MixedNational ReviewRead page by page—that is to say, taking the measure of the book by the quality of the prose—it is another masterpiece, a worthy successor to its forebears. There are some reasons, however, to think that the rumors were right—that the death of Cromwell presented a challenge for Mantel. Of the novel’s 754 pages, there is not a hint of trouble for Cromwell until around the 600th, and the crisis leading to his death does not break until about the 700th. This would not be a problem were there some other narrative arc Mantel was intent on tracing. But there isn’t, really ... the narrative is strangely mushy. These structural problems reveal a deeper weakness ... Mantel’s Cromwell is smarter, more pragmatic, and more cunning than all the fanatics, fop-headed aristocrats, and would-be Machiavels that he runs up against. It is not credible that he would not see the crisis that leads to his downfall coming and adapt to it pragmatically ... Absent any sense of his religious conviction, all that’s left as an explanation for these decisions is hubris and temporary stupidity ... The result is a contradiction between the plot and the main character that not even some of the most brilliant modern prose can resolve ... It’s a sad diminishment for a character whose vitality used to leap off every page.
