|
In some towns, people are afraid of the local serial killers. In this surrealist satire-comedy, residents are afraid they are the local serial killers. There are more routes into Wigfield, the book, than there are into Wigfield, the town. The print edition includes portraits of the characters. The 2003 live performances can be seen in online clips posted by devoted fans. The audiobook is the recommended route into Wigfield, because it is performed by the three authors: satirical comedian Stephen Colbert, improvisational comedian Paul Dinello, and comedic actress Amy Sedaris.
There is only one route into Wigfield, and most people avoid it. Even the school bus changes routes so that the Wigfield children can not find it. Russell Hokes, an aspiring author who is documenting the town's struggles, says anyone driving through Wigfield will "drive faster to hoping to ignore what he has just seen." Cars break down, though, and it is through such accidents of fate that Hokes manages to tell Wigfield's story. Wigfield is told by different townspeople, a chapter at a time. The three authors take turns narrating the chapters with so many different cadences and accents that it is difficult to believe there are only three people bringing these strange townspeople to life. Everyone has a different reason for living in Wigfield, and even those who want to leave can't figure out how to escape. An Amy Sedaris' character, Cinnamon, reflects on moving and helplessly wonders, "How am I supposed to move my mobile home?" The established residents of Wigfield face more than the internal threats of serial killers, toxic waste, and three corrupt mayors. There is an external threat. The government has decided to pull down the dam where the people of Wigfield have illegally squatted, and the prospect of moving is something every resident will have to face. Cinnamon angrily speaks up for her town, arguing that Wigfield is more than "just a chain of porno shops, strip clubs, and used auto parts yards...it's pornographers, strippers, and people who sell used auto parts." Russell Hokes' teenage murder of his grandmother demonstrates that he has a kinship to the other characters who downplay their own murders to avoid revealing that they are potential suspects for the current Wigfield Maniac. He bonds with the characters in order to take advantage of their hospitality and in the hopes that they will write his book for him, as he has no idea how to write a book and spends much of the book attempting to abandon his contract. The town latches on to Hokes as a potential savior. If his story can not save the town, the mayors reason, perhaps his story can convince the government that Wigfield is a town full of people deserving of eminent domain payments. In "'Daily Show' Meets Second City in 'Wigfield' Tour", The Chicago Tribune's Nina Metz reported the idea came from a profile he did of a town while working on Comedy Central's Daily Show. She quotes Paul Dinello as explaining the authors' approach to the book." Because we had never written a book, we created a character who had never written a book and probably never read one." The April 27, 2003 article has a detailed history of the work the Colbert, Dinello, and Sedaris had done up until that point, and can be found on jerriblank.com, a fan site for the trio. In addition to the inexperienced narrator, the town has three mayors, and Colbert, Dinello, and Sedaris are well-known for working as a collaborative trio. The familiar satire of The Colbert Report is displayed at in Wigfield, and fans will recognize Amy Sedaris' sense of hospitality that is flaunted in her 2006 entertaining guide I Like You. For readers who are fans of the authors, the book has hidden gems that sparkle in other works, such as their Comedy Central series Strangers with Candy.After listening to the audiobook, the next step is finding a copy of the printed book, where the authors pose in dramatic photographs of the characters, such as Paul Dinello lounging across a kindergartenish stage, holding an elaborately costumed rabbit. Wigfield is unlike a town anyone has ever experienced, so it follows that the audiobook is unlike any anyone has ever heard. Publication InformationWigfield: The Can Do Town that Just May Not was written by Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, and Amy Sedaris. The audiobook was released by Highbridge Audio in April 2003. The ISBN is 1565117727. It is also available as an Audible download. This article was originally published April 27, 2010 on Suite101.com, when I was the featured writer for audiobooks and ebooks.
