Posted by Steven on 14/6/2012, 10:10:36, in reply to "Re: Wolf Hall"
76.186.47.15
Near the end of the book, page 499 of my copy, Mantel states what I think is her thesis for the novel:
"The fate of peoples is made like this, two men in small rooms. Forget the coronations, the conclaves of cardinals, the pomp and processions. This is how the world changes: a counter pushed across the table, a pen stroke that alters the force of a phrase, a woman's sigh as she passes and leaves on the air a trail of orange flower or rose water; her hand pulling close the bed curtains, the discreet sigh of flesh against flesh."
This certainly explains why she wrote the novel in a low key fashion and perhaps why a character like Cromwell appeals more to her than someone like Henry VIII or Thomas More. Although from reading this quote you'd get the impression that sex plays a greater role in the novel than it actually does.
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