I got an e-mail on Thursday from the library asking me to come and pick up this book, I requested it from them months ago so there was obviously a long queue of people in front of me. Anyway, I picked it up on Thursday night and as there’s a note on the inside of the book asking people to read it as quickly as possible as it’s in demand I did just that and finished it this afternoon.

Thankfully at 410 pages this one isn’t as huge as Wolf Hall which I found to be an unwieldy beast to read even although I enjoyed the contents.

I think I actually liked this book even more than Wolf Hall, possibly because I did read it over such a short period of time and I didn’t have any problems with the writing, either I’ve got used to her style or she has improved it because Wolf Hall was a wee bit confusing at times with so many he saids and it not always being obvious who the he was.

I’m sure everyone knows what Bring Up the Bodies is about. It’s the continuation of Thomas Cromwell’s career at Henry VIII’s court. Cromwell hasn’t allowed the disadvantages of being the son of a blacksmith to hold him back, in fact the survival skills he learned as a youngster have been a help to him in his post of Henry’s Chief Minister. As a commoner he’s looked down on by the aristocrats at court but they’re also afraid of his power. Cromwell has plenty of enemies, it’s a dangerous combination.

Cromwell had done everything he could to please Henry by making it possible for Anne to become his wife and Queen but Henry is less than pleased with Anne and is keen to get on to the next wife, Jane Seymour. It’s Cromwell’s job to find a way out for the king. This book ends in 1536 with Anne Boleyn getting the chop – or should I say the swish!

Hilary Mantel is apparently writing the next book in this series. I’m really looking forward to it. There are only four more years to go for Thomas Cromwell so it shouldn’t be a massive tome.

Bring Up The Bodies won the 2012 Man Booker Prize.