0 Comments
The Booker Prize Winner is a generous prism that colorfully reflects Thomas Cromwell and jarringly refracts Thomas More as they influence Tudor England. It would be impossible for Wolf Hall to be to have too many pages. Anyone familiar with Tudor history knows that the life stories of Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn, and Thomas More end, and Hilary Mantel makes readers want those life stories to continue. The fictionalized history shines through the perceptions of Thomas Cromwell, and he sees England through daring eyes. Thomas Cromwell's Point of ViewSeeing with Cromwell's expansive, omniscient perspectives is compelling and inviting. Cromwell laughs at Charles Brandon, and readers laugh with him. Cromwell notices Anne Boleyn's beauty increasing with her power, and through his eyes, readers notice new details of her neckline. When the Duke of Norfolk offends Thomas Cromwell, the reader bristles, too. Lending new characterizations to lesser known figures, such as Rafe Sadler, enhances the reading experience of Wolf Hall. Mantel's details to characters who are already fictionalized with multiple views, such as Henry Viii, seem so authentic and authoritarian that readers feel a sense of relief, as if Wolf Hall has finally unravelled the true identity of the faces in the museum paintings. The one area where Cromwell's perspective feels wobbly is his hybrid resentment-admiration of Thomas More. Through Thomas Cromwell's eyes, the beloved Thomas More is less than his reputation suggests. Thomas Cromwell's MirrorAs pointed out on The Thomas More Book Club site, Mantel uses Cromwell's ability to uncover the hidden flaws in More's new rug to demonstrate how only the talented eyes of Cromwell can see the hidden flaws in More. When More is imprisoned on charges violating Cromwell-authored laws, Cromwell struggles to accept that More will not sign the oath. Cromwell bitterly complains that he is not getting work done and that even from the Tower, More has too much control over events. Frustrated, Cromwell confronts the placid More, saying, "You call history your aid, but what is history to you? It is a mirror that flatters Thomas More. But I have another mirror, and when I hold it up, it shows a vain and dangerous man, and when I turn it about it shows a killer..." (p. 463) The beauty of this scene hints at the Mantel's wide talents. Her uses of metaphor and dialogue share a rare accuracy; twin arrows flying to the same mark. What is more remarkable is what the reader discovers upon reflection. If Thomas More looks through Cromwell's mirror and sees a vain and dangerous man, More will not be the reflection shown when Cromwell turns the mirror. Then Cromwell will be seeing his own reflection, the reflection of a killer. Thomas Cromwell, KillerThroughout the novel, Cromwell avoids memories of a person he killed during his shadowy days in Italy. He is disturbed to hear a musician say he looks like a murderer, and Cromwell is equally disturbed when Gregory confirms that assessment. Cromwell equally avoids recognizing that his laws and his rigged juries actually lead to death. Instead of focusing on the deaths of the Carthusian monks, Cromwell wonders how More and his daughter can watch the so calmly. Instead of answering Norfolk's accusation that the privy council is setting up John Fisher and Thomas More to be murdered, Cromwell retreats and watches quietly. When More is waiting for execution, Cromwell can not resist visiting him in the Tower, but he separates himself from knowing More, dropping his name and looking at him as "the prisoner". Hilary Mantel's Use of the Third PersonThere are an abundance of Thomases in Wolf Hall, an unfortunate circumstance created by historical fact. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey holds the puppet strings in Henry's reign. Wosley mentors Thomas Cromwell, who must navigate through a sea of Thomases: clever Thomas More, powerful Thomas Howard, sly Thomas Boleyn. Rather than call Cromwell by his Christian name, Mantel settles on the pronoun "he", which is the only confusing part of the book. Even in the audiobook edition of Wolf Hall, reader Simon Slater confuses which "he" is speaking, and confuses Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell as a result. In the upcoming sequel, Cromwell will face the beheading of Anne Boleyn and her alleged lovers, which are historically thought to have been set-up by Cromwell, and already in the first book, he is shown retreating from the Boleyn family and planning to vacation with the King when he visits the Seymores at their home, Wolf Hall. This may be when Cromwell moves from "he" to "I" in his narration, as he begins to plan his own power grabs so that he can manipulate a prince, just as his mentor Wolsey manipulated Henry. History suggests that any problems between Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell came from different ethical standards. Historians traditionally present More as having many of ethical standards, and Cromwell as having few, if any. Hilary Mantel is not a historian, although Wolf Hall reflects exceptional research. Just as Wicked managed to humanize the Wicked Witch of the West at the expense of Glenda the Good Witch,Wolf Hall humanizes Thomas Cromwell at the expense of Thomas More. Publication