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England, May 1536. Thomas Cromwell, Lord of the Private Seal, is a witness as they cut off the head of Anna Bolena, the treacherous queen. After the execution, he lays down at the banquet with the king, reflecting on his climbing career. Times are tough: Northern counties rise in revolt, opposing the demolition of monasteries and the new taxes imposed by the Crown. The order is restored for the sake of Cromwell’s determination, sharpness, and perseverance, and Henry VIII rewards him by making him a Knight of the Order of the Cross. The king is happy, though he begins to feel the weight of the years.
His young wife is the opposite of the previous one. Moreover, she manages to give it to the coveted heir. The Cromwell family also has its pleasures: Gregory, the eldest son, marries the queen’s sister, and the Seal Lord discovers that he has a daughter. But the joys do not last. Jane Seymour, the young queen, dies shortly after the birth of the heir, and the king, though heartbroken, needs another bride. Cromwell gets to work: but the enemies are already guarding him and his star starts to fall…
The novel, written for the most part in the present time, in the form of a dialogue between Cromwell and other characters, has wonderful poetic descriptions and an extraordinary lexical richness, the behavior of which in Albanian we will be grateful translators Korab Hoxha. Unforgettable are the last pages where Thomas Cromwell, locked in the Tower of London, meets the accusers and some of his accomplices, once his chosen ones and defenders, who have decided to betray him.
“People do not want to live with obligations,” Cromwell said. “They prefer to sell to friends… because the unforgivable favors eat the soul.” , after cutting off the head of Ana Bolena, but constantly at the mercy of insecurity.
To be the King’s man means to fly every moment near the sun, bright and scorching, with the danger of burning. Lady History teaches us that these years will mark Cromwell’s fall, until his execution in July 1540. But perhaps the beauty of the “Wolf Hall” trilogy is right here. Alessandro Barbero says that Cromwell “is an example of social mobility” in 16th century England. His rise is based on the bureaucratic skills he skillfully puts in the service of the state, arriving (from the son of a blacksmith) to serve Henry VIII himself.
But, as many historical events teach us, a great power always carries with it another side of the coin, with political enemies and opponents willing to do anything to snatch away what is now yours.
A few words about the author
Hilary Mantel was born in Glossop, Derbyshire, in 1952. She made her literary debut in 1985 with Every Day is Mother’s Day. Many of her novels have been finalists in major literary awards, especially the Orange Prize. Lives in England.
Hilary Mantel is considered one of the most talented, acclaimed and well-known writers in the UK. She is the author of fifteen books. Wolf Hall and Ana Bolena, a family affair have both been awarded the Man Booker Prize. The books are published in Albanian by ‘Dituria’. The third book of the trilogy, ‘Mirrors and Light’, was published in 2020. The book has already been translated into 27 languages, including Albanian.
Information about the book
Title: Mirrors and lights
Author: Hilary Mantel
Translated by: Korab Hoxha
Number of pages: 924
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