Violet’s review of The Mirror & the Light (Thomas Cromwell, #3) > Likes and Comments

Good to know, Violet. I picked up the book from the library today and will be starting it tonight.

That was lucky. In the UK the waiting list is months!

Violet wrote: "That was lucky. In the UK the waiting list is months!"

My library has 12 copies and I was #5 when I put my name in just last week, but, yes, very lucky!

There was a documentary about her on BBC recently and demand at libraries shot through the roof afterwards. It was a great documentary if you can get hold of it over there.

Violet wrote: "There was a documentary about her on BBC recently and demand at libraries shot through the roof afterwards. It was a great documentary if you can get hold of it over there."

I'll look. Thanks for the heads-up.

Wonderful review, Violet. Do you know why did she call this volume "The Mirror and the Light". I have not read it yet, but intrigued by the title. Seems to be very visual.

Excellent review, Violet. Well done.

Katia wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet. Do you know why did she call this volume "The Mirror and the Light". I have not read it yet, but intrigued by the title. Seems to be very visual."

Thanks Katia. It's a compliment Cromwell gives to Henry. "Your Majesty is the only prince. The mirror and the light of other kings.”

Pedro wrote: "Excellent review, Violet. Well done."

Thanks Pedro.

My library closed for the pandemic before I was able to request this one! Thanks for the thoughtful review. I agree on your thoughts of renditions of Tudor women. For this reason I enjoyed Kelsey Wilson-Lee's Daughters of Chivalry. It's technically nonfiction and predates the Tudors by a couple centuries but a very appealing illumination of women at court who managed to wield their own power during Edward I's reign.

Christine wrote: "My library closed for the pandemic before I was able to request this one! Thanks for the thoughtful review. I agree on your thoughts of renditions of Tudor women. For this reason I enjoyed Kelsey W..."

Thanks Christine. The book you mention sounds very appealing.

Great review, Violet. I felt the same about Lady Rochford and the daughter, though it seems as if I likde the ending a bit more than you did.

What series did you watch about Henry etc? When I was in high school I watched the BBC's 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII,' which is when my interest in the time period started. But later in life, when I knew more, I couldn't finish it.

I liked your comment "You can tell Hilary didn't want to finish this. She continually procrastinates, she lingers lovingly over every passage" - for the same reason I keep procrastinating about reading it (as I don't want this trilogy to finish and enjoy knowing I still have the last volume to read).

"There's little question Hilary has raised the bar where historical fiction is concerned" - I would go further and say "where literary fiction is concerned".

Wonderful, thorough analysis, Violet. I'm so looking forward to read this one. I'm in two minds, though, should I reread previous books? That's the question!

An excellent review, and I agree with most of what you say.

Superb review, Violet—and I don't say such things lightly:-)
I found myself nodding in agreement with your words over and over especially concerning how Mantel succeeds in making us protective of Cromwell throughout this volume in contrast to the other books. Before we were just in awe, and maybe a little afraid of him too. In this book we are afraid for him. Doesn't she manipulate us so well—quite as well as Cromwell manipulates others!
Like you, I also felt that she, Mantel, was tired by the end and didn't want to spend too long on the Tower episode—perhaps as you say because she identified with her character too much.
As to Jane Rochford, I enjoyed her repartee a lot. Yes, she'd make a good subject for an historical novel in the right hands.

Excellent review, Violet. You made me want to give Mantel another try.

Wonderful review, Violet!

Teresa wrote: "Great review, Violet. I felt the same about Lady Rochford and the daughter, though it seems as if I likde the ending a bit more than you did.

What series did you watch about Henry etc? When I was ..."

Thanks Teresa. It was a BBC documentary presented by Lucy Worsley. She had this habit of saying, most people think blah blah... but I think, as if she was about to deliver some rare illuminating insight but basically just projected cliched modern ideas onto Henry's wives. Made you realise though just how credibly penetrating many of Mantel's portraits were.

