Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel
Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel
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Bring Up the Bodies
A Novel

Author: Hilary Mantel

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 14 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/08/2012

Synopsis

The sequel to Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel's Man Booker Prize winner and New York Times bestseller, Bring Up the Bodies delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn.

The basis for the TV show on BBC and PBS Masterpiece starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell.

Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice.

At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring. But Anne and her powerful family will not yield without a ferocious struggle. Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies follows the dramatic trial of the queen and her suitors for adultery and treason. To defeat the Boleyns, Cromwell must ally with his natural enemies, the papist aristocracy. What price will he pay for Anne's head?

Named a top 10 Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and The Washington Post

About Hilary Mantel

English author, Dame Hilary Mary Mantel, was born in Glossop, Derbyshire in 1952. She attended St. Charles Roman Catholic primary school in the mill village of Hadfield. Her parents were actually Irish descent, but were born in England. Mantel's father divorced her mother and left when she was eleven years old. She never saw him again. Her mother did not marry, but spent her life with Jack Mantel, from whom Hilary took his name as her surname. Her schooling ended with a bachelor's degree in Jurisprudence in 1973. She then worked in social work in a geriatric hospital.

Her books include historical fiction, including a trilogy about Thomas Cromwell's rise to power under King Henry VIII. They were Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light (which was just released in the UK in March of 2020). She twice won the Booker Award.

In keeping with her unconventional life, Hilary married Gerald McEwen, a geologist in 1972, and they lived in exotic places such as Botswana and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They were divorced after he gave up geology to be her business manager, but then remarried.

Reviews

Goodreads review by David on May 20, 2012

The normally flinty James Wood recently wrote what can only be characterized as an extended mash note to Hilary Mantel in the New Yorker, based on this book and its predecessor, Wolf Hall. I can only concur, and add a few observations of my own. How good is this book? It's so good that (i) I am trying......more

Goodreads review by Will on May 24, 2023

His whole career has been an education in hypocrisy. Eyes that once skewered him now kindle with simulated regard. Hands that would like to knock his hat off now reach out to take his hand, sometimes in a crushing grip. He has spun his enemies to face him, to join him: as in a dance. He means to......more

Goodreads review by Sean Barrs on May 02, 2020

Mantel is such an excellent writer; her prose is eloquent and artistic, beautiful even.. Few writers have such skill. She uses every grammatical tool at her disposal to give her novel a strong individual sense of stylistic flair. And that’s just the surface level of her sentences; she also uses meta......more

Goodreads review by Valeriu on September 10, 2023

Cu siguranță, mai „ușor de citit”, mai lizibil decît Wolf Hall. Deși faptul de a fi „ușor de citit” e, mai degrabă, un defect decît un merit. În mai 1536, 95 de nobili onorabili o condamnă pe Anne Boleyn la moarte. Doar unul se abține. Nu va fi ultima dintre grozăviile petrecute sub regele Henric al......more

Quotes

“This second volume in Hilary Mantel's planned trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, right-hand man to Henry VIII of England, is a perfect marriage of the written and spoken word…Simon Vance's silken tones and expert pacing keep us engaged throughout…Vance enhances the story with instructive vocal portraits of key players and a listenable tempo that keeps us clear and entranced until the end.” —AudioFile Magazine, winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award

“Can one improve Hilary Mantel's tale of Tudor intrigue, Bring Up the Bodies, which has racked up both sales and awards? Well, yes, if you add Simon Vance's acclaimed voice. In an Audie-nominated performance, Vance doesn't simply narrate the Man Booker winner – he seems to inhabit the characters.” —USA Today, four out of four stars

“If you listened to Simon Slater's riveting reading of the Booker Prize-wining ‘Wolf Hall,' the 2009 opener in Hilary Mantel's trilogy, the news that the sequel has a different narrator won't be good. Fear not. Simon Vance's narration is every bit as versatile and nuanced as Slater's, his intonation for each character is as uncannily distinctive – a critical requirement with so many characters. Even better, Vance's voice portrayal of the historically maligned Thomas Cromwell, chief adviser to King Henry VII, is almost indistinguishable from Slater's in ‘Wolf Hall'” —Newark Star-Ledger

“We all know the story, but hearing it described through Cromwell's eloquent words and inner thoughts on power and ambition, his own included, make it new again, and riveting. Mantel's language is extraordinary – it's as though she's channeled Cromwell from beyond and burrowed into his mind – and Simon Vance's impeccable reading is a perfect match. A wonderful way to celebrate audio month.” —BookPage

“Narrator Simon Vance's skillful presentation enhances Mantel's outstanding description and dialogue. His gorgeous sound, tone and accent add to the beauty and horror of the compelling story.” —Library Journal, starred review

“Narrator Simon Vance shines in his portrayal of the characters, creating a range of distinct voices – including the increasingly tense Anne Boleyn and the earnest Georgey, Cromwell's mild-mannered young son who is eager to prove himself. Best of all, however, are the measured tones Vance employs for the conniving Cromwell. The narrator captures the soul of this complex character, a man of innate pragmatism and confidence who is also quietly haunted by regrets. Vance also nails the bone-dry wit of the characters. In all, this is an exemplary audiobook.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Vance takes commence of the complex story, reading Mantel's complicated prose with assurance…Tensions leading up to Anne Bolyn's execution run high, and Vance relays the emotions with precision and grace, showing that he is attuned to the complicated plot.” —Booklist

“I downloaded Hilary Mantel's majestic ‘Bring Up the Bodies' and was pleasantly surprised to hear Vance's gentle and authoritative voice once again. It was like running into an old friend and knowing that we were about to have a long and satisfying visit.” —John Schwartz, The New York Times Book Review

Awards

  • The Independent (UK) Best Books of the Year
  • Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Shortlist
  • Audie Award Winner
  • NPR Best Book of the Year
  • Entertainment Weekly Best Books of the Year
  • New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year
  • Cleveland Plain Dealer's Best Books of the Year
  • Women's Prize for Fiction - Shortlist
  • Time Magazine Best Books of the Year
  • Man Booker Award - Winner
  • Costa Book Award - Winner
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year
  • Washington Post Best Books of the Year
  • USA Today Best Books of the Year
  • New Yorker Best Books of the Year
  • Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
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