Wolf Hall

This was more of a slog than I anticipated, although I suspect I'm in the minority and had more to do with my energy level - her language demands close attention. Plus, after bringing on the Tudors in my late teens I've had little patience for any kind of narrative that concerns them (I still haven't seen Blanchett's Elizabeth for example), but I thought that Mantel's re-visioning of Cromwell was worth the effort. Her portrait was too positive with only hints at what makes a man that successful (and at what costs), but I willing to go along and enjoy my time with Cromwell. I was also completely taken with Mantel's use of language - I adored her bit on Cromwell's metonymies - and her insistence on keeping religious persecution in the forefront.