36 Comments
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Katie Lee's avatar

Having promised I wouldn’t buy any more books until I’ve read all the TBRs in my house, Simon goes and does this to me 😭

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Jacqui Taylor (she/her)'s avatar

I’ve given up on that pledge. I’ve got dozens of books to read 🤷‍♀️

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Katie Lee's avatar

I’m determined god damn! I will be my own library for the rest of the year

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Yasmin Chopin's avatar

I so want to read this book. I’m scouring the second hand bookshops right now!!!!

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Tresa Stevens's avatar

Haha! Same.

I can’t believe I had not known about Hilary Mantel before this year…I’m addicted

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Nathalie Armella's avatar

I find myself in the exact same situation. I just downloaded the ebook free sample… not a great move.

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Grant Doyle's avatar

Am currently enthralled with Tolstoy’s slow read, and having already done Wolf Hall, the prospect of another Mantel-piece was too good to refuse.

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Yasmin Chopin's avatar

Mantel is such a good writer I’m also keen to read something else from her. I loved the trilogy.

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Jacqui Taylor (she/her)'s avatar

Ooh hello! Good to see you in my inbox again. My copy arrived in post the other day. I need to finish done other books off sharpish 🤣

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Chris M's avatar

I've read a bit about the French Revolution and it seems the perfect time to try this. Seeing how many books and storylines I can follow at one time is the challenge.

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Jaimie Pattison's avatar

I’ve been so struck by how you’ve spoken about this book Simon, I’m finding it hard to resist joining in! It does sound very intense, and some of the chapter titles! But I’m sooooo tempted…..

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KJ O’Neil's avatar

I agree with Jaimie! I am participating because I know I am in good hands with Simon’s guidance. Wolf Crawl is such a treat! I know I would have never picked up a Hilary Mantel book if it wasn’t for these wonderful Footnotes and Tangents slow reads. Thank you Simon! I recall very little about world history from school. I watched a 90 minute documentary on the French Revolution this week produced by The History Channel in 2005. It was an easy watch if any one else needs a refresher.

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Supriya Sundar's avatar

Thanks Simon, I couldn’t keep up with The Siege of Krishnapur and have given up for now, but I really want to do this one. So looking forward to it.

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Simon Haisell's avatar

Hope you manage to do this one! Never worry about keeping up, and always read at the pace that works for you.

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elizabeth graham madden's avatar

I read this decades ago: my introduction to Hilary Mantel's writing. I am looking forward to this re-read.

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Simon Haisell's avatar

This book gives me the creeps. Every time I read it, the thing takes up residence and haunts my head.

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Yasmin Chopin's avatar

The perfect conundrum!

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Lynn Newman's avatar

I’ve been waiting since we finished TSOK to be back with you Simon. Roll on Monday 👍

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Ruby Mancini's avatar

I am looking forward to this.

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Lynn Newman's avatar

All ready!

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Susannah Fisher's avatar

Oh, gosh, I can't wait!

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Laura Mac's avatar

Printed out and raring to go!

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Lauren Grubbs-Shaney's avatar

I may be crazy, but I am enjoying the War and Peace slow read so much that I decided to join in on this one. I am a French teacher, retiring after 30 years next month, and my goal is to read this in French and English simultaneously. I just sat down and read the introduction, and though I have read the Wolf Hall trilogy, I have fallen in love with Hilary Mantel again, just glimpsing the intelligence and thoughtfulness behind the way she approached this work. What a loss to literature her death was.

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Simon Haisell's avatar

Welcome to APOGS! Would love to know how the French translation compares. Mantel read French, and I presume she took an interest in its translation.

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Lauren Grubbs-Shaney's avatar

Translations usually feel clunky to me, but I can’t wait to dive in. One interesting thing off the top is that the translation was published in two volumes; the first volume is entitled “L’Idéal”.

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Simon Haisell's avatar

Oh, interesting! Do you know what the second volume is called?

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Lauren Grubbs-Shaney's avatar

Les Désordres

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Historic Rabbithole's avatar

Excited to read this one, heard great things about it.

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Dana's avatar

Looking forward to this one!

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