“If the monarchy were removed tomorrow, it wouldn't have a huge effect on the national mind-set. The monarchy is mildly interesting and largely harmless. I can't find I can get very heated about it. In the next couple of generations, it is bound to go. There is so much else in the world that is more interesting.” IfsWorldMindI CanNextInterestingGenerationsEffectsHugeCoupleTomorrowBoundsMonarchyMind Set Author:Hilary Mantel
“I can't think of any male politician who magnetizes love and hate - mainly hate - the way [Margaret Thatcher] did.” ThinkingWayI CanHatePoliticianMalesLove And Hate Author:Hilary Mantel
“I think the monarchy today is. . . mildly interesting and largely harmless. I can't find I can get very heated about it. In the next couple of generations, it is bound to go.” ThinkingI CanTodayNextInterestingGenerationsCoupleBoundsMonarchy Author:Hilary Mantel
“The more facts I can have, the better. I can operate very nicely between them, but I am not very good at making things up. I am not sure how ethical it is.” I CanFactsVery GoodNot SureEthicalVery Nice Author:Hilary Mantel
“If I am feeling broken, I can pick up one of [Ivy Compton-Burnett] books and the next morning I can write again. It puts my mechanism back.” IfsWritingI CanBookFeelingsNextMorningBrokenPicksMechanismIvyCompton Author:Hilary Mantel
“But an experienced reader is also a self-aware and critical reader. I can't remember ever reading a story without judging it.” I CanSelfStoriesRememberReadingJudgingReaderCritical Author:Hilary Mantel
“Back in my 20s, when I wrote 'A Place of Greater Safety,' the French Revolution novel, I thought, 'I'll always have to write historical novels because I can't do plots.'' But in the six years of writing that novel, I actually learned to write, to invent things.” WritingYearsI CanNovelGreaterRevolutionSixSafetyHistoricalPlotBecause I CanFrench RevolutionHistorical Novels Author:Hilary Mantel
“No ruler in the history of the world has ever been able to afford a war. They're not affordable things. No prince ever says, 'This is my budget, so this is the kind of war I can have.” WorldKindI CanWarAbleBudgetsRulersWorld HistoryAