"Treacle Walker" by Alan Garner

Fantasy and mythology are generally not my reading genres of choice (although there have been occasional exceptions).  When I first heard Simon at Footnotes and Tangents raving about "Treacle Walker" by Alan Garner, I checked it out, but concluded that it did not interest me.  

Then Simon announced that "Treacle Walker" would be one of the books we covered in a "slow readalong" in 2026.  I didn't think I was going to participate... but I'm behind pace on my Goodreads goals, it's a short book (160 pages) and our readalong would cover just three weeks.  And, having completed several readalongs with Simon over the past three years now -- including some I initially had my doubts about -- I knew his explanatory "footnotes and tangents" posts frequently add a lot to my enjoyment and understanding of a book. So I decided to give it a try.  

I'd never heard of Alan Garner, but apparently he's a well-known author, "best known for his children's fantasy novels and his retellings of traditional British folk tales. (He's 91 years old!)   

"Treacle Walker" was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize. It could easily be taken for a children's novel (there were some distinctly Dr. Seuss-ian cadences to the language in it -- also a lot that was reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland") -- but I suspect there's a lot in it that children would not understand. (Heck, there's a lot in there that *I* didn't understand...!) It's about young Joseph Coppock, who lives in an old house in the English countryside (seemingly alone). He's being treated for "lazy eye" and wears an eyepatch. One day, he meets a mysterious "rag and bone man" named Treacle Walker, and strange things start happening.... 

Perhaps it helps to be British (and maybe even from the particular area of Britain where Garner is from?) but a lot of the language/terminology and cultural references went straight over my head. (I'd never heard of "rag and bone men," or "donkey stones," for example, but many of the Brits in the group had.)  Adding to my befuddlement, some of the words appeared to be slang, or completely made up.  Simon's explanations helped some, but a lot of the finer points and greater meaning of this book still completely escaped me. 

If you're into fantasy/mythology/folklore, you might enjoy this one. I appreciated the quality of the writing -- but I will admit, I found it all a little bizarre. Perhaps it's one of those books that becomes clearer upon a second reading... but I'm not sure I'm tempted to give it another try.  

After some internal debate, I will rate this one 2.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded up to 3 stars on Goodreads.

This was Book #16 read to date in 2026 (and Book #2 finished in July), bringing me to 40% of  my 2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 40 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 6 books behind pace to meet my goal.  :(  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2026 tagged as "2026 books." 

"Regeneration" by Pat Barker

I recently finished reading "Regeneration" by Pat Barker, part of another "slow readalong" with Simon Haisell at Footnotes & Tangents. It's mostly set at Craiglockhart War Hospital near Edinburgh, Scotland,  in 1917, where Dr. William Rivers (a real-life historical figure) is treating traumatized soldiers, including (real-life) war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. Today we'd say they were suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder);  back then, they were labelled "shell-shocked."  

It's Rivers's job to treat his patients and make them well enough to be sent back to the front to continue fighting  (!). Rivers mostly uses talk therapy, in contrast with his colleague Lewis Yealland, whose methods are detailed in a wince-inducing chapter near the end of the book that reminded me a little of the dental chair scene in the movie "Marathon Man" with Lawrence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman.  (IYKYK -- no dental equipment is involved, but be forewarned...!)  

Graphically described primitive treatment methods aside, there's a lot in this book that I liked and enjoyed.  Although the main characters are all male, I was pleasantly surprised to find women's perspectives featured, particularly through the character of Sarah Lumb, who works in a munitions factory. 

And, as usual, Simon's "footnotes and tangents," and the comments and observations of other readers, added a lot to my enjoyment and understanding of the novel.  I particularly enjoyed the YouTube clips Simon posted of well-known actors reading some of the war poetry mentioned in the book. The poetry was an unexpected highlight:  I was familiar with Owen's classic "Dulce et Decorum Est," thanks to my wonderful high school English teachers, and I'd heard of Sassoon, but hadn't read any of his work before. Still powerful stuff.  

"Regeneration" is the first book in a trilogy featuring some of the same characters. Simon says we'll probably read them both eventually on F&T, and I will look forward to that!  This was my first Pat Barker book, and I would definitely like to read some of her other work. (I did not realize at first that "Pat" was actually "Patricia" and not "Patrick!" -- give me a demerit on my feminist membership card, lol.)  