Gumble's Yard wrote: "I liked your comment "You can tell Hilary didn't want to finish this. She continually procrastinates, she lingers lovingly over every passage" - for the same reason I keep procrastinating about rea..."

Couldn't agree more, Grumble. I could have happily continued reading this throughout the lockdown. I'm feeling bereft now it's finished.

Agnieszka wrote: "Wonderful, thorough analysis, Violet. I'm so looking forward to read this one. I'm in two minds, though, should I reread previous books? That's the question!"

Thanks Agna. We were lucky in the UK. The BBC ran a rerun of the dramatisation of the first two books. But she does incorporate all the key moments of those books in this one so it all comes readily back.

Hugh wrote: "An excellent review, and I agree with most of what you say."

Thanks Hugh.

Fionnuala wrote: "Superb review, Violet—and I don't say such things lightly:-)
I found myself nodding in agreement with your words over and over especially concerning how Mantel succeeds in making us protective of C..."

Thanks Fi. Super excited to read your thoughts. Yep, the extent to which she makes us feel protective of him was agonising at times. I've often suspected it's impossible to "spoil" a truly first rate novel and this kind of proves it. In the hands of a masterful novelist prior knowledge to what is going to happen can be alchemised into additional dramatic tension.

Angela M wrote: "Excellent review, Violet. You made me want to give Mantel another try."

Thanks Angela. Henry viii is such a seminal part of our history in England that we enter these books with our ears pricked so to speak. I imagine that isn't quite the case over there!

Fran wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet!"

Thanks Fran.

Violet wrote: "Katia wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet. Do you know why did she call this volume "The Mirror and the Light". I have not read it yet, but intrigued by the title. Seems to be very visual."

Thanks Ka..."

Thank you, very much, Violet. It makes a lot of sense now.

Violet wrote: "Katia wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet. Do you know why did she call this volume "The Mirror and the Light". I have not read it yet, but intrigued by the title. Seems to be very visual."

Thanks Katia. It's a compliment Cromwell gives to Henry. "Your Majesty is the only prince. The mirror and the light of other kings.”."

And didn't Mantel manage to weave the image of a 'mirror' and of 'light' into several significant moments so well. There was Cromwell's enemy Margaret Pole who was thought to be using a mirror to send signals across the channel. And there were a few references to reflections of light in a sword, specifically an executioner's sword. Then there was a marvellous moment of reflected light at the end.

Fionnuala wrote: "Violet wrote: "Katia wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet. Do you know why did she call this volume "The Mirror and the Light". I have not read it yet, but intrigued by the title. Seems to be very visu..."

Yes, this sounds really fascinating. I take photographs when I can. And the one of my favourite themes is reflected light, reflections, multiple layers exposed in one image, images through the windows or other glass. So when I've seen the title of this, I straightaway wanted to ask why. I love when the writers play with the visuals. I've seen mirrors in Dante's Divine Comedy a lot. And here, based upon what you and Violet are saying it has created another psychological dimension as well as the spatial one. Also it positively characterises Cromwell:-)

Wonderful review, Violet. Really looking forward to reading this.

Beautiful review, Violet. I'm yet to read Mantel. Though I'm already aware of the author but never really decided to read her but your review here comes as a guiding light.

Katia wrote: "Fionnuala wrote: "Violet wrote: "Katia wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet. Do you know why did she call this volume "The Mirror and the Light". I have not read it yet, but intrigued by the title. See..."

She's fabulous with images, Katia, but she's also brilliant at conveying textures. Her clothes for example, are more lively than the characters in the Evie Wyld novel I'm reading!

Katie wrote: "Wonderful review, Violet. Really looking forward to reading this."

Thanks Katie.

Gaurav wrote: "Beautiful review, Violet. I'm yet to read Mantel. Though I'm already aware of the author but never really decided to read her but your review here comes as a guiding light."

Thanks Gaurav. She's a fabulous writer so I'm pretty sure you'll find her engaging.

