Saturday 23 October 2010

Cromwell's a moth

I love cowl necks, cosy and lovely, but they catch crumbs - especially if mohair - and you feel like you have a Captain Birds Eye beard. Not so lovely. Makes me feel like a Tudor (the polo neck, not the beard - yes, I used this line in my book). I am reading Wolf Hall, everyone's called Thomas, it's hard going and my headache was so bad I could barely read at all last week. But the writing is beautiful, quirky, funny and moving and you feel the book is doing you good, you will be enriched after reading it. I'm only at page 160 and I know I will be many weeks finishing it (650 pages). When I googled Thomas Cromwell a while back the keys glitched and 'Cromwellsamoth' came up as the search term. I often think of this.

7 comments:

Amy said...

I'm reading Wolf Hall at the moment too! Have been reading it for weeks and am only half way through. You're so right about it "doing you good" and the beautiful writing. I read some reviews on Amazon complaining that we all already know the story of that period, so the book is boring and slow. But that's not the point. It immerses you in a fascinating world. And somehow, strangely, I have a kind of crush on Cromwell for his dry wit and streetwise intelligence.

nmj said...

Amy, I dropped History in second year at school, I hated it, so my knowledge is sketchy, to say the least, so is not boring for me, though some passages are a little drawn out. Are you reading on your Kindle? The paperback is beautiful, a huge brick of a book.

Amy said...

I know the basics of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, but it's not boring for me to read more, especially as we're reading Cromwell's story and perspective primarily, and I knew nothing of him.

Yes, I am reading on my Kindle. I can imagine how huge the paperback must be. I think I would enjoy seeing it "in person". My mum just bought me Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth on my Kindle too - the paper copy of that is 1100 pages so not sure I'd even be able to pick that one up!

nmj said...

Me too, I knew nothing!

You should really write a wee blog post - when/if you are able, of course - on how much Kindle can help a person with severe ME read!

Have never read Ken Follett. Jesus, 1100 pages just scares me...

nmj said...

Of course, I know you would need a blog first ;)

Amy said...

Yes, I am reading books again, very slowly, but finding it much more possible on Kindle with the font size turned up (I'm not being paid by Amazon to say this BTW!). I can also lie on my side and prop it up and not have to hold it open. It is truly wonderful in these ways for someone with severe ME. I am accessing novels again at last.

I actually have a blog registered, but been too ill and had too much else going on to start writing it. But one of these days...

Meanwhile, if I ever get through Wolf Hall, the Ken Follett should keep me going for a year or two ;)
It's actually on TV at the moment, and I have a dilemma about whether to watch it before I read it. I'm recording it and will see how I feel. What's your view on books which are made into films? Do you have to read first? I usually feel that way.

nmj said...

So great you can read again, Amy.

I would usually not read a book if I had already seen the film. The book is the real deal! Always interesting to see the film of a book you have loved. Conversely, I enjoyed film of Atonement but could not read the book, am not an Ian McEwan fan.

You always leave such illuminating comments on this blog, you could perhaps just 'transfer' them to your blog as posts? As my blog frequently demonstrates a blog post does not have to be very long! You can say a lot with a few lines. But I very much understand it must feel too much for you. I am just keen to see what your blog would be like :)