News Releases
MARCH 16, 2020
The Mirror & The Light Reading Guide
BY JAMES BENNETT
James Bennett are excited to bring you the below Bookclub Questions for The Mirror & The Light.
BOOKCLUB QUESTIONS
• Thomas Cromwell is now in his fi fties, ‘the same small quick eyes, the same thickset imperturbable body; the same schedules.’ But to what extent is he a different man to the one we know from Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies? How has his character developed?
• Discuss Hilary Mantel’s use of the present tense in The Mirror & the Light. She allows us to follow her characters in real time as they make decisions the consequences of which they cannot be sure. Does this change how we think of history?
• What echoes are there in The Mirror & the Light of contemporary politics and Britain’s relationship with Europe? To what extent is Thomas Cromwell a thoroughly European character?
• ‘The burden of kingship,’ Henry says, ‘no man can imagine it. All my life, to be a prince: to be observed to be a prince; all eyes to be set on me; to be an exemplar of virtue … to unmake myself as a man in order to make myself as a king.’ What picture does Hilary Mantel paint of Henry VIII, as a man and as a king? Consider the trajectory of his relationship with Thomas Cromwell.
• Consider Cromwell as a father and as a son. And the paternal relationships he develops.
• The Mirror & the Light’s cast of characters includes those who have died in the course of the previous two novels. Consider the role of ghosts in the novel.
• Discuss the relationship of men and women. Do the female characters have power? How familiar are the gender inequalities to the world we live in now?
• From the descriptions of Henry’s leg wound, to the river Thames which fl ows through the story, The Mirror & the Light is carefully and vividly drawn. Consider the use of texture and physicality in the novel. How successfully does Hilary Mantel paint a picture of 1540s London?
• Is Thomas Cromwell’s downfall inevitable? When and how does he become conscious of the fate that awaits him? How does Cromwell react to his own demise?
For the full Reading Guide, please email: marketing@bennett.com.au
Recent News Releases
In Conversation with Sandie Docker
July 18, 2024
What inspires your writing?I never really know! Sometimes, it’s a tv show, other times, just an experience. The Redgum River Retreat was inspired by the Antique’s Roadshow, The Lyrebird Ladies Choir came from an article about older women experiencing homelessness. What is your writing process like?Flying by the seat of my...
Read more
In Conversation with Mark Wales!
July 15, 2024
We were very lucky to receive a visit from former SAS Commander, as well as Survivor and Mad Max Superstar; Mark Wales! What did you find the most challenging about writing Outrider in comparison to Survivor: Life in the SAS?The most challenging thing – because the first one was non fiction,...
Read more
StoryBox has some wonderful new releases to share with you
June 28, 2024
Too Loud Lily is the delightful story of Lily Hippo who discovers - with the help of Miss Loopiola, her new music and drama teacher - that she’s exactly the right kind of loud. Written by Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Kerry Argent and performed by the incomparable Dolly Diamond, this story...
Read more
Author Visit with Seana Smith!
June 20, 2024
We were very lucky to receive a visit from Seana Smith! We toured the James Bennett warehouse and asked MANY a question! Was there an extra challenge with writing your personal story, over your other non fiction titles? What were they???My past work, including The Australian Autism Handbook, Beyond the Baby...
Read more
IFLA/Baker & Taylor Public Library of the Year Award
June 12, 2024
The “Public Library of the Year” award is presented by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) with the aim of honouring new public libraries. Baker & Taylor is proud new main sponsor of the award.The award is presented to a library somewhere in the world, that has...
Read more
Three New Stories From Story Box Hub!
June 10, 2024
StoryBox Hub has three wonderful new stories to share, celebrating resilience, self-acceptance and finding your place in the world. We can’t wait to share them with you!Too Loud Lily is the delightful story of Lily Hippo, someone who everyone thinks is just too LOUD! Everyone, that is, until Miss Loopiola, the...
Read more