Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The son of a blacksmith, Thomas Cromwell led an adventuresome life that made him wealthy and put him in the position of close counselor to King Henry VIII. Based on actual history, the novel Wolf Hall portrays Cromwell's life in 1500s England with colorful detail that won it Britain's prestigious Booker Prize. The writing is modern, almost telegraphic in its succinctness. At times it is difficult to identify the antecedent of some pronouns; one gradually catches on to the fact that random references to "he," "his," or "him" can be assumed to be Cromwell. It is a writing style that did not appeal to me.