Magisterial is the word the comes to mind when talking about Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel in its literary treatment of Henry VIII's infamous right hand man, Thomas Cromwell. How else do you characterize such a work that takes on not only the entire genre of historical fiction, but also one of the most fiery flashpoints of British history? The novel reframes centuries of received knowledge about a a series of events--Henry's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and England's subsequent break from the Catholic Church--but the real selves of the people involved are paradoxically so opaque to contemporary minds.

Mantel disrupts so many narrative conceits from the get-go, doing away with the gauzy dialogue and sumptuous interior decoration porn that is the staple of historical fiction. The reader goes so far into Thomas's point of view that it's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between what he is thinking and what he is actually doing. Even during highly elaborate scenes in court, the narrative thrums with the tension, not only because of Cromwell's capacity for ruthlessness but also because an entire kingdom's way of life hinges upon a single document from Rome.

Beyond the scandalous lives of powerful people, however, the novel also tackles the cultural shift that society is facing as the Medieval Age gives way to the Renaissance. The tension between intellectual/capitalist class and the religious class for the allegiance of the English people plays out in violent ways that mirrors the turmoil at the very top of power.

The novel ends in a necessarily unsatisfying note, since the story flows into Mantel's next novel Bring Up the Bodies. I haven't read it yet but an avid fan of history will be aware that it will cover the moment when shit proceeded to get thoroughly and profoundly real. That said, I still found Wolf Hall to be a staggering piece of literature.