A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel: worth continuing?

[LobeliaBaggins]

I loved Wolf Hall and I love long historical books, but I just can't get into this. The subject is fascinating but it's so opaque.
Any one read it ( all 800 pages)?

I read and really enjoyed the Wolf Hall trilogy but like you I struggled with APOGS.
I couldn’t seem to get the three main characters separate in my mind, which made it difficult to understand what was going on.
I like history and especially love France so I should have done better. I know lots of people really rate it.

Yes, I thought it was brilliant. It bothered me that not all 3 main characters had a resolution though it felt unfinished

I thought it was brilliant - I think I actually liked it better than Wolf Hall. Though I started off knowing more about the French Revolution than I did about Thomas Cromwell, so perhaps that made it more accessible. Anyway, I'd say it's definitely worth persevering.

I'm reading this very very slowly just now. I have committed to 10 pages a day. I am enjoying but I understand why people find it a bit of a slog

I loved Wolf Hall and found it a really easy to read.
APOGS however, I must have started it at least 3 times and just can’t get into it.

I have read it a few times.

the first time I read it I did have Wikipedia on the go at the same time.

i got interested in the period then and did some reading. Without background it’s pretty opaque

There’s a slow read / readalong starting on Substack next month - I have my copy ready Haven’t read it before although I generally really like Hilary Mantel so looking forward to it.
here: https://open.substack.com/pub/footnotesandtangents?r=1oeyo3&utm_medium=ios

i think you really benefit from having a bit of background of the historical context. I read it really slowly with frequent breaks to look things up and learn a bit more about the people, place and events. I pretty much read it with an iPad to hand 😬 and did make it to the end but it was a slog, though ultimately I’m glad I did.

Yes it’s so worth it! I found the bit when they were all at school hard to wade through but once they meet in Paris and are older it really picks up.

I fell in love with all of them by the end.

Gosh, I am also struggling with this book and I love HM so much - reassured to hear I’m not the only one!

I’m reading it at the moment . Got about 100 pages to go! I’ve listened to a few French Revolution podcasts to get a bit of background which has helped a little, but I must admit the significance of some of the people & events was lost n me. Enjoying it, but probably not as much as I enjoyed the Wolf Hall trilogy. I would recommend The Rest is History as background listening - they’ve done quite a few episodes coveting the period.

Read it and loved it!

I know some people hate Wolf Hall, but if you like that then I'm not sure why you wouldn't like this, to me it seems very similar in style.

It's one of my all time favourite books but it took me a while to get into it.
I fell in love with all of them by the end.
Surely not Robespierre, I utterly despised him, love Camille and Lucile.

I loved it, I read it about seven years ago and it’s stayed with me. In fact I was thinking about it just this morning!

I have always been fascinated by pre- and revolutionary France though.

The French Revolution is more complex than the Reformation/Henry VIII’s court, especially if you’re not familiar with it - loads of stages and factions and regional quirks and ins and outs and reversals and weird bits of process. It’s a brilliant book IMO, but if the revolution is completely new to you (other than ‘mumble mumble guillotine’, ie most British people) maybe read a good factual book about the revolution first so you can sort your Brissotins from your Girondins and know who Mme Roland is and why she matters, etc etc. Almost everything in APOGS is based in truth, very little is totally made up (dialogue etc aside). Ruth Scurr is great on Robespierre although that might not be the best place to start. Maybe Simon Schama’s Citizens (politically a little bit controversial, but gives a good clear readable account of what actually happened).

For what it’s worth, I first read it 20 years ago and definitely found it hard going then. I’ve read a lot about the revolution in the meantime, and have re-read APOGS many times - absolutely love it. But it wasn’t love at first read!

I have read it a couple of times. I had a historical crush on Camille and named my dog after him. I did find it hard to get into at first.

I really enjoyed it, though I studied French Revolution at degree many years ago and still found it slightly hard to keep track of all that was happening/character stories. But I felt that was partly deliberate, reflecting what it must have been like to live through the revolution with all its twists and developments.

Towards the end it has some of the most powerful scenes I've ever read, definitely worth persevering with.

Oh and agree about Camille - I did my dissertation on his newspaper so I had affection for him anyway but definite literary historical crush.

I couldn’t get into the first time I tried to read it but subsequently loved it. It’s one of my all time favourite books.

I found it hard going, and wanted to give up at times, but somehow it was so well written I couldn't abandon it. When I got to the end I was both pleased I had persevered and pleased it was over.

I listened to it on Audible and loved it. I did have to do a Wiki check every now and again to try and get to grips with what was going on.

I found it tough going but ploughed on, despite not enjoying it at all. I’d studied the subject at length in my youth and felt I should love it, but it just didn’t happen, even by the end.

Read it and loved it. I'm obsessed with the French Revolution though so I know who all the characters were.

Absolutely love HM, was so sad when she passed away.

I'm a massive HM fan and struggling too. Just returned from a trip to Paris with a new enthusiasm for it. I love the writing I think I just find the subject matter too depressing! I'm just over half way through.

No definitely not Robespierre!

Another one who was swept up by this and loved all three protagonists, not romantically but being utterly immersed in their stories. Might’ve helped that I read it over a Christmas break so could really get stuck in and go there. Sure it’d be harder to keep all the threads if it was a more interrupted read. Great work though, I also preferred it to Wolf Hall though I enjoyed that a lot too and have re-read twice.