Book Menu for Wolf Hall: A Novel
by Hilary MantelISBN of edition I read: 9780805080681 (hardcover)
I had really been looking forward to reading this novel and was pleased when my book group selected it for this month's title. What a huge disappointment. What a chore to read it. For its entirety I struggled to figure out who was talking. I didn't like the writing style at all. The premise of the novel, telling the tudors story from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell, is interesting enough but the narrative doesn't flow well and is often confusing.
Food mentioned in Wolf Hall
:Cherries, 15-16
Apples, 53, 241, 352, 443
Kentish apples, 414, 493
Raisins, 53
Strawberries, 93, 288
Marzipan, 94, 98, 220
Soul cakes, 140
Smoke eel, 155
Salt cod, 155
Preserved autumn fruits, 158
Spiced wine, 158, 245, 499
Sugared almonds, 160
Beef olives stuffed with sage and marjoram, 169
Tarts with preserved orange and honey, 169, 200
Almond cream, 169
Pears, 216, 493
Brambles with yellow cream, 268
Almonds, 268
Cinnamon wafers, 268
Spiced wafers, 280
Poached chicken breast in a tarragon cream sauce, 283
Stewed quinces in honey, 284
Apples slices dipped in cinnamon, 385
Aniseed comfit, 386
Duckling with sweet green peas, 392
Ginger comfits, 405
Cobnuts, 414
Filberts, 414
Torta di funghi, 417
Milk puddings, 481
Apricots, 503
Libraries mentioned in Wolf Hall
: (Hey, I'm a librarian! I can't help noting when novelists mention libraries and librarians!)page 346: "By candlelight, at noon, Lord Berners shows him his library, limping energetically from desk to desk, handling with care the old folios from which he has made his scholarly translations."
page 386: "Like a library, but as if--can you imagine a library in which each book contains another book, and a smaller book inside that?"
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