MetaChat - Bunny ReadAlong?

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01 December 2009

Bunny ReadAlong? I'm going to read Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" after I finish my current book... so, beginning tomorrow or the next day, probably.

If anyone else is interested or has been planning to read this, maybe we can "read together" and discuss here at Metachat later. I'm crazy about Mantel, so was very pleased to learn that she won the 2009 Booker prize with this novel. →[More:]

As you might expect, all the likely suspects have reviews of "Wolf Hall"... NYT Review of Books, Guardian, Observer, Huff Post, etc., but I haven't read any of them yet (I save that for afterward). The bare minimum description is that it is 560-page historical novel about the rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII, available in hardback and e-book editions, plus paperback in UK and Canada. But the hardback price through Amazon, at least, is quite affordable ($13.71 at the moment; paperback coming out in the US Dec. 31).

Should be interesting... the other works I've read by her have been completely original and surprising; dark, ironic, odd, unexpected, chilling, sly, humorous, but with heart - some glowing flame amid desolation. Or something like that.

post by: taz at: 02:58 | 11 comments

Ooh, I too love Mantel and all things Tudor, and have been very keen to read this since I heard about it when it was shortlisted for the Booker prize, but I've just been landed with a huge project for December so won't have time. :-(

When I have read it, though, I'll return to the thread and add my tuppence-worth.

posted by altolinguistic 01 December | 05:08

I'm in! I picked it up on a trip to London this summer & have been needing a push to start it.

posted by lukemeister 01 December | 08:41

Cool!

posted by taz 01 December | 08:55

I am NEARLY finished with it. I will love to have a discussion on it, and wish now I hadn't stayed up late so many nights reading this thoroughly enjoyable look until the wee hours. Well deserved Booker winner. I'm in.

posted by msali 01 December | 10:41

ooh, I'm glad! Great books always make me go back and browse through them again to at least some degree, so maybe you will space it out a bit and still be really excited to talk about it by the time we finish. I'm a fast reader, so I also sometimes have to try to rein myself in and savor, instead of blasting through like a maniac.

maniac usually wins, though. :)

We could actually start the thread any time, using the spoiler feature (just put "spoilers" in the title field, and the comments will be blacked out in "Recent Comments"), so if anyone else has already read it and is ready to talk the post/thread could begin any time, and people could just join as they finish the book.

posted by taz 01 December | 10:50

Oh! I will read it too!

posted by gaspode 01 December | 11:04

I'm game for anything Tudor, it's my favourite era in English history.

*checks local library for a copy*

Yikes. I requested it from my local library - 111 of 111 holds.

posted by deborah 01 December | 15:07

Yeah, the hold list in my library system is prohibitive. I'm tempted, but I really try not to buy books. I'm leaning towards in. An excuse to go to the book store and maybe do some holiday shopping there as well.

posted by rainbaby 01 December | 15:11

Yeah, the NYPL has over 700 holds. But they do have 100 some copies. Hrm. I guess I'll put it on hold and can always come back to the thread. Or ask for it for christmas. On my list!

posted by gaspode 01 December | 16:13

I'm 10 out of 35 at my local library. They originally bought 8 copies, but it looks like they ordered 2 more so I shouldn't have too long to wait. I would like to take part, but wouldn't want to hold anybody else up.

My property taxes are ridiculously high, but each week when I stop to pick up the way too many books I've put on hold, I'm thankful to live in a town that has great services. And what civilized person could begrudge a library?

Tonight's haul = 7 books, 3 DVD's and a CD.

posted by readery 01 December | 22:23

Well, I finished it, who wants to talk about it?

posted by msali 11 December | 13:12

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