After some thought, I've given this one 4 stars on both Goodreads and StoryGraph.  

Next up at Footnotes & Tangents:  "The Inheritors" by William Golding, beginning June 5th and running through to the end of the month. (Not sure I'll be joining this one.)

This was Book #9 read to date in 2026 (and Book #1 of 2 finished to date in May -- one more to come). You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2026 tagged as "2026 books." 

"The Blue Flower" by Penelope Fitzgerald

Footnotes & Tangents' final "slow readalong" of the year is "The Blue Flower" by Penelope Fitzgerald.  We started Nov. 3rd and will end our discussion the week of Dec. 15th (I read on ahead!).  

Published in 1995 to much critical acclaim, "The Blue Flower" is set in late 18th century Germany, and is based on the true story of Fritz von Hardenberg -- later renowned as the Romantic poet Novalis -- a recent university graduate, who falls instantly, madly in love at first sight with 12-year-old Sophie von Kuhn and becomes engaged to her, much to the consternation of his family and friends.  

(Many modern readers share their feelings. 12 years old??  Really??)  

But then the story takes an unexpected turn...

The writing is great, if a little dry and restrained -- there's a lot of subtle humour, especially in the first half of the novel -- and some of the characters are wonderful, especially the women. Many of us (myself included) loved "the Mandelsloh" (Sophie's older married sister, Friederike von Mandelsloh), as well as Karoline Just, the daughter of a family friend who pines with unrequited love for Fritz. 

But overall, it wasn't a book that really grabbed me. I doubt I would have picked it up on my own -- and I'm grateful (as always) for Simon's expert guidance in his weekly summary posts, and the insightful comments of my fellow readers, who picked up on themes and nuances that went totally over my head. 

3.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded down to 3 on Goodreads.  

This was Book #36 read to date in 2025 (and Book #1 finished in December), bringing me to 80% of  my 2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 6 books behind  schedule to meet my goal.  :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2025 tagged as "2025 books." 

You can learn more about the F&T slow readalongs planned for 2026 in this post.  I'm not sure I'll be taking part in all of them, but I will definitely be doing some! and I highly recommend the experience! (If you've ever wanted to read "War and Peace," there is no better way to do it!)  

(The first book of 2026 will be "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. I've never read any Rushdie, and I'm debating whether to join in. Anyone read it and have an opinion, one way or another??)  

"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe

For the past five weeks, I've been taking part in another "slow read" led by Simon Haisell at Footnotes & Tangents.  (I've recently tagged all the "slow reads" I've done with that group to date as "F&T slow readlong.") 

"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe is the third book I've read with F&T this year. First published in 1958, it's the story of a changing Africa in the late 19th century in the face of European colonization, as experienced by Okonkwo, a proud and respected member of the Igbo tribe in the village of Umuofia in what is now Nigeria. (It's the first in a trilogy about Africa's colonial evolution.) 

The first part of the book is all about Okonkwo, his family, and traditional village life in Umuofia. A tragedy forces Okonkwo and his family to leave Umuofia for seven years. He returns to a village and a life that has been profoundly changed by the arrival of the white man, colonial government, and the Christian church.

This is not a long book (and would have been a fast one, if it hadn't been spread out over five weeks...!).Okonkwo is a brute and not a particularly sympathetic character overall (although I did feel for him near the end, struggling to cope with a world he no longer understands). I also felt empathy and understanding for one of Okonkwo's wives, Ekwefi, who lost many babies, clings to her one surviving daughter Ezinma (Okonkwo's secret favourite), and envies the other women and their children. From Chapter 9:  

...Ekwefi had become a very bitter woman. Her husband's first wife had already had three sons, all strong and healthy... Ekwefi had nothing but good wishes for her. But she had grown so bitter about her own chi [personal god] that she could not rejoice with the others over their good fortune... Her husband's wife took this for malevolence, as husbands' wives were wont to. How could she know that Ekwefi's bitterness did not flow outwards to others, but inwards into her own sould;  that she did not blame others for their good fortune but her own evil chi who denied her any? 

Sound familiar?? 

I also found it difficult to read about how twins -- considered an abomination (!) -- were placed in earthenware pots,  taken into the forest and... left there. Yikes!

It's an interesting book (especially if you have any interest in Africa), and well written. I'll admit, however, it's not something I would have picked up on my own, and it's not something I'm likely to read again. 

