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Mantel Pieces: Royal Bodies and Other Writing from the London Review of Books by Hilary Mantel
annrhub's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
piedwarbler's review against another edition
5.0
“The best thing about being a human”
This is how a reader described the LRB, from which publication these essays and emails are taken. Some of the essays are riveting; others, I found less engrossing, but overall a delight to hold a book by Hilary once again. Who writes like her? For example, in her essay “On Charles Brandon”, she talks of his long life at the Tudor court: ‘A long run, on ground slippery with blood: how did Charles do it?’ How does Hilary write such vivid metaphors? In the same essay she describes the match between Mary Rose, the younger of Henry VIII’s two sisters, and Louis XII. ‘There was a bizarre proxy ceremony in which the princess lay down on a ceremonial bed while the chief French envoy removed his red stocking and touched his bare leg against her body; the marriage was then considered consummated.’
Other delicious highlights include Mantel’s withering judgments of historical novelists - saying that Margaret Pole’s story is ‘ground up by the great fictionalising machine that is Philippa Gregory’. My favourite essays and reviews were those about the Tudors. The infamous article about Kate Middleton’s role within the monarchy is reproduced here. What was all the fuss about? It’s a sympathetic consideration of the role of female members of the royal family.
And another highlight for me was the diary piece from 2010: Meeting the Devil; concerning Mantel’s stay in hospital for a serious operation from which complications ensued. This is Mantel at her best; condensing and distilling something many of us go through, but making us see it afresh with such vivid and inventive use of language.
If you are lamenting the fact that the Wolf Hall trilogy is now complete, this book gives you solace, reminding you of some of the other work Mantel has gifted to her readers over the years.
This is how a reader described the LRB, from which publication these essays and emails are taken. Some of the essays are riveting; others, I found less engrossing, but overall a delight to hold a book by Hilary once again. Who writes like her? For example, in her essay “On Charles Brandon”, she talks of his long life at the Tudor court: ‘A long run, on ground slippery with blood: how did Charles do it?’ How does Hilary write such vivid metaphors? In the same essay she describes the match between Mary Rose, the younger of Henry VIII’s two sisters, and Louis XII. ‘There was a bizarre proxy ceremony in which the princess lay down on a ceremonial bed while the chief French envoy removed his red stocking and touched his bare leg against her body; the marriage was then considered consummated.’
Other delicious highlights include Mantel’s withering judgments of historical novelists - saying that Margaret Pole’s story is ‘ground up by the great fictionalising machine that is Philippa Gregory’. My favourite essays and reviews were those about the Tudors. The infamous article about Kate Middleton’s role within the monarchy is reproduced here. What was all the fuss about? It’s a sympathetic consideration of the role of female members of the royal family.
And another highlight for me was the diary piece from 2010: Meeting the Devil; concerning Mantel’s stay in hospital for a serious operation from which complications ensued. This is Mantel at her best; condensing and distilling something many of us go through, but making us see it afresh with such vivid and inventive use of language.
If you are lamenting the fact that the Wolf Hall trilogy is now complete, this book gives you solace, reminding you of some of the other work Mantel has gifted to her readers over the years.
marialianou's review against another edition
4.0
Η διεισδυτική ματιά της Hilary Mantel σε όποιο θέμα καταπιάνεται είναι ο λόγος που αξίζει να δώσεις μια ευκαιρία σε αυτό το βιβλίο. Αγαπημένα δοκίμια ήταν όσα αναφέρονταν σε πρόσωπα που σχετίζονται με τη Γαλλική Επανάσταση ή με τη δυναστεία των Τυδώρ στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο.
londonbookworm_'s review
1.0
I have been a huge fan of Hilary Mantel. The Thomas Cromwell trilogy is up there with my favourite books ever. But I’m sorry, what on earth was this! What a confusing, disjointed, impossible-to-follow collection of ramblings.
I picked this up expecting the factual side of her most famous historical fiction centred around the Tudors. And while it was partly that, interspersed was such a wide range of unrelated topics I had no idea what I was reading half the time. Saudi Arabia, the James Bulger case, a host of people I had never heard of? Why??
Why did each essay have two titles? Were these essays supposed to be book reviews? If so, who was the author and what was the book called? Did she not have anything positive to say about a single book (slightly hypocritical, given this review, I know)? Or was Mantel writing her own essays about these people, aiming to out-do every author she reviews?
Why were illegible handwritten letters and emails at font size 2 included? And why do we care about Mantel’s correspondence with whoever Mary-Kay Wilmers is??
Disjointed content aside, you need a masters in history just to open this book. There is no backstory into any of the historic figures, no introduction to the time period. It’s like sitting an exam when you’ve not been to a single lesson. Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t think Robespierre, Danton and Théroigne de Méricourt are figures within common knowledge.
Even the topics I did know about, I was simply bored to tears. Mantel’s style of writing fiction is enthralling and captivating. When she speaks factually I feel like I’m reading a textbook from 1975.
And the diary pieces? The first one I couldn’t follow at all. The second one, wow did she sound like a curmudgeonly old bat. I appreciate she was seriously ill, but complaining about her private hospital room and the fact she had to ask overworked nurses more than once for a bloody cup of tea—check yourself Hilary!
I was mildly interested in the essay on Royal Bodies. But why is her tone so scathing, so lacking in humanity? And why did she give our elderly Queen an evil!?
I’m at a loss as to how this was published.
I picked this up expecting the factual side of her most famous historical fiction centred around the Tudors. And while it was partly that, interspersed was such a wide range of unrelated topics I had no idea what I was reading half the time. Saudi Arabia, the James Bulger case, a host of people I had never heard of? Why??
Why did each essay have two titles? Were these essays supposed to be book reviews? If so, who was the author and what was the book called? Did she not have anything positive to say about a single book (slightly hypocritical, given this review, I know)? Or was Mantel writing her own essays about these people, aiming to out-do every author she reviews?
Why were illegible handwritten letters and emails at font size 2 included? And why do we care about Mantel’s correspondence with whoever Mary-Kay Wilmers is??
Disjointed content aside, you need a masters in history just to open this book. There is no backstory into any of the historic figures, no introduction to the time period. It’s like sitting an exam when you’ve not been to a single lesson. Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t think Robespierre, Danton and Théroigne de Méricourt are figures within common knowledge.
Even the topics I did know about, I was simply bored to tears. Mantel’s style of writing fiction is enthralling and captivating. When she speaks factually I feel like I’m reading a textbook from 1975.
And the diary pieces? The first one I couldn’t follow at all. The second one, wow did she sound like a curmudgeonly old bat. I appreciate she was seriously ill, but complaining about her private hospital room and the fact she had to ask overworked nurses more than once for a bloody cup of tea—check yourself Hilary!
I was mildly interested in the essay on Royal Bodies. But why is her tone so scathing, so lacking in humanity? And why did she give our elderly Queen an evil!?
I’m at a loss as to how this was published.
dexychik's review against another edition
5.0
I read this slowly, on train journeys, a morsel at a time, to make it last longer. And I wished that Hilary Mantel could have written every book, on every subject she turned her razor pen to, ripping it open, turning it inside out. A rare talent, much missed.
william1349's review against another edition
4.0
Middle Ages and the French Revolution, the two best interests. Fascinating and insightful pieces.
rmannion's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
Look: I am a Wolf Hall fangirl. The blurb of this book is right when it describes Mantel as one of our finest (then) living writers. But I'm not sure this book worked either as historical analysis or entertainment.
Firstly, the book only really becomes engaging after the first 100 pages which demonstrate Mantel's early, hypercritical style. Throughout, in fact, she can come across as a bit too sardonic; cheer up, Hilary, and cut them some slack!
Secondly, although there are some cracking essays in this (Hellish Nell, Charles Brandon and her personal diary entries are particular highlights), it feels like the book lacks cohesion, jumping around between wildly different people and historical locations. I think this was why it took me so long to read; it was difficult to become fully invested and dedicated to its completion.
Don't get me wrong: the parts of this that are good are really great. But I don't think that, as a whole, this book does Mantel much service in displaying her prowess as a master-writer.
Firstly, the book only really becomes engaging after the first 100 pages which demonstrate Mantel's early, hypercritical style. Throughout, in fact, she can come across as a bit too sardonic; cheer up, Hilary, and cut them some slack!
Secondly, although there are some cracking essays in this (Hellish Nell, Charles Brandon and her personal diary entries are particular highlights), it feels like the book lacks cohesion, jumping around between wildly different people and historical locations. I think this was why it took me so long to read; it was difficult to become fully invested and dedicated to its completion.
Don't get me wrong: the parts of this that are good are really great. But I don't think that, as a whole, this book does Mantel much service in displaying her prowess as a master-writer.
travelsalongmybookshelf's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I just find all Hilary Mantel’s writing astounding. This is a collection of her writing in her years as a contributor to various periodicals, interspersed with letters. I do not tend to read this sort of book from start to finish. I pick parts to read and it means I can return again and again to read more, re read and just bask in the reflected genius of Mantel’s writing. She is waspish, witty and hugely observant. Funny, and on point! I gravitate towards anything Royal related in these first of all and her Royal Bodies is just wonderful.