Sara Davis
asked:
I'm content in waiting to become immersed in her glorious writing. People have lost the ability to be patient for good things. Who agrees?
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The Mirror & the Light,
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Judith
Or maybe, like me, people are old and are afraid they will never find out whether Thomas Cromwell dies at the end. JOKING!!
Just realized I stopped reading about 3/4 in about two weeks ago because I want to believe there is a different ending than in real history.
Just realized I stopped reading about 3/4 in about two weeks ago because I want to believe there is a different ending than in real history.
Dandsnetvision.Net.Il
My goodness. Such beautiful English and such extraordinary ideas and concepts. Yes, it does need patience and perseverance, but for those who have it, this is an enthralling reading experience and, in my opinion at least, totally enriching. I feel that I have read many wonderful books in my life but this (the last book specifically and the trilogy as a whole) outdoes everything else that I have ever encountered. When I was younger, the benchmark for greatest novel was always said to be War and Peace, but this for me, puts the bar higher - much higher. The only issue for me (apart from the idiosyncrasies in style, which have been much discussed - the questions are valid but they totally overshadowed the other aspects which should have been the central ones) - was the fact that I read the first two volumes several years ago, and it meant that I decided to read them again before this last volume. Otherwise I felt (rightly for me) that too much context and detail would have been lost. I'm glad I did, but that is a question that all new readers of this third volume should think about.
Annie
So worth the wait.
Sherry Schwabacher
Amen, Sister! In an era of Twitter and Facebook, many want instant satisfaction in easily digestible spoonfuls.
Bruce Edwards
Whole-heartedly. I am letting this digest for a while before I consider the question of whether this trilogy, and specifically TMATL, is the greatest thing I have ever read. I don't really tend to do this but there are a few books up there that I have been unable to prefer one to the other but which stand head and shoulders above many other fine books I have read. I particularly found her innovations of style an exciting revelation - baffling/irritating me at first in Wolf Hall but inevitably drawing me into Cromwell's mind and experience, I would have to say more successfully than when I dutifully waded through Joyce.
Amberfox
I so enjoy a long read: to become immersed in a story containing engaging characters. Admit to struggling a bit with this, the final book, but read to the end. Ms Mantel had made Thomas Cromwell a somewhat sympathetic character, supported by Mark Rylance's portrayal in the television serialisation and knowing from other books how his life ended I was reluctant to reach the final pages. All I'll say is "thank you, Ms Mantel".
Joy
Some years ago, I became mired in A PLACE OF GREATER SAFETY, unable to follow the story of so many characters. Now, at page 500+, I have reached the same point. Perhaps it is my own fault, because like Judith I am old. I just reread the New Yorker review and discovered the professional reviewer shared my experience. I will finish the book and I will enjoy it. But perhaps Mantel has become so important an author, no editor can suggest changes.
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