3 stars on both Goodreads & StoryGraph. 

Our final F&T book of 2025 will be "The Blue Flower" by Penelope Fitzgerald, beginning Nov. 3rd. Details here.   

Simon also recently announced what we'll be reading together in 2026. You can find that list of books here. (Not sure I'll do every one, as I did this year, but I see a couple I'm interested in...!)  

This was Book #32 read to date in 2025 (and Book #5 finished in October), bringing me to 71% of  my 2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 4 books behind  schedule to meet my goal.  :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2025 tagged as "2025 books." 

#MicroblogMondays: Odds & ends

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  (Once again, odds & ends for #MM -- but hey, it's what I've got right now...!  In no particular order:) 
• It's our Thanksgiving long weekend here, and we enjoyed a nice dinner at BIL & SIL's on Saturday with the nephews & their families. 
• The Halloween goodie bags I assembled for the great-niblings were a hit!  LGNephew #1 exclaimed over the Robert Munsch book I'd chosen for him ("Boo!")  and gave me a big hug (awww...), and he and LGNiece donned their Halloween deelybobbers -- LGNephew #2 was less enchanted, lol. LGNephew #1 changed into his new glow-in-the-dark Halloween PJs to wear in the car before they left, and LGNephew #2 was sporting one of the new onesies I'd bought for him in photos posted by Older Nephew's wife the next day.  Success!!  (On to shopping for birthdays and Christmas...!  lol)  
• Still not a lot of autumn colours to be seen hereabouts! -- especially when I look at photos taken at this time of year in years past. I think it's because we had such a warm September -- no frosts to date (although we came close a couple of mornings last week!).   
• I was sad to hear the actress Diane Keaton had died at age 79 (what??!).  
• I know Woody Allen is considered completely politically incorrect/taboo these days -- but I came of age watching his movies, many of them co-starring Diane Keaton, and I still love many of them:  "Annie Hall," "Love and Death," "Play it Again Sam," :Manhattan" (yeah, it's creepy seeing him with a very young Mariel Hemingway -- but that Gershwin score! that gorgeous black-and-white cinematography!!). 
• "Annie Hall" came out just as I was heading into my last year of high school -- and the "Annie Hall" look was HUGE that year. With the money I'd earned that summer working part-time at the local drive-in movie theatre and an antique shop, I bought a new Annie-esque outfit (mostly at Fairweathers at the long-gone Unicity Mall) that I wore to my first day of school that fall:  a plaid knife-pleated skirt that fell below the knees; black thigh-high, high-heeled boots;  a white shirt, black men's tie, salmon-pink sweater vest, and grey flannel blazer. (I think I still have the tie!)
• I loved so many more of her movies too: "The Godfather" movies with Al Pacino (one of her (other) famous lovers);  "Reds," with Warren Beatty (ditto)(which I saw on my 21st birthday at a grand old movie palace in downtown Winnipeg -- en route out, I begged the theatre manager for one of the posters, which hung in my dorm room for the rest of my university career);  "Baby Boom" with the incredibly sexy Sam Shepard (although I imagine I would find the plot pretty wince-inducing these days...!);  "Something's Gotta Give" with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves;  "The First Wives Club" with Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler....   
• Keaton never married, but she adopted two children, a daughter and a son, when she was in her early 50s. (!) They would be in their 20s now, I think. 
• About 20-25 years ago, she was making a movie that was partly filmed in the small Manitoba town where my parents live. My mother told me that Keaton went in to the local Co-op grocery store with curlers in her hair (!), and the young checkout girl, not knowing who she was, asked her for her Co-op number (lolol).  I hope Keaton was as tickled by that story as we were. Hollywood pretentious she was not.  :)  
• Jennifer Aniston, poster girl/heroine for those of us who tried and didn't succeed at having the children we wanted, talks about that time in her life (among other things) in Harpers Bazaar UK's November issue. 
• Aniston previously spoke out on these matters in Allure's December 2022 issue.  I wrote about it (and the reaction to it in the CNBC community), here and here. So grateful for her honesty! 
• Nicole Chung -- who was adopted -- writes in The Atlantic about "When Adoption Promises are Broken." What happens when open adoption arrangements are not honoured? 
• As someone who knows a major cleanout of her parents' home of 40+ years (after 65+ years of marriage) is coming sooner vs later, I appreciated this Substack post from Catriona Innes of "Crocuses in the snow":  "When possessions hold memories, how do we choose what to throw away?"
• Simon Haisell at Footnotes & Tangents has announced 5 new slow readalongs for 2026, plus the return of both "War and Peace" and "Wolf Crawl "(Hilary Mantel's Cromwell Trilogy). (I took part in both W&P and Wolf Crawl in 2024, and highly recommend the experience!) I'll likely be reading along with at least some if not all of these! 
• Back in late August, drowning in back-to-school/off to college/empty nest social media posts from my mom friends, I read an article from The Atlantic about "How Parents Hijacked the College Dorm" -- and, in response, wrote a lengthy post reminiscing about my own college dorm rooms (vintage 1979 photo included!).   
• This past week, Anne Helen Petersen at "Culture Study" did a deep dive into the subject with Meagan Francis (who wrote The Atlantic article):  "What's Really Going on With Those Elaborate (Parent-Decorated) College Dorm Rooms?" The conversation was fascinating (photos included!), and so are the comments!  I believe it's not (currently?) paywalled. 
• As an avid genealogist, I absolutely loved this story when I first stumbled onto it in the New York Times three years ago (already?!):  "‘Downton Shabby': A Commoner Takes on an English Castle."  (Gift linked article.  And there's a book by the same name!)   Here's the lede: 

People who search genealogy websites often find birth and marriage records, newspaper clippings, faded photographs or maybe a long-lost relative.

Hopwood DePree found a 60-room English manor.

• It's not QUITE a "castle" -- but it's a 50,000 square-foot mansion (!), with some sections dating back to the 1400s (!). Hopwood Hall had been abandoned and derelict for decades -- but when he flew from his home in California to England to see it, Hopwood DePree recognized its value and its potential -- and he's rallied the community to save and restore the property.  
• This past week, I found a series of related video shorts from Ancestry.com on YouTube, featuring Hopwood DePree and Hopwood Hall.  Here's a link to the first episode.  They're also reposted on his Facebook & Instagram accounts, which I'm now following! 
• (I haven't looked at everything yet, but apparently, the estate is currently embroiled in some sort of dispute over the land surrounding the house that's delayed further progress on the restoration. Hopefully it will be resolved soon!) 

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here. 

"A Place of Greater Safety" by Hilary Mantel

My latest book is one I've been reading over the last few months as part of another "slow read" guided by Simon Haisell at Footnotes & Tangents. You may recall that last year, along with Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace," we read the three books in Hilary Mantel's "Cromwell Trilogy" together. 

This summer (early May through mid-September), we tackled the very first novel Mantel wrote (although it was not published until 1992):  "A Place of Greater Safety."  Like the books in the Cromwell Trilogy, it's a long one (the paperback clocks in at almost 900 pages) and -- as with the last volume of the Cromwell Trilogy, "The Mirror and the Light" -- I got behind on the weekly readings in August while fulfilling other book club obligations, and had to do a marathon catch-up session so that I could finish the book on time (more or less...!) along with everyone else...!  (The final chapter summary & discussion post will be published on Monday.) 

Fast forward some 200+ years from Cromwell and across the English Channel to France, and the French Revolution. This is an epic novel, featuring a sprawling cast of characters and shifting points of view among them all. The three main ones: friends/frenemies Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximilien Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins, all members of the Jacobin Club, who live on or near the Rue de Cordeliers in Paris. 

I knew a little about the French Revolution -- the basic facts -- before reading this book, but not a whole lot, and while the names of Danton and Robespierre were familiar to me, Desmoulins was less so -- and I had no idea what specific roles they played in the upheaval. This book tell us. It took a while to get all the main characters straight in my mind, but Simon's huge cast of characters list helped a lot.  

(Another reader, in the comments on one of Simon's weekly summary/context posts, quipped that they saw Camille as Tom Hiddleston/Loki.  Personally, I was picturing Timothee Chalamet -- I think it was the descriptions of his hair! lol -- but I can see that too!  lol )  

We see the events of the revolution through their eyes as they happen -- which means we never really get the full overall picture of what's going on (just as anyone in the middle of history-making events never gets the full picture until later)(if ever). Thank goodness for Simon's weekly summary/context posts, which provided a little more context and clarity -- and the comments of the other readers, who confirmed (much to my relief!), week after week, that I was not alone in my confusion!  lol 

How to rate this one?  I think I can summarize the book and my reaction to it in a comment I made to the group, midway through reading it: "This book is a bit of a mess -- but an interesting mess, nevertheless."  On the plus side, despite the lack of narrative clarity as to what exactly was going on, the writing is great (as one would expect from Hilary Mantel). The characters are vividly drawn, the three main ones in particular. We also get the perspectives of several female characters -- the wives/love interests of the three main protagonists, as well as other female historical figures -- which was really interesting.  

And while anyone familiar with history will know what happens (and while there are plenty of hints along the way), the last several chapters were still a pretty tense (even brutal) read -- with more than a few echoes of (ahem!) current events, when the events set in motion by our three main characters take on a life of their own and spin out of their control... (The line from the Beatles song kept going through my head:  "You say you want a revolution...?"  Followed by the thought: Be careful what you wish for...)  

(I debated whether or not to read up on the Revolution and the main characters before I started reading, or follow along with the recommended podcast episodes. I didn't, and I'm still not sure whether I chose the right path. Oh well. Now I'm wondering if I should do the research, listen to the podcast and re-read the book?? But -- so many books, so little time...) 

Midway through this book, I had settled on a rating of 3 stars on Goodreads. I'm upgrading it slightly to 3.5 on StoryGraph, because of those last few chapters.

Our next "slow read" starts Sept. 29th and runs for five weeks:  "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. Details here.    

This was Book #26 read to date in 2025 (and Book #1 finished in September), bringing me to 58% of  my 2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 5 books behind  schedule to meet my goal.  :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2025 tagged as "2025 books." 

"The Siege of Krishnapur" by J.G. Farrell

"The Siege of Krishnapur" by J. G. Farrell -- winner of the 1973 Booker Prize -- is the first of four new "slow readalongs" being led by Simon Haisell at Footnotes and Tangents in 2025 -- all of them books beloved by the late great British author Hilary Mantel.  You may remember that I read Mantel's three books about Thomas Cromwell (as well as "War & Peace" by Leo Tolstoy) with F&T last year, and enjoyed the experience hugely! 

(Simon is repeating those readalongs from last year for paid subscribers too.  I regretfully decided I needed to focus my reading attention elsewhere this year, vs doing a re-read(s) with the group -- but I could not pass up the opportunity to explore some new (shorter! lol)  books under his guidance!)  

It's 1857 and, mysteriously, stacks of chapatis (a type of Indian flatbread) have been showing up in British communities all over India -- including on the desk of "The Collector," who oversees the isolated outpost at Krishnapur.  The Collector feels it's a sure sign that trouble is brewing, and rumours of strife begin to filter in from other British settlements -- of sepoys (Indian soldiers) in mutiny against their British overlords.  But the members of the colonial community remain confident of their military, social and moral superiority -- at least, until the siege begins...  

"The Siege of Krishnapur" is based on the true story of what happened in the city of Lucknow in 1857.  I knew some basic stuff about Britain's history in India, but aside from watching "The Jewel in the Crown" and reading the first book in the series it was based on (good grief, I just realized that was 40!! years ago now!!), I don't think I'd read any (certainly not many) books about it. I wasn't sure I was going to like this one -- but it didn't take me long to realize how wrong I'd been. As usual, Simon's weekly summary posts, including interesting "footnotes and tangents" of supplemental material, along with comments from the other readers, helped me to better understand and appreciate what we'd been reading. (The book also turned out to be funnier than the premise would suggest! -- notwithstanding the seriousness of the events it portrays and the themes it explores.)  

"The Siege of Krishnapur" is one of three volumes examining the decline of the British Empire. The other two include "Troubles," about the Easter 1916 rebellion in Ireland, and "The Singapore Grip," which takes place just before World War II.  They have been added to my reading list!  

3.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded up to 4 on Goodreads.   

Our next F&T slow read will be "A Place of Greater Safety" (about the French Revolution) by Hilary Mantel, beginning May 5th and running for 20 weeks through the summer and early fall.   

This was Book #8 read to date in 2025 (and Book #1 finished in March), bringing me to 18% of my 2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) on track to meet my goal.  :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2025 tagged as "2025 books." 

