Tag: Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall

~ Veselin ~ 7 Comments

Wolf Hall is the first book from Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell.

Henry VIII doesn’t like the idea of a Queen inheriting England’s throne. His only child is a girl and he’s given up on his wife to produce another heir. He’ll change the world to have a legitimate prince from another woman. Wolf Hall is a book describing how poorly he treated some of his closest people and how evil he was towards his queens. The point of view is Cromwell’s, a smart and ambitious guy with goals and incredible street wisdom. However, the main character is Henry’s ego which twists the world around it like a black hole. I disliked Henry VIII so much that it almost ruined the book for me, and the book is great. It’s well written, with a pace that makes it like a song.

This first part of the trilogy covers the period from Thomas Cromwell’s childhood to Thomas More’s demise.

5*/5

Sprezzatura

~ Veselin ~ 6 Comments

From Wikipedia: “…the art of making something difficult look easy”. Curiously, the same work done with effortless grace and visible hard effort is perceived differently. Add a pinch of complaining and the good job can turn into a nightmare without any other change in the visible outcome.

ChatGPT agrees and says Sprezzatura is rated 9-10/10, while the work done with complaining is rated 4-5.

I encountered that word in Wolf Hall where the author refers to 1528’s The Book of the Courtier. Wolf Hall is a gem and I hope to dedicate a separate post to it once I finish it.