Wolf Hall follows Thomas Cromwell as he navigates his way through the politically charged court of Henry VIII. After leaving his home as a young boy to escape an abusive father, Thomas goes from the son of a poor blacksmith to the closest adviser to the King. On the way he loses his wife, two daughters, and his mentor, Cardinal Wolsey.

This is a tome of a book. I read it over Christmas because it is far too big to take on the tube. It is well written, if slightly confusing (apparently there were only 5 men’s names in the 1500s), but I still don’t really understand why this book won the Booker prize. It is a very compelling fictionalised account of a fascinating time in England’s history (and really makes you wonder how the monarchy and class system managed to sustain itself all these years!), but by the end of it I was much more interested in the Agatha Christie book I was reading on the tube, and couldn’t wait to be over and done with it!

Of course, this might be because the book is so heavy I could barely prop it up in bed…

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel