Wolf Hall - why can't I get into it?

I couldn't get on with it because I had the hardback and it was too heavy. I bought a Kindle and got it on that (such was my devotion) and I was away. Also what Highlandcoo says - if in doubt, 'he' means Cromwell.

BTW any Cromwell fans suffering from withdrawal symptoms, go to british-history.ac.uk and read the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, Foreign And Domestic. It will blow your mind.

Do stick with it, and I wouldn't say that if it wasn't one of my favourite books of all time. What's tricky is the way Thomas Cromwell is referrerd to as 'he' a lot of the time when you aren't sure who 'he' is and getting your head round the multiple characters, families and, courtiers.
I frequently had to look back through the pages to remind myself who someone was and what their allegiances were but it's worth the effort, honestly.

i found it hard going to get started. once i'd got my head around the "he...." business it helped. Also, I never studied this period, and it took me a while to get eg all the assorted Thomases differentiated in my head. Wikipedia helped .
I was gripped by the end.

I was really put off reading it by so amny people saying how difficult it was.

I found a copy in a charity shop so bought it, started it & virtually ignored everyone & everything for a couple of days whilst I devoured it. I was entranced from the start & just loved it.

But I do find if I make a couple of tries at a book & don't get on with it then I give up. Too many books out ther eto waste time struggling!

Just remember that when Hilary Mantel uses "he" she is almost always referring to Cromwell. It took me until half-way through the book to work that out and after that it got much easier.

For example, she might be describing the king in one paragraph, then in the next paragraph she starts with "He" and you assume she's still talking about the king, but it's actually Cromwell. Every time.

HTH

I gave up on it too

A complete bore, I found

Probably best if I avoid mentioning the shite ending here.

I've just finished it and found that the strange mix of first person and third person narrative very difficult to get on with at the start - sometimes you had no idea who was speaking o what was happening. But I persevered and very much enjoyed the descriptions of life in the period and the political intrigues. The characters do come to life for you and despite the fact that the overall story is well known it still has a strong narrative of its own. For me it slightly fizzled out at the end - no doubt to lure me to buy the sequel!

A friend of mine said it was about page 250 or even 300 before she was gripped....I am struggling, and have been on and off for a long time. I think it is the sort of book you need to sit and read, without interruption. Bring up the Bodies was a lot easier. Friend said that you just need to remember to concentrate on key characters....there are so many, it is easy to lose the plot.

Am reading Wiggo's biography for a spot of light relief now...

I found Wolf Hall quite difficult to get into, but enjoyed it after I'd managed it - probably took me about 100 pages or so though. Bring Up the Bodies I found much easier, and raced through it in a few days. No tips other than persistence, though...