BOOKSREVIEWS
Life before the fallTRACY BORMAN salutes the conclusion to Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy
- a masterpiece that immerses readers in the dangerous world of Henry VIII’s court
The Mirror
& the Light
by Hilary Mantel
Fourth Estate,
912 pages, £25Ever since the publica-
tion of the second
book in the Wolf Hall
t r i log y, Bring Up the
Bodies, in 2012,
speculation has been rife as to when the final
instalment would appear. Then in May last
year, a huge billboard went up in London’s
Leicester Square. Alongside the unmistakableTudor rose design were the words, “So now
get up”, recognisable to Wolf Hall aficionados
the world over as the first line of the trilogy.
Not long afterwards, Mantel’s publishers,
Fourth Estate, confirmed March 2020 as
the publication date. Diehard fans had an
agonising 10 more months to wait, but at
least the end was in sight at last.
Can any book live up to such hype? In the
case of The Mirror & the Light, the answer is
an emphatic yes. The third book in the trilogy
covers the last four years of Thomas Crom-
well’s life, from 1536–40. It begins exactly
where the second volume left off: with Anne
Boleyn’s bloodied remains on the scaffold at
the Tower of London. Within the first fewparagraphs, the eight years of waiting for this
book to appear fade away and the reader is
immediately transported back into the world
of Henry VIII’s right-hand man.
The same immediacy – and intimacy –
of Mantel’s extraordinary writing style is
apparent from the start, helping us to set
aside our knowledge of the horrors to come
and live each day, each hour, with Cromwell
as if we too have no idea what lies ahead.
Only the occasional fleeting reference to a
character or event that will have profound
consequences for him later in the narrative
leaves us with what Cromwell himself
describes as “a chilly trickle of dismay, like
water creeping into a cellar”.The king’s man
Tracy Borman says The Mirror & the
Light shows us Thomas Cromwell’s
life with such “immediacy” that we
forget he will be cast asideALAMYHISTORICAL FICTIONBOOKS
REVIEWS
Life before the fallTRACYBORMANsalutestheconclusiontoHilaryMantel’sThomasCromwelltrilogy- a masterpiece that immerses readers in the dangerous world of Henry VIII’s court
TheMirror
& theLight
byHilaryMantel
FourthEstate,
912 pages, £25Eversincethepublica-
tionofthesecond
bookintheWolfHall
t r i log y,BringUpthe
Bodies, in2012,
speculationhasbeenrifeastowhenthefinal
instalmentwouldappear.TheninMaylast
year,a hugebillboardwentupinLondon’s
Leicester Square. Alongside the unmistakableTudorrosedesignwerethewords,“Sonow
getup”,recognisabletoWolfHallaficionados
theworldoverasthefirstlineofthetrilogy.
Notlongafterwards,Mantel’spublishers,
FourthEstate,confirmedMarch 2020 as
thepublicationdate.Diehardfanshadan
agonising 10 moremonthstowait,but at
leasttheendwasinsightatlast.
Cananybookliveuptosuchhype?Inthe
caseofTheMirror&theLight, theansweris
anemphaticyes.Thethirdbookinthetrilogy
coversthelastfouryearsofThomasCrom-
well’slife,from1536–40.It beginsexactly
wherethesecondvolumeleftoff:withAnne
Boleyn’sbloodiedremainsonthescaffoldat
the Tower of London. Within the first fewparagraphs,theeightyearsofwaitingforthis
booktoappearfadeawayandthereaderis
immediatelytransportedbackintothe world
ofHenryVIII’sright-handman.
Thesameimmediacy– andintimacy–
ofMantel’sextraordinarywritingstyleis
apparentfromthestart,helpingustoset
asideourknowledgeofthehorrorstocome
andliveeachday,eachhour,withCromwell
asif wetoohavenoideawhatliesahead.
Onlytheoccasionalfleetingreferencetoa
characteroreventthatwillhaveprofound
consequencesforhimlaterinthenarrative
leavesuswithwhatCromwellhimself
describesas“achillytrickleofdismay, like
water creeping into a cellar”.Theking’sman
TracyBormansaysTheMirror& the
LightshowsusThomasCromwell’s
life withsuch“immediacy”thatwe
forget he will be cast asideALAMYHISTORICAL FICTION