Welcome to Litsy!

9. In conjuring Cromwell on the page, what does Mantel create, and what does she re-create from this historical record? Along those lines, how does historical fiction influence the way we look at history? ~from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

8. As the novel ends and Cromwell is at the height of his power, is there anything in his actions that foreshadow his later downfall? Has he become too much like Wolsey? Would the mercurial Henry VIII have been likely sooner or later to turn on Cromwell anyway? ~from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

7. Later in the novel we see Cromwell come to the realization that his home now is either where there‘s business to be done, or with the king. How is this a personal transformation for him, considering what life was like when his wife and daughters were alive?...Why did he change? Is there something sad about this change in him? ~adapted from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

6. What is it that makes Cromwell so driven? Does his ambition stem from a desire to do good, or is it just a survival instinct based on his past? How is Cromwell both personally ambitious and yet generous and unselfish? ~from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

5. What kind of a king is Henry VIII in this novel? What motivates him? Are his
preoccupations solely self-interested, or does he have the good of the country in mind as well? What is it that makes him so susceptible to Anne Boleyn‘s seductions? ~from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

4. What kind of a character is Thomas More in this novel? Does he come off as sympathetic in any way? Why does More choose to die rather than accept breaking away from the Catholic Church? Would Cromwell be willing to die for his beliefs? ~from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

3. Why was Cromwell so attached to Cardinal Wolsey? Was Wolsey more of a mentor or a father-figure for Cromwell? What do love and loyalty mean for Cromwell? ~from publisher Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

2. What is the significance of Mantel‘s “occult” history of Britain? How might these legendary traditions have influenced Henry in choosing to marry Anne Boleyn? What role does legend play in the perpetuation of a monarchy? ~from publisher Reading Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead