The Mirror & the Light

A Novel

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Ben Miles

This program is read by Ben Miles, who played Thomas Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.

This program includes a bonus conversation between Ben Miles and Hilary Mantel.

“If you cannot speak truth at a beheading, when can you speak it?”

With The Mirror & the Light, Hilary Mantel brings to a triumphant close the trilogy she began with her peerless, Booker Prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. She traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell, the boy from nowhere who climbs to the heights of power, offering a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present and past, between royal will and a common man’s vision: Of a modern nation making itself through conflict, passion and courage.

The story begins in May 1536: Anne Boleyn is dead, decapitated in the space of a heartbeat by a hired French executioner. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Cromwell breakfasts with the victors. The blacksmith’s son from Putney emerges from the spring’s bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry VIII, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.

Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, no private army. Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry’s regime to the breaking point, Cromwell’s robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future. All of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as fortune’s wheel turns, Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows. The inevitable question remains: How long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze?

Eagerly awaited and eight years in the making, The Mirror & the Light completes Cromwell’s journey from self-made man to one of the most feared, influential figures of his time. Portrayed by Mantel with pathos and terrific energy, Cromwell is as complex as he is unforgettable: A politician and a fixer, a husband and a father, a man who both defied and defined his age.

The Telegraph (UK) Best Books of the Year - 2020
Minneapolis Star Tribune Holiday Book Recommendations - 2020
Time Magazine Best Books of the Year - 2020
An NPR Best Book of the Year - 2020
The Guardian (UK) Best Books of the Year - 2020
USA Today Best Books of the Year - 2020
The Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year - 2020
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year - 2020
Man Booker Award - Nominee
New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year - 2020

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

"Ben Miles - Group Captain Peter Townsend in The Crown - has, in addition to narrating this final volume, taken on the massive task of delivering Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies as well. He also played Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Wolf Hall Parts One & Two, and captures again the man’s voice, its taint of baseness, its ups and downs and quiet ruthlessness." (Washington Post)

"Miles’ familiarity with Mantel’s portrayal of Cromwell pervades his performance of The Mirror & the Light, which traces Cromwell’s fall from greatness, beginning with the aftermath of Anne Boleyn’s beheading and ending with his own. Miles’ voice carries the power-hungry statesman’s monumental final act with ease and a delicate nuance, as only someone with a deep understanding of the story could." (BookPage)

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Hilary Mantel (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"The many listeners enthralled by the earlier two volumes in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy will find all their expectations met in this final installment... Here is a narrative achievement of the highest order." (AudioFile magazine, Earphones Award winner)

Cromwell comes alive

I listened to the first two books in this trilogy and anxiously awaited the third. Put off by some of the reviews of Ben Miles’ narration, I started out reading the book but it was slow going. I decided to go ahead and get the Ben Miles version and I’m glad I did.

Aside from his mispronunciation, or possibly correct pronunciation, of Wroithsley, I found his reading to be excellent. I did hear a little Michael Caine in Cromwell now and then, but Cromwell was not born a posh toff and Miles’ accent was not grating. The voices of each character had sometimes very subtle differences yet I could distinguish between them, an amazing achievement.

The book itself was, of course, masterful. Mantel brings to life a time and place in history and breathes life into the people who lived them.

This recording includes a dialog between Ben Miles and the author, and it was interesting to hear their comments. I highly recommend this recording.

GENIUS WRITING AND OUTSTANDING NARRATION

It has been a long time since I have enjoyed any book and narration so much! Hilary Mantel is nothing short of a genius at writing dialogue and putting herself in the place of Thomas Cromwell. The narrator as well does a profound job. The listener is immersed in the culture, time, and political intrigues of the court of Henry the VIII. A Tudor masterpiece about a common man turned Lord Chancelor and Earl of Essex.

A masterpiece

Just as beatiful as the first two. As expected, a satisfying end to a trilogy.

Captivating but too long

The official critics said it. The book is excellent overall with a wonderful narrator but it is several hours too long—too much about food and clothes, too many minor characters and too much violence. Worth it to be sure but get out your patience.

Brilliant as ever!

Mantel smashes it again. I now want to go back to the beginning of the trilogy all over again.
Ben Miles is masterful as narrator. Thank you all for this recording!

Bittersweet

I knew this ending was coming, but Mantel still kept it interesting. I also thought the narration was excellent.

Hard to get into, but worth the effort

This book was very difficult for me to get into. I initially found my mind wandering and confused by the myriad of characters that came and went. Eventually, I realized that part of the problem (for me) was the slowness of the narration combined with the complexity of the story. I found that if I listened at 1.5 x that it held my attention more and the story flowed better. That said, I appreciated having experienced this book, which was written from a point of view that I had not previously considered for this time period.

Interesting, but too long

I totally enjoyed the first two books, but this one was too slow moving for me. Too much fill detail.

Magnificent

This was possibly the best trilogy I've ever had the pleasure to experience, both the writing and performance. Pure brilliance on both parts.

Magnificent - Riveting - and stunning narration

As told here, the saga of Cromwell absolutely transported me to 16thC England. When I finished I was drained and nearly paralyzed with wonder.... I just had to sit, absorb, and take time to come up for air.

The narration could not have been finer. Absolutely mesmerizing.