Hilary Mantel

Takethedogalong
Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,033 ✭✭✭
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edited September 2022 in Congratulations, Good Wishes & Kind Thoughts #1

Very sad news tonight about Hilary Mantel passing away, only 70 years old as well. Her trilogy of books on the life of Thomas Cromwell were so different, and wonderfully researched and written. She was ill for a good bit of her life, hence the long gap between the second and third Wolf Hall books. RIP.

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  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2022 #2

    Yes very sad and unexpected. Certainly knew her subject for Wolf Hall.

    RIP

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited September 2022 #3

    Hi thoroughly enjoyed the Cromwell trilogy, but not read anything else by her but will endeavour to do so. A great writer.

    RIP Hilary. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,033 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2022 #4

    I think she managed to bring to life someone long considered a bit of a villain, and gave those of us who enjoy history a bit more padding around a very important Tudor era politician. A blend of closely researched historical fact, with a degree of believable fiction in terms of the man himself, and some of the other larger than life names from history.

    Cromwell should rank highly in terms of how our nation ultimately evolved, but his time in a position of power was ultimately very short compared with others of the era. Both Booker Prizes thoroughly deserved, and the last book in the trilogy is no less gripping.

    I might try the Margaret Thatcher one next.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited September 2022 #5

    I very seldom read historical "novels" but was captivated by the books. I must try others that she has written.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,033 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2022 #6

    Have you read “The Sunne in Splendour” Nellie? Retelling of the Edward IV and Richard III story. Not Hilary Mantel by any means, but I enjoyed it. Author is Sharon Penman, who I think might be an American author.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited September 2022 #7

    Not read that, but will look out for it, thanks for heads up.👍

    Have just seen that there are a couple of other novels with a similar title, The Sun in Splendour, both the final one in the Plantagenet series by Jean Plaidy and Juliet Dymoke.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2022 #8

    I'm just reading her autobiography "Giving up the Ghost." It begins in more recent times in Norfolk and then drifts back gently to her childhood. It's beautifully written with great detail. 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2022 #9

    I read the book in just over a day, it was quite a piercing book, in fact I had to skim over some bits as I couldn't bear to read them! Maybe it was good that she wrote about herself as these are often quite dark memories, I don't know what another writer would make of her life, she misses out certain things, it's like a long essay and of course it's very personal but it hits the mark, it's her and no-one else can be her! By the way if you're a Heather or a Garry she wasn't keen on those names, there are sparks of unintentional humour. RIP Hilary Mantel or Llary as she was known to friends and family. 

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