromwell has become so exasperated and weary of the Tudor Dynasty's court intrigues, that he advises his son to stay clear of it, offering him opportunities to miss the executions of Anne Boleyn and her closest male friends, falsely accused of treason against King Henry himself. With "Bring Up the Bodies", Mantel demonstrates anew that she is one of the finest historical novelists writing in the English language, a notable prose stylist, and a most compelling spinner of tales. "Bring Up the Bodies" seems destined to become a candidate for the next Man Booker Prize as well as other notable literary honors on both sides of the Atlantic; there are relatively few contemporary English language writers who could match her superb gifts for storytelling and writing prose.

Don't go to the movies, turn off the television, and settle in for one of the most arresting listening experiences to be found. Bring Up the Bodies has everything - intrigue, passion, deception, treason, suspense, and it is a magnificent, richly imagined work. A multi prize winner Mantel is a unique author as her words thrust listeners into the midst of drama and, in this case, Simon Vance's superb voice performance carries us to Henry VIII's court where Thomas Cromwell struggles to fulfill the King's every whim.

In this sequel to Mantel's widely acclaimed Booker Prize winning Wolf Hall we listen to the machinations at court in 1536 when Henry has wearied of the now imperious Anne Boleyn who in addition to boring his majesty has been unable to give him a son. She has alienated many and forgiven few. With the death of Henry's first wife, the exiled Katherine of Aragon, only Anne stands between the king's desire for Jane Seymour.

It is up to Cromwell to satisfy Henry. Thus, over what seems to be a short period of time Anne finds herself the center of a plot to find her guilty of adultery and treason. Mantel examines this in vivid detail so well that it is as if one were eavesdropping on the characters, whether it is Cromwell thinking, remembering his youth or the Boleyns fighting to protect their place or the quiet Jane waiting, waiting.

Simon Vance is enormously talented as is noted by his four Audie Awards, 38 Earphone awards, and other honors. Listening to him is both pleasure and privilege. Don't miss his narration of Bring Up The Bodies!

- Gail Cooke

This was a great read!!! Sometimes i actually re-read chapters as they were so well written. I mark a good book in my mind by if i would read it again and this is a for sure read again. Actually I re-read Wolf Hall and will do Bring Up the Bodies again soon.

Enjoyed this book. Not as much as the first. The plot is less intricate at this stage of Cromwell's life. Perhaps it is because during this period Henry seems to have lost all reason, so it doesn't have as much thinking and strategizing in a positive way, but more about how to get people executed. I am not giving anything away here -- any who knows the history knows that Anne Boleyn was executed along with her alleged lovers. Still a very good read.

I loved this book as much as I did Wolf Hall. Ms. Mantel's talent at subsuming her own voice into those of her characters and her ability to create narrative plausibility from what seems to be the caprice of the powerful are astounding. I really enjoyed this book.

With her two volumes Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel has changed the history of England. Humanizing Thomas Cromwell and his relationship with Cardinal Woolsey in the first volume, and adding surprising (but plausible) dimensions to Anne Boleyn, in this second volume were riveting aspects. She engages us with a 'family' of many characters who play out historical circumstances that still reverberate today: the church and the emergence of the state, the rich and poor, power and politics. I await volume three with great anticipation.