BRING UP THE BOIDES

I found the book an exciting sequel and contrast to Wolf Hall, and think you will. I so hope Hilary Mantel will complete the trilogy! First of all, the book is several hundred pages shorter than the first. And that, I think, is part of a profoundly different structure. For me, this book moves at a similar pace to Wolf Hall for a hundred pages or more, and then – with the developing Seymour plot, and the opposition forming against Anne Boleyn – the pace accelerates and moves more and more rapidly as the possible becomes the inevitable. As you know, I feel it is important to treat this novel as a novel, but I think Mantel follows history closely in showing who – Fitzwilliam, Carew, the old families with claims to the throne, the Seymours – opposed Anne and supported Princess Mary after Katherine of Aragon’s death, and who fell into line on the side of the Howards and the Boleyns. Well – perhaps just the Boleyns. Of course we will talk about the developing character of Cromwell himself – older now, with a household that he holds dear. Can we form a coherent picture of this man? Do we see a different side of him during his “interviews” with the men who will be convicted of treason and die? Please let’s examine the metaphor that he develops in his mind about the guests at a dinner he hosts – it begins when he first realizes the new task facing him, and recurs, intermittently, till the end of the novel. I think there is much to discuss about the women of this book – how their roles affect their characters. Lady Rocheford, Mary Shelton, Lady Worcester, Bess Seymour, Lady Kingston, others. Look at the women in the Tower and then on the scaffold. I remember that someone, during the discussion of Wolf Hall, remarked that both Henry and Anne are less well-developed characters than others. At least, that is my recollection. Does that continue to be the case? I think there is less development of the history of the period than we found in Wolf Hall – it is volume two of a trilogy, and the focus is narrower. We get reminders of events happening in the larger world, but to me they seem almost dutiful on Mantel’s part. With admirable economy, she stresses that the age of chivalry is breathing its last. As always – how satisfying do you find the end? These are just a few thoughts. Send me yours, and I will forward them to others who show interest.

The Civilized World: a Novel in Stories by Susi Wyss, '82

Needless to say, when I read this book for the second time, things fell into place for me in a way they had not the first time through.  My first question to you – although it may not be the one you would have put first – is, how successful is Susi Wyss in turning nine stories, each able to stand alone, into a novel.  Is it coherent, does it have “narrative arc,” a tying and untying of a knot?  How has she structured it?  Is the timing of when plot elements essential to the themes are revealed well-handled?

Point of View strikes me as a dominant structural device – let’s discuss how it works.  When does she use the first person?  When the third person, but limited to one point of view?  What characters are presented first from their own point of view and later from that of another character?  Only in the last story are two POV’s presented – how does this lead us to a conclusion.  Is it a satisfactory ending for you? 

What themes and techniques are repeated and varied throughout the stories – how do they serve as links to hold the structure together?  For example, names – I found them serving more than one purpose, in terms of theme, and also holding together a sense of Africa.  What other links are forged between the stories?  This is a book about women -  men, I think, serve that focus; could this same book have been written about any women, or is the American/​African connection essential?

What about Africa?  The stories take place in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast;  in Malawi; in Accra, Ghana; in a suburb of Washington, D.C.; in the Central African Republic; in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar, Ethopia.  Do you always have a sense of place, both physically and culturally? Is there sufficient information about what actually has occurred in these countries?

What character interested you most, and why?

What is your opinion of the quality of the writing?

What do you want to talk about?  This should be first, not last. 

Wolf Hall

Hello, Book Club Friends,

 

In 2009, Hilary Mantel's novel, Wolf Hall, won the Booker Prize. It is the first in a trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, the son of a blacksmith who became Cardinal Wolsey's lawyer and, eventually, Henry VIII's most trusted counselor. The second novel in the trilogy, Bring Up the Bodies, has won the Booker Prize for 2012!

 

I propose that we read Wolf Hall for February and, if we enjoy it as much as I think we will, go on to Bring Up the Bodies for May. I have not yet read Wolf Hall; I recommend to you a review of the book from The Guardian, which you will find listed online when you google the title.

 

When I finish teaching three classes at Holton, I will read the book and send you my usual comments and questions. Join me on an interesting venture; I think we will be impatient for the completion of the trilogy!

 

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Alumnae Director Abigail Betts ’98 (301-365-6005).