InformationWolf Hall was published by Henry Hold in October 2009. It is available as a Kindle book, and there is an enhanced UK Wolf Hall app. The ISBN is 0805080686. The Wolf Hall audio book was released by Macmillan Audio in November, 2009. It is read by Simon Slater. The ISBN is 1427210160. This article was originally published in November 2009. Links may go to the Wayback Machine. Simon Slater's performance brings Thomas Cromwell out of history and into humanity. Follow the audio while reading the ebook to indulge in Mantel's magic. Imagine Thomas Cromwell maneuvering through region restrictions to access the enhanced edition app for Wolf Hall. UK residents can download the app, but when a US or Canadian customer searches Itunes Apps for Wolf Hall, Apple helpfully responds, "Did you mean golf ball?" The star of Wolf Hall wouldn't put up with limited availability. The book is long and complex, and if Thomas Cromwell thought the audiobook should accompanied by the ebook, he'd make his own enhanced edition. "I'll make or mar," he promises in a voice of restrained urgency, and that thudding motto is the heartbeat of Hilary Mantel's brilliant Wolf Hall. Making an Enhanced Edition ExperienceListening to the audiobook while reading the ebook gives the sense of an enhanced edition, especially when coupled with Slate's Audio Book Club Wolf Hall discussion podcast. Listening to and reading Wolf Hall is easily done by using:
Aligning the Wolf Hall Audiobook to the Printed and Kindle Ebook Editions The ebook and printed book has 6 sections divided into 3 parts each. The audiobook has 3 parts divided into 7 chapters. The audiobook is structured for listeners, so to read along with it, use the keyword search for locations. Here are the main guiders:
When it comes to audiobooks, Audible vs. iTunes is a microcosm of Amazon vs. Apple. Audible has more choices, and iTunes is easier to use for purchases.Simon Slater's Performance StyleSlater's Cromwell speaks with a direct, commanding tone. Even when he is persuading and manipulating, Cromwell's voice is controlled and clear. Slater elevates his tone Cromwell elevates in status, and Cromwell sounds almost stately when he talks to Mary Tudor. Thomas More has a cartoonishly arrogant voice, and More's lines drip and hiss. It is not until More is condemned to die when Slater momentarily simplifies More's voice. Anne Boleyn is winsome and haughty, Mary Boleyn is charmingly sly, and Slater's performance of the Spanish ambassador Eustace Chapuys is energetic. Much of Slater's narration sounds like a sports cast. Wosley frets, Cromwell counsels. Henry muses, Anne wheedles. More opines, Norfolk roars. Even the omniscient narration is done with Cromwell's tone, as the book is written with Mantel's unusual 3rd person case used in a 1st person structure. This occasionally leads to reading errors, since it is hard to determine which "he" is being spoken of – Wosley, Cromwell, More, or Henry. Even Slater makes errors in who is speaking to whom, which is why a homemade enhanced edition of reading while listening makes valuable untangling the characters. The magnificence of Wolf Hall is attested to by its awards - The 2009 Booker Prize, Time's Top 10 Book of 2009, The National Book Circle Fiction Award, but it is a book that requires a lot of focus. An ebook/audiobook combination is for sale through the Wolf Hall Enhanced Experience app, but clever readers can be a bit Cromwellian and "make or mar" with available technologies. Wolf Hall Publication Information Wolf Hall was written by Hilary Mantel and published by Henry Hold in October 2009. It is available as a Kindle and Nook book through MacMillian books, and there is an enhanced UK Wolf Hall app. The ISBN is 0805080686. The Wolf Hall unabridged audiobook was released by Macmillan Audio in November, 2009. It is performed by Simon Slater. The ISBN is 1427210160. It is available on Audible.com and iTunes. This review was originally published in 2009 and updated in 2010. Some links may go to the Wayback Machine as I try to restore old article from the now-defunct Suite101. This is the story of Margaret More Roper and her quest to preserve her father's place in history. "Without her ... his collected works would be a completely different book and perhaps not exist at all. He would have been diffident about it, preferring to be known as an honest Londoner with the ability to make people laugh." It seems unjust to the rest of the More children that Margaret Roper is always referred to as More's favorite child, because he loved all of them. A Daughter's Love does a good job of highlighting the special connection between Thomas More and his daughter. Nice Bits:
Sadly, it is not available as a Kindle book...yet. This article was originally published on The Thomas More Book Club in 2010. Since then, A Daughter's Love has been published for the Kindle by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ASIN B003K16P5U
Jasper Ridley is no fan of Thomas More. The Statesman and the Saint is a dual-biography, and it is interesting to watch the parallel lives of Wolsey and More unfold. Jasper Ridley seems to believe the worst of More and the best of Wolsey, but he does offer some interesting views of the life of More, particularly how he separated his work life and his private life.
