The Mirror and the Light
The stunning conclusion to a historical trilogy
Format:Paperback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Published:29th Apr '21
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This book, The Mirror and the Light, concludes the Wolf Hall trilogy, exploring Thomas Cromwell's rise amid political intrigue and personal conflict.
In The Mirror and the Light, Hilary Mantel masterfully concludes her acclaimed Wolf Hall trilogy. Set in England during May 1536, the narrative begins with the shocking execution of Anne Boleyn, a pivotal moment that reshapes the political landscape. Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith's son who has risen to power, finds himself at the center of this tumultuous period. As he navigates the aftermath of Anne's death, Cromwell's ambition and resourcefulness are put to the test amidst the dangers posed by traitors and the looming threat of invasion.
Cromwell is not only a survivor but also a visionary, envisioning a new future for England while grappling with the ghosts of the past. As the king, Henry VIII, seeks happiness with his new queen, Jane Seymour, Cromwell must question his loyalties and the precariousness of his position. The narrative explores profound themes of power, loyalty, and the human condition, asking whether one can truly escape their history or if the past continually reverberates in the present.
With The Mirror and the Light, readers are treated to a rich tapestry of historical fiction that delves into the complexities of Thomas Cromwell's character, portraying him as both predator and prey in a world fraught with danger and intrigue. Mantel’s storytelling is both immersive and thought-provoking, offering a definitive portrait of a man who shaped a nation during one of its most tumultuous eras.
‘Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall novels make 99 per cent of contemporary literary fiction feel utterly pale and bloodless by comparison’ The Times
‘Hilary Mantel has written an epic of English history that does what the Aeneid did for the Romans and War and Peace for the Russians. We are lucky to have it.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Very few writers manage not just to excavate the sedimented remains of the past, but bring them up again into the light and air so that they shine brightly once more before us. Hilary Mantel has done just that.’ Simon Schama, Financial Times
‘A masterpiece that will keep yielding its riches, changing as its readers change, going forward with us into the future’ Guardian
‘The most masterful story telling imaginable’ Graham Norton
‘The final book in the trilogy charts [Cromwell’s] inexorable downfall with the dark brilliance and profound humanity that makes it, like its forerunners, a masterpiece’ Daily Mail
‘Ambitious, compassionate, clear-eyed yet emotional, passionate and pragmatic, The Mirror & the Light lays down a marker for historical fiction that will set the standard for generations to come’ Independent
‘It’s the crowning glory of a towering achievement’ Mail on Sunday
‘This is a must-read’ Good Housekeeping
‘On closing the book I wept as I’ve not wept over a novel since I was a child . . . Mantel struck her spear against the flint of Thomas Cromwell, and lit such a candle in England as will never go out’
Telegraph
‘A masterpiece . . . Mantel has redefined what the historical novel is capable of . . . Taken together, her Cromwell novels are, for my money, the greatest English novels of this century’ Observer
ISBN: 9780007481002
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 57mm
Weight: 620g
912 pages