Story really around two main characters who grew up as best friends: Leah (Irish, working in giving grants to charities, married to a French creole baStory really around two main characters who grew up as best friends: Leah (Irish, working in giving grants to charities, married to a French creole barber in a council house and trying to avoid children); Natalie (black and originally known as Keisha, now a successful lawyer married to an Italian/Caribbean investment banker, with children but addicted to internet meeting sites and with a strong sense of self-justification but low sense of how others see her) and the interaction of their lives. They also interact with two other boys from their school although they are decidedly minor characters (and observed only in third person). There is also a section on another character who is then murdered in a mugging.
The story has many strengths, lots of good and evocative writing, good dialogue, interesting and complex characters, a very defined sense of place (in fact NW London is really the main character of the book), varied styles (Leah’s story is more of a stream of consciousness; Leah’s a series of 200 numbered and titled sections); but ultimately it seems a little muddled and without plot/purpose and the different parts of the stories don’t really fit well with the reader also feeling slightly out of control....more
Extremely entertaining and very readable novel with a bizarre plot and no attempt at realism. The book’s key theme seems to be connectedness and stranExtremely entertaining and very readable novel with a bizarre plot and no attempt at realism. The book’s key theme seems to be connectedness and strangely the book ends up with no twist but almost a happy feel good ending as Harry looks back on the last year and realises how much more content and fulfilled he and the others in his household now are. The style has something of John Irving, Haruki Murakami and Joseph Heller about it. ...more
Good book although seems to mix two areas: the story of Dellarobia and the climate change theme, in what often seems an awkward and forced way (for exGood book although seems to mix two areas: the story of Dellarobia and the climate change theme, in what often seems an awkward and forced way (for example some of the Ovid discussions are very clunky and the changing weather patterns seem to come into virtually every paragraph)....more
The descriptions particularly of the blitz when Ursula is an air raid warden are compelling harrowing and there are other interesting vignettes (e.g. The descriptions particularly of the blitz when Ursula is an air raid warden are compelling harrowing and there are other interesting vignettes (e.g. of Eva Braun and Hitler’s schloss, of middle class England, of civil service). Similarly some of the plot twists particularly as Ursula tries to avoid death/tragedy but has to sometimes try and try again (for example to avoid her or her brother/sisters dying of influenza picked up by the maid and her boyfriend when they go up to the post armistice celebrations – she eventually has to push her down the stairs and in a later life even breaks the two of them by “innocently” making up an affair) are ingenious.
Interesting concept and with very good writing although appears to fall just short of either a brilliantly worked concept or an enthralling read. ...more
His lines fledge feathers, and unfolding their plumage they dive below the meaning and skim above it. They tell us that the rules of power and the
His lines fledge feathers, and unfolding their plumage they dive below the meaning and skim above it. They tell us that the rules of power and the rules of war are the same, the art is to deceive; and you will deceive, and be deceived in your turn .... A statute is written to entrap meaning, a poem to escape it. A quill, sharpened, can stir and rustle like the pinions of angels"
I re-read this book in 2020 as part of a read through of the full trilogy, following the publication of "The Mirror and The Light". This trilogy remains the most impressive literary achievement of the 21st Century in my view.
One of the most impressive aspects is the repeated imagery which occurs across the trilogy. The second book for example opens with falconry, falcons named after Cromwell's children - children whose dressing as angels in a Christmas pagent is a recurring image and not just in sentimental fashion (some of the nativity props play a crucial role in unmanning the resistance of a crucial witness at Anne's trial). And through the book we have imagery which interweaves with these themes - including that with which I open my review, one that actually refers to the poetry of Thomas Wyatt (Anne's original lover, Cromwell's protégée) but which in my view also serves as an image for the trilogy and its use of beautiful poetic imagery to examine the issues of statecraft.
On the second of my two days reading this volume I came across the following quote in the New Statesman taken from a letter written to Machiavelli (a contemporary of Cromwell and whose book Cromwell reads at one stage)
I earnestly believe that only men's faces and the outwards aspect of things change, while the same things reoccur again and again. Thus we are witnessing events that happened earlier. But the alteration in names and outward aspects is such that only the most learned are able to recognise them. That is why history is a useful and profitable discipline, because it shows you and allows you to recognise what you've never seen and experienced"
The quote was particularly apposite as I was, at the stage, debating the trilogy with a review which in effect said that the trilogy (and in fact historical fiction generally) was worthless and as a key argument pointed out that since Mantel first published "Wolf Hall", the following had occurred, making the trilogy even less relevant to today:
My view was that the main themes of this book, are the following areas of the 16th Century:
Swings in Britain’s relationships with Europe, tension between the countries in Britain on that topic, shifting power blocs in Continental Europe itself
Sexual harassment and belittling and subjugation of women
Braggart leaders with self esteem issues emerging in fiery denunciations of their critics
Plagues hitting London
Manipulation of news sources, propaganda and debates around what is true and what isn’t
Government spending cuts impacting on the poor and the tension with the well off as to whether they should support the less fortunate...more
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer
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