I’m not asking you to agree with John – you think he’s a heretic, perhaps he is a heretic – I’m asking you to concede just this, and to tell it to the king, that Frith is a pure soul, he is a fine scholar, so let him live. If his doctrine is false and yours is true you can talk him back to you, you are an eloquent man, you are the great persuader of our age, not me – talk him back to Rome, if you can. But if he dies you will never know, will you, if you could have won his soul?
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Welcome to Wolf Crawl. I am your guide, Simon Haisell, and this is a year-long slow read of Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light.
Each week, I dive into the details, with summaries, background, footnotes and tangents to enrich your reading. I am joined on this journey by Bea Stitches, who delves into the archive on our behalf, and Matt Brown, who makes maps to help us find our way through Cromwell’s world.
You can find the reading schedule and plot summaries for the full cast of characters on my website, Footnotes and Tangents. There, you can join other slow reads, including Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Pat Barker’s Regeneration, and The Inheritors by William Golding.
I start each post with a summary of the week’s story illustrated by a map created by Matt Brown. This week, we are reading the first half of Part Five. Chapter I. Anna Regina, 1533.
UK Fourth Estate edition, pp. 419–462
US Picador, pp. 389–428
US Henry Holt, pp. 343-377 (guide only, editions vary)
Ben Miles audiobook, 16:02:35–17:46:17
First Line: The two children sit on a bench in the hall of Austin Friars.
Last Line: …Frith is waiting, placid, for his journey to resume.
This summary is followed by a few footnotes of interest.
This week, we make the necessary wardrobe adjustments for an emperor, his empire, his queen, and his councillor. We consider the art of persuasion and measure our man against Sir Thomas More. We examine the book of our heart for the victors of Agincourt, while Hans Holbein moves the furniture next door. In the archive, Bea inspects the preparations for the coronation. The haunting of Wolf Hall is taking a break and will be back next week. We end with my favourite quote of the week.
And then it is over to you. In the comments, let us know what caught your eye and ask the group any questions you may have. And if you’ve tumbled down a rabbit hole or taken your reading off on a tangent, please share where you have been and what you have found.
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