YES! I found my self also wishing for a Rocheford novel. As I understand, this will be her last book. It's making me really, really sad.

Annie wrote: "YES! I found my self also wishing for a Rocheford novel. As I understand, this will be her last book. It's making me really, really sad."

Wouldn't it be fabulous to see everything through her eyes? I didn't know this is to be her last book. I know I never wanted to finish it.

It took me 13 days to read it, and I realiized it's because I loved it so much, knew it was the last one, knew what happened to Cromwell, and like you, didn't want it to end.

Violet I loved your review. It's so insightful. I'm afraid all the time I was reading the first part I was grumbling about the weight of the book. Two and a half pounds in case you're interested. As someone who loves the tactile experience of books which a kindle doesn't give it reduced the pleasure of the reading experience.

Annie wrote: "It took me 13 days to read it, and I realiized it's because I loved it so much, knew it was the last one, knew what happened to Cromwell, and like you, didn't want it to end."

I stretched it out much more than you, Annie. Disciplined myself to only read 20 pages a day to make it last longer!

Eithne wrote: "Violet I loved your review. It's so insightful. I'm afraid all the time I was reading the first part I was grumbling about the weight of the book. Two and a half pounds in case you're interested. A..."

I hear you, Eithne! It was heavy! I only read physical books. Can't bring myself to abandon this habit!

I agree with you Violet regarding the quickness of Cromwell’s attest and imprisonment. I also thought Hilary procrastinated in certain parts to bulk out the book . I hope Hilary does another Tudor book and Jane Rochford is a good idea .

I’m not yet finished but I could not agree with you more. Especially r.e. Lady Rochford, so tantalisingly on the edge of all the scandal and so surprisingly overlooked by historical writers.

Suzanne wrote: "I agree with you Violet regarding the quickness of Cromwell’s attest and imprisonment. I also thought Hilary procrastinated in certain parts to bulk out the book . I hope Hilary does another Tudor ..."

Thanks Suzanne.

Chantal wrote: "I’m not yet finished but I could not agree with you more. Especially r.e. Lady Rochford, so tantalisingly on the edge of all the scandal and so surprisingly overlooked by historical writers."

She's utterly captivating. Have you seen the BBC dramatisation? I love the actress who plays Lady Rochford. Her face smoulders with a complex and frustrated inner life.

Yes! Jessica Raine was perfectly cast. And her story only gets more interesting right up to her fall with Catherine Howard. If only there was a way of extending Hilary’s writing.

Chantal wrote: "Yes! Jessica Raine was perfectly cast. And her story only gets more interesting right up to her fall with Catherine Howard. If only there was a way of extending Hilary’s writing."

Yep!!

I hear you about The Tudors - couldn’t go past the first episode

Agree with you on all points - both Jane Rochford and Katherine Parr would be fascinating subjects. Both were passed around and married off as their families saw fit, yet I expect they must have had different experiences and attitudes considering their life stories. It’s time we heard them, too.

You are right about The Tudors, of course, but for me, the series has its place because it’s the only TV drama out there to cover Henry VIII’s reign in such detail. If you can bring yourself to look past what’s ridiculous about it, it can actually be helpful to get a chronological overview of this fascinating and vicious period.

Korkodus wrote: "I hear you about The Tudors - couldn’t go past the first episode"

I'm still slowly ploughing through it. It can be entertaining.

Ann wrote: "Agree with you on all points - both Jane Rochford and Katherine Parr would be fascinating subjects. Both were passed around and married off as their families saw fit, yet I expect they must have ha..."

Thanks Ann. Hopefully one day a good novelist will take the time to fully research Jane (and Katherine). As for The Tudors I am enjoying it. Just have to put my critical self to sleep first.

Fabulous review - will have to get this. I particularly like your comment - "As he becomes outwardly less vigilant he becomes inwardly more finely tuned." As if he has realized his opponent is no longer worthy of the battle.