He takes a breath. Lisle, mayor, insults, Lisle. Calais, Dublin, secret funds. He wants Chapuys to get to Kimbolton in time. But doesn't want Katherine to rally. You should not desire, he knows, the death of any human creature. Death is your prince, you are not his patron; when you think he is engaged elsewhere, he will batter down your door, walk in and wipe his boots on you.
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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, The Inheritors by William Golding and Treacle Walker by Alan Garner.
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 Part One. Chapter III. Angels. Stepney and Greenwich, Christmas 1535–New Year 1536.
UK Fourth Estate edition, pp. 120–183
US Picador, pp. 101–153
US Henry Holt, pp. 101-153 (guide only, editions vary)
Ben Miles audiobook, 4:00:56–6:11:34
First Line: Christmas morning:
Last Line: ‘Alors … Perhaps just your initials.’
This summary is followed by a few footnotes of interest.
This week, we are fishing for angels with our magic net. There is a dog called Why and a jester without bells. There are standing stones and walking trees, snowmen and mummery of all kinds. In the archives, Bea brings us the last hours of Katherine, and what to do with her body. In the haunting of Wolf Hall, we ask, what do the dead want?
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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