22.15 Sunday November 29th 2020
I flicked over the final page of The Mirror & the Light and I really do feel as if some sort of medal, honour, award, Damehood or something should be in order. And not just for me, for any of you who have also finished (or are in your way to finishing) the nine hundred pages of this book after our shared read through November, and into December for some.
There wasn’t a lot of jolly was there and from my point of view I’m not sure I could have chosen a worse month...
Unexpected Lockdown...
Grey chill November days...
Dark afternoons...
A month of toothache culminating in finally passing the telephone exam on the third attempt and getting a dentist’s appointment for what I had told them was ‘only a small filling’ that ‘wouldn’t take a minute.’ It turned out to be a fractured tooth needing root canal, rebuilding and will eventually need a crown, all of which took an hour and half ministered to by people in full hazmat. Bookhound, waiting outside (don’t worry I’ll be out in fifteen minutes) thought I’d probably died. All this followed by a week of soup and porridge.
And so it’s been a bit of a slog this end. But I’ve stuck with it because it was my bright idea so thought I better had. I've done a mix of book, Kindle and audio and feel as if Ben Miles lives here after so many hours of listening.
As always Hilary Mantel is superb on her textiles and colours. Tawny and russet cloaks trimmed with ermine, lush brocades, it’s the way I find she locks me into a particular scene and some of those scenes were breathtakingly good. One that comes to mind is Cromwell’s realisation that Wolsey may not have trusted him. Memorable too, the betrothal mix-up, the garter ceremony, the ongoing reminders of Cromwell’s lowly beginnings and inferior status, and, running through the entire book, the status of the women. Well, lack of status really, child-bearing vessels, pawns in the marriage game, commodities to be traded.
In the end I could hardly bear to look, but along the way ...well I got lost quite a few times and if I’m honest, whilst I’d have paid good money for another few hundred pages of both Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, I think I’d have been happy to have lost a few from this one. I’m prepared for those of you who have loved it to challenge me on this. I feel like a traitor because I am such a huge fan of Hilary Mantel, and doubtless it has been more to do with me than the book. Nevertheless I do feel a huge sense of achievement for now having the trilogy tucked under my reading belt, a bit like the day I finished Ulysses.
I stopped taking notes (thank you Penny Gardener for showing me the error of my ways in this instance) and just let the book make its way to the inevitable conclusion and I felt a bit hollowed out by the end truth be told. The aftermath has been interesting too. I barely feel I have settled to a good book since, almost as if I ran my reading batteries as a flat as a pancake. To the rescue a jigsaw puzzle and Olivia Manning, and a book I’d put on my Kindle ages ago, The Doves of Venus.
And so over to you. If you have managed to read along with The Mirror & the Light I'd love to know your thoughts...mine are a bit of a blur so it would be good to have a chat in comments.
And, though I realise reading shouldn't be about this, are you relieved it's done...
I do feel a sense of pride now as I look at the three books on the shelf, along with huge admiration for Hilary Mantel who brought us Thomas Cromwell, warts and all.
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