"The Mirror and the Light" by Hilary Mantel

"The Mirror and The Light" is the third and final installment in the Cromwell trilogy by the late, great British writer Hilary Mantel.  (The first two books:  "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies.")  I've been reading the entire trilogy over the past year in a "slow readalong" hosted by Simon at Footnotes & Tangents (dubbed "Wolf Crawl" by participants, lol). (I've also been taking part in another slow readalong Simon has been hosting -- "War & Peace" by Leo Tolstoy -- a chapter a day for the entire year!) 

The trilogy tells the story of Thomas Cromwell, who rises from obscurity as a blacksmith's son to become one of the most powerful men in England, and a right-hand man to King Henry VIII.  This volume picks up where "Bring Up the Bodies" ended -- after the beheading of Queen Anne Boleyn. Henry is newly married to Anne's lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, the daughter of a prominent family, who provides him with the male heir he craves.  But then Jane dies after childbirth, and Cromwell encourages Henry to marry the princess Anna of Cleves to secure a political alliance against the French and the Holy Roman Emperor. The marriage is a disaster, Cromwell's grasp on power begins to slip, and his enemies begin to gather round him...  

I fell behind schedule late this summer, and at one point, I was something like 10 weeks behind on my reading (!)(the daily vs weekly reading schedule & chats with "War & Peace" were an advantage in that regard). I started trying to catch up on the last half of the book on the plane trip to visit my parents over the holidays, and finished today. (Yay me!)  

These books are a magnificent achievement of writing -- absolutely spellbinding. Even though you likely know how everything turns out, it you still keep turning the pages.  I am so glad I finally got to read these books, with the benefit of Simon's expert guidance and the insights provided by fellow readers. FYI:  Simon will be re-running Wolf Crawl in 2025 for paying subscribers (along with War & Peace, plus several other books that will be free of charge) -- I highly recommend the experience! (And I'm considering whether to do it again...!) 

A TV adaptation of this volume, starring Mark Rylance as Cromwell and Damien Lewis as Henry, recently aired in the UK, and will be shown on PBS in North America in late March 2025. I'm looking forward to it! 

A solid 5 stars on Goodreads/StoryGraph. 

This was Book #37 read to date in 2024 (and Book #5 finished in December), bringing me to 82%  of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 8 (!) books behind schedule to meet my goal. :(  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2024 tagged as "2024 books."    

"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

Like many avid readers (and English majors), I attempted to read "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy in my young and foolish years. (Attempted!)  I think it was the summer between second and third year university, and I had a shelf full of Penguin classics that I meant to read. "War and Peace" came in a boxed set of two volumes. I got about 60 pages in before I gave up. It was SO LONG -- and all those characters to keep straight!!  All those Russian names!!  

Then, late in 2023, one of my favourite writers, Rona Maynard, mentioned on a social media post that she'd just joined an upcoming "slow readalong" hosted by Simon Haisell. He'd been running a year-long readathon of "War and Peace" -- one chapter per day for an entire year -- on Instagram, and was about to repeat that feat in 2024, but this time on his Substack, "Footnotes & Tangents."  

I was intrigued. I was tempted. I thought about all my other (many) book club obligations, all the other books in my gargantuan To Be Read pile that I've been wanting to get to. Did I really need ONE MORE reading obligation??  

I caved in to temptation.  I signed up, downloaded a cheap (Kobo Original) copy of the novel to my e-reader, and (deep breath) opened it on Jan. 1st, 2024, and started reading. 

What a year it's been!  What a ride!  What a book!  

"War and Peace" begins in 1805, ends in 1820, and was originally published in 1868. At more than  1,900 pages (!!), the length alone makes it a daunting read.  Apparently "War and Peace," like many of Dickens's novels from around the same time, was originally published as a serial. This explains, perhaps, why it's so long -- were writer paid by the word back then?? But each chapter is a reasonable length -- seldom more than 12-15 pages long -- often with a pithy cliffhanger sentence!  

Consumed and pondered at the pace of one chapter per day, I found the novel to be entirely do-able and easily digestible. My enjoyment was enhanced by Simon's expert guidance, through his well-curated character list (which really helped to keep who's who straight, especially early on), weekly context/summary posts and (especially) the daily chat threads where readers discussed the chapter of the day with each other.  The comments were frequently thoughtful and insightful (and often witty and hilarious to boot). :)  Frequent refrain:  "I never thought I'd enjoy this book so much!" (Me either!)  

The novel is many things: there is romance, satire, history, family drama, long, rambling philosophical essays (which admittedly were boring at times, with many of us itching to get back to the stories of our main characters!), and many chapters in which Tolstoy takes Napoleon to task. (He clearly was NOT a fan!)  

"War and Peace" may not be the novel for you if you dislike ambiguity and crave clear-cut, happy endings. (It's a lot like real life in that way!) As a keen observation of human nature, and as a feat of storytelling, it's magnificent. 

To quote the title of another book that Simon frequently references (and which I'm hoping to read myself, now that I've finished W&P), "Give War and Peace a Chance." (lol) 

Seriously -- if you've ever thought about reading "War & Peace" -- this is the way to do it!!  If this post piqued your interest and reading W&P has been one of your longtime reading bucket list goals, Simon will be re-running the W&P (and Cromwell Trilogy by Hilary Mantel) slow reads in 2025 for paying subscribers, along with shorter readalongs for a couple of other books that will be open to all, free of charge. (I am seriously considering doing it again! -- and I am not the only one!)  Check out Footnotes & Tangents, if you're interested!   

(Content warning:  From an ALI angle, you should be aware that the book includes the death of a young woman following childbirth, an abortion that also ends unhappily, and a single childless character whose romantic hopes are never fulfilled.  There is also a wolf hunt that many in the group found difficult to read or skipped altogether.) 

Book:  4.5 stars on StoryGraph, rounded down to 4 on Goodreads.  

Readalong experience:  a solid 5 stars.  :)  

This was Book #36 read to date in 2024 (and Book #4 finished in December), bringing me to ??%  of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 8 (!) books behind schedule to meet my goal. :(  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2024 tagged as "2024 books."    

"Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel

"Bring Up the Bodies" is the second book in Hilary Mantel's "Cromwell Trilogy," which I am reading as part of a year-long "slow readalong" hosted by Simon Haisell at "Footnotes and Tangents." It's the 2012 follow-up to "Wolf Hall" (reviewed here), which we read (on a weekly schedule) from January through mid-April. We are just finishing "Bring Up the Bodies" (as a group) this week, and will begin Book #3, "The Mirror and the Light," next week. (Join us for that one at Footnotes & Tangents, Cromwell Trilogy!) 

King Henry VIII is now married to Anne Boleyn -- who has failed to provide him with the male heir he craves -- and his attention is turning to one of her attendants, young Jane Seymour. He enlists Thomas Cromwell -- now Master Secretary and his Chief Minister -- to help rid himself of Anne and win Jane as his next (third!) wife -- just as Cromwell helped him orchestrate his divorce from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, so that he could marry Anne. But as Anne's position at court becomes ever-more precarious, so too does Cromwell's...  

Like "Wolf Hall," "Bring Up the Bodies" is beautifully written. It is, however, a much faster and somewhat less dense/more accessible read than "Wolf Hall" was, covering a much shorter time frame in history. (While the events in "Wolf Hall" unfold over several decades, from 1500 to 1535, "Bring Up The Bodies" covers less than a year, from September 1535 to the summer of 1536.)  Simon, who is hosting the readalong, calls it "a thriller," and I must admit, it was hard not to go beyond the allotted pages each week to find out what would happen next!  ;)  The tension is palpable -- even though we, the readers, all know what ultimately happened, to Anne, to Henry, to Jane Seymour and, ultimately, to Cromwell himself.  (But that's another book...!)  

The readalong includes weekly discussion posts, chats, a cast of characters and other supplementary material, to provide context and facilitate greater understanding -- all free of charge. (Paid subscribers get occasional supplementary posts, and can initiate their own chats.)  These features have contributed enormously to my enjoyment and appreciation of the book, and I highly recommend the experience!   

I gave Wolf Hall "a solid 4 stars on Goodreads (possibly even 4.5)."  "Bring Up the Bodies" gets 4.5, rounded up to 5 stars. (Slow read group experience:  a definite 5!)   

This was Book #22 read to date in 2024 (and Book #2 finished in July), bringing me to 49%  of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 1 book behind schedule to meet my goal. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2024 tagged as "2024 books."    

"Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel

"Wolf Hall" the much-acclaimed novel by the late, great Hilary Mantel, has been in my TBR pile almost from the time it was published in 2009. I think I even opened it once, and then set it aside for something else (probably something lighter and less daunting...!).  

(Also, I PVRd the acclaimed 2015 BBC adaptation, with the wonderful Mark Rylance in the role of Thomas Cromwell, when it ran on PBS (instead of watching it when it was broadcast, because of course I hadn't read the book yet...!) -- but of course, I never got around to watching it...! And, unfortunately, my PVR library was deleted when we got a new modem last fall. Sigh... I may have to see if I can find it to watch elsewhere -- even if that means subscribing to another streaming service! even just temporarily -- especially since I hear a sequel is in the works and will be coming to PBS later this year...!)  

Then I heard about the year-long Cromwell Trilogy readalong hosted by Simon Haisell at "Footnotes and Tangents" (I think it was via Rona Maynard on social media??) -- starting with "Wolf Hall" on Jan. 1st, and following a weekly schedule. (He's also hosting a "chapter-a-day readalong" of "War & Peace" that also began Jan. 1st. Yes, I'm doing that one too!)  

At the time, I mused that "I need another book club/readalong (let alone TWO!) like a hole in the head" -- but I was intrigued, and the year-long, leisurely schedules (for both readalongs) sounded manageable. So, I did it -- I joined both.  It's taken a bit of juggling, but I'm very glad that I did.  :)  We're scheduled to finish this book before the end of the month, but I was on a roll (and wanted to move on to another book for another book club!), so I read ahead a little and finished it this weekend.  ;)    

Based in historical fact, "Wolf Hall' is the story of Thomas Cromwell, the son of an abusive blacksmith from Putney, who rises from obscurity to become the trusted advisor to the powerful Cardinal Wolsey -- and, ultimately, to King Henry VIII himself, as he seeks a divorce from Queen Katherine of Aragon -- who has failed to give him the male heir he so desperately craves -- so that he can marry the bewitching (younger, and presumably more fertile) Anne Boleyn.   

It probably helps to know at least a little bit about the British history and monarchy of this period. Happily, I've seen & read umpteen TV shows and books about Henry VIII and his six (!) wives -- so I was at least vaguely familiar with the bare bones of the story, if not intimately familiar with Cromwell himself.  Mantel fills in the details for us (as she has researched and imagined & interpreted them, anyway), all filtered through the eyes and thoughts of Cromwell.  

This is a LONG book (almost 700 pages in paper format) -- and the story unfolds in a leisurely, non-linear fashion, going back and forth (and back again) in time. The writing is very dense. There's just SO much to chew on -- so much going on, multiple layers of meaning to ponder, so many characters to keep track of -- including multiple Thomases to keep straight (besides Cromwell, there's Wolsey, More, Boleyn, Howard, Bilney, Wyatt, Cranmer, etc. etc....!)!  And SO.MUCH. plotting and scheming and political maneuvering!! 

(Also, Mantel rarely refers to Cromwell as "Cromwell," using "he" throughout the book, which takes some getting used to. Of course there are lots of other "he's" around, just to confuse matters...!  It's sometimes hard to figure out just who "he" is referring to -- but as several reviewers have noted, you're probably safe, most of the time, if you just assume that "he" refers to Cromwell.) 

Nevertheless, it's all beautifully written and hugely absorbing. Cromwell, as written by Mantel, is a fascinating character.  And, happily, those of us following the readalong have the advantage of weekly discussion posts, chats, a cast of characters and other supplementary material, to provide context and help us better understand what we're reading. These have all contributed enormously to my enjoyment and appreciation of the book. I'm not sure what books Simon is planning to cover in 2025, but I highly recommend the experience!   

A solid 4 stars on Goodreads (possibly even 4.5). (Slow read group experience:  a definite 5!)   

ALI note: As you might expect, for a book that revolves so heavily around producing, not just an heir to the throne but a MALE heir, there is a lot in this book about fertility and pregnancy and childbirth -- and loss and childlessness -- but it's all very well done and rings very true.  Mantel herself was childless not by choice, after a hysterectomy caused by severe endometriosis. 

Next on the agenda:  Book #2 in Mantel's Cromwell Trilogy, "Bring Up the Bodies," beginning during the week of April 29th, to be followed later in the year by Book #3, "The Mirror and the Light."  Join us at Footnotes & Tangents, Cromwell Trilogy! 

This was Book #11 read to date in 2024 (and Book #2 finished in April), bringing me to 24% of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 1 book behind schedule to meet my goal.  :(   You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2024 tagged as "2024 books."