The unhappy aspect about this book is that Ridley seems to bent on presenting More as a dangerous man who was not capable of love; even the relationship with Margaret seems to be more of a reflected interest rather than a mutal connection. At the end of the book, Ridley goes overboard with a dramatic conjecture of how Wolsey would be in the world today. He suggests Wolsey would be a CEO of a company or some other behind-the-scenes power, and More would be a fanatical leader raising armies against those he wanted to eliminate from society. Much like God's Bestseller by Brian Moynahan, Statesman loses some of its sense of authority by accepting the rumors of More excessively torturing people as fact. Both books are written by established, credible historians, but even stronger authorities, such as John Guy, have discounted much of those suggested abuses. It is interesting that in America, the book was published as The Statesman and the Saint, and in England it was published as The Statesman and the Fanatic.
Wolf Hall is the Tudor version of Doctor Who: you never forget your first Doctor, or your first Cromwell. Ben Miles isn't my first Cromwell, but he is my Cromwell.
Wolf Hall Photos from Jeffery Richards Press Associates
This morning I got an email for discounted Wolf Hall on Broadway tickets, because the last day to see parts one and two is July 5, 2015. My first thought was that I wish I could see it again, for any price and in any seat, because it was just that good.
Ben Miles is the Thomas Cromwell that Hans Holbein painted and Hilary Mantel wrote into being. He is a cross between the history and the fiction, and every moment of the six hour plays stayed true to the books. Even when the play veers from the book, it is true to the sense of the story. Some of the visuals of the play, such as Cromwell's hats steadily increasing in elegance (because someday, he'll want a crown) and the nice scene of handing a scroll to Mary Shelton, are in the books but I didn't really notice them until I saw them on stage. It is no secret that I was disappointed with the BBC/PBS adaptation of Wolf Hall, because that Thomas Cromwell isn't my Thomas Cromwell. James Frain was my Thomas Cromwell, until Ben Miles. The Cromwell Ben Miles gives us is funny and warm, threatening and and menacing, the center of attention and the outsider who is watching Anne and Henry with us. In the Youtube clips of the Wolf Hall, the dialouge is there, but not the audience. The laughter of people who have been sipping the Wolf Hall themed drinkings - The Cromwell and the Tudor Rose - makes these scenes seem different in person. The stark staging becomes Tudor England, and the commitment to the book, right down to Mary Tudor and her skirts, makes me feel like the book love was being acted in front of me.' If you are able to see the show at the Winter Garden Theater, go. The Wolf Hall on Broadway coupon code is WHBNL615 for "Single tickets as low as $59.50". The six hours went quickly, and of course the intermission at dinner helped. If you can't see the play, you can read the Wolf Hall script, but the play changed things for me. Claire Foy is my Anne (from the BBC "Wolf Hall"), Jeremy Northam is my Thomas More (from The Tudors"), and Nathaniel Parker is my Henry and Ben Miles is my Cromwell, both from Wolf Hall on Broadway. |
AuthorAlly Sharp is a teacher, writer and editor, and technology trainer. Archives
December 2016
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed