There’s very good news for all you Wolf Hall fans. If you follow me on Facebook, you will have noticed that I mentioned earlier in the week that Hilary Mantel is writing the sequel to Wolf Hall, “Bring up the Bodies”, which will focus on Anne Boleyn’s fall, well, there’s more good news…
In an article on The Guardian newspaper website, Mantel confirms that there is also going to be a third book, “The Mirror and the Light”, which will take Cromwell’s story to the end: his execution in 1540. You can read more on this in the online article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/nov/17/hilary-mantel-sequel-wolf-hall?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038.
Also, according to Deadline.com, HBO and the BBC are collaborating in a four part mini-series adapted from Mantel’s “Wolf Hall”. The adaptation is, apparently, being written by Tinker Tailor Solderi Spy co-writer Peter Straughan, who also wrote “The Men Who Stare At Goats”, and the series will be aired on HBO and BBC2. See more at http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/hbo-and-bbc-developing-wolf-hall-mini-with-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-writer/#more-196356
In the meantime, I’m going to pick up Wolf Hall for the fourth time and try and get through it this time!
Not only a second book but also a third book with a TV adaptation thrown in for good measure. Let’s have more of Anne the vindictive shrew, George the self-important fool and Cromwell the dignified nice guy with a heart of gold. I for one can’t wait!
I don’t think Anne was portrayed as a ‘vindictive shrew’. One of the things that I admire Anne for was she was straightforward and honest about what she thought. In the book she is often angry and frustrated about her situation but then she had good cause to be. True George in the book seems more interested in enjoying himself than advancing his family but I found that quite refreshing considering he is usually portrayed as a cold, ruthlessly ambitious character. I thought he was quite sweet. Also although Cromwell is shown in a much better light than in any other fiction about this period he is hardly made a saint. He still is shown as unsentimental, ruthlessly pragmatic and capable of holding a grudge and cultivates a notorious image to intimidate his rivals. It will be interesting to see how the sequels will interpret what happened to Anne and her faction and which version of the events it will use.
A TV series too?! Brilliant – Wolf Hall is just about the best historical novel there is! Good luck with your latest attempt Claire 🙂
I am looking forward to the casting, myself…I just hope that the characters are not all one dimensional. =(