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Jun 17, 2016ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
In Bring up the Bodies, Mantel continues the chronicles she began in her prize-winning Wolf Hall. On its surface an account of Anne Boleyn's downfall as the second wife of Henry VIII, it is simultaneously a peek into the life, personality and machinations of Thomas Cromwell, through whose eyes the tale is told. I found this second work to be even more engaging than the first, difficult to put down from about 25% in. Cromwell is a bit of an enigma to me. As a reader I'm generally inclined to be sympathetic to the storyteller, and the author is careful to include domestic scenes and instances of kindness and generosity on the part of Cromwell. On the other hand, however, the reader is periodically reminded that as affable a guy he may well be, he's also in a position of power and would undoubtedly do just about anything to remain there.