44 Comments

2025 is THE year! I am looking forward to it!

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Yes! You won't believe how much time I've spent making the material for this readalong. So I need another year (at least) to finish it off!

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So excited! I love the first and last lines in this schedule: "So now get up ... tracking the light on the wall." This is my introduction to Hilary Mantel, and I'm looking forward to reading all the words in between under your brilliant guidance, Simon.

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Best opening and closing scenes ever. You are in for such a ride!

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Excited to be part of this group. I've read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies but it's been a long time. I tend to be a too-fast reader so this will slow me down and let me savor Mantel's incredible language, this sweeping story, and reading with all of you. I'm in Colorado so there's a lot of winter ahead, good for reading! And stitching - so glad to have learned of Bea and her textile work.

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I read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies years ago when they were first released. I've never read The Mirror & The Light because I felt I needed a reread of the first two. Finding Wolf Crawl is a sign from the universe that it's time. Thank you!

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Perfect! I'd definitely say they benefit from being read together like this. I hope you enjoy!

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I have done the Wolf Crawl this year, but being in the US and having access only to the Picador paperbacks, I had to find the beginning and end of each week’s reading material myself — oh, the horror! 😜 I think I’ll drop in on the 2025 Crawl discussions from time to time to remind the young ‘uns that “In my time, we did not even have accurate page numbers!” 🤣

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Ah the good old days when we just opened the book at random and hoped for the best!

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My God this is what my dreams are made of!

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Your dreams sound like my dreams!

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I am so happy to be here. Thank you for doing this...

I used to read several books a week until about a decade ago when, for no apparent reason, I could no longer sustain the habit. At that point I started reading news and essays on the internet. I had recently resolved that I needed to retrain myself to read fiction before I retire from my job - Wolf Hall was the book at the top of my list.

I then accidentally found this slow reading group and everything came together - I am now looking forward to this coming year

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Thank you for the Picador page numbers! I think these line up with the page numbers in my Kindle version.

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I'm pretty sure I'm reading the first edition hardcover US version (the fact i still have it after multiple cross country moves since 2011 shows how much it means to me). I've gone through and figured out pages up through week 11 if anyone needs help.

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Happy new year 🎈🎊🎆

Thank you for this detailed schedule because I am reading the ebooks and following page numbers would have taken so much effort on my part 😂

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I'll be joining this too! And the W&P for my fifth read!

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Fantastic!

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Simon, I have F&T and Endnotes notifications turned on. Is that all I need to do to take part?

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No you also need 2025 Wolf Crawl notifications turned on. They are off by default.

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Phew, saved the day!

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In the US, I have Holt Paperbacks. I did some spot checking and it seems to align with the page numbers listed under the Picador heading.

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This figures, Picador is a Holt imprint. I'm not sure whether these page numbers are good across all US editions but I guess we will find out!

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Yes, from my spot checking Holt seems to be within +/-1 page of Picador, so close enough to follow.

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But the Henry Holt hardback is different. I would not have thought.

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Looking forward to another year with the F&T gang!

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Since this slow read is split by pages, I'm considering purchasing copies of the books instead of reading on Kindle. Did the readers this year find it easier to have a physical copy? Can you post a link to the Fourth Estates version you are referring to?

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Here it is: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/wolf-hall-hilary-mantel/186740?ean=9780008381691

Kindle I think also shows you page numbers, so you might be able to do that as well. I include opening and closing sentences, so it should be easy to find the breaks with any edition. Good luck!

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Thanks! The page numbers on Kindle don't correspond to page numbers in the physical books (at least not in my experience). I'll see if I can find this version in the U.S.

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Another solution might be for me to get someone with a US copy to give me the page numbers for the US edition. I think that shouldn't be too hard and I can't believe I didn't think about it before.

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Jan 1
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Thanks Wendi. If you are able to send me page numbers (if they are different from these) at any point, that would be super helpful!

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Just reading the start/finish lines here remind us that Mantel is the GOAT

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Without a doubt.

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