Tag Archives: Hilary Mantel

Anthony Doerr, “All the Light We Cannot See”

Posted on July 11, 2014 by carolwallace

You know how I just said The Silkworm was terrific summer reading? Well, it is. But actually, the one book you want to drag around in your canvas tote bag and get sunscreen all over is this one, All the … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, historical fiction | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Sarah Dunant, “Blood and Beauty”

Posted on March 8, 2014 by carolwallace

Actually the full title is Blood and Beauty: The Borgias; A Novel. And there’s so much punctuation in that title that I didn’t dare continue the sentence lest we all be terminally confused. Granted, the titles are not the strongest … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Olivia Manning, “The Balkan Trilogy”

Posted on January 3, 2014 by carolwallace

The Balkan Trilogy first came to my attention via the 1987 BBC series starring Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh. Did you remember that they were once married to each other? They met while playing husband and wife in the series. … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Hilary Mantel, “Giving Up the Ghost”

Posted on December 16, 2013 by carolwallace

Well, a lot of things have become clearer since I read Hilary Mantel’s memoir Giving Up the Ghost. It comes as no surprise to realize that Mantel is really, really smart. It seems that her academic career could have been … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, memoir | Tagged | 4 Comments

Hilary Mantel, “Fludd”

Posted on December 7, 2013 by carolwallace

Well, we knew Hilary Mantel to be brilliant, right? The research, the sweep and scope and humanity of Wolf Hall bring English history to life and makes Thomas Cromwell a fascinating character. But here’s my news for today: Mantel is … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, funny | Tagged | 4 Comments

Andrew Miller, “Pure”

Posted on December 29, 2012 by carolwallace

If I describe Andrew Miller’s Pure as a novel about excavating a cemetery in 18th century Paris, you’re not going to want to read it. And maybe if you’re really, really squeamish the subject matter is going to be problematic. On … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary fiction, French, historical fiction | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Ken Follett, “Fall of Giants”

Posted on August 27, 2012 by carolwallace

Over the years Ken Follett has established a reputation as a terrific story teller, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of his books. I’m a big fan of some of the early thrillers and I even enjoyed The Pillars of the Earth. … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary fiction, historical fiction | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Margaret Mitchell, “Gone with the Wind”

Posted on July 26, 2012 by carolwallace

Yes. It is still fabulous. You’ll notice I’m assuming that you have read Gone with the Wind at some point, which may be a generational thing, but everyone has seen the movie, right? Sure, both book and movie are long, but … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, classic, historical fiction | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Barry Unsworth “Losing Nelson”

Posted on May 26, 2012 by carolwallace

A few weeks ago, around the time of the publication of Bring Up the Bodies, Newsweek published Hilary Mantel’s list of five excellent historical novels. Naturally I paid attention. Losing Nelson was the first of them to arrive at my … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, historical fiction | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Hilary Mantel, “Bring Up the Bodies”

Posted on May 18, 2012 by carolwallace

Aaaand he’s back! “He, Cromwell.” Hilary Mantel’s improbable protagonist, first met in the magisterial and brilliant Wolf Hall. Let me bring you up to date. It is September, 1535. Henry VIII has been married to Anne Boleyn for two and … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction | Tagged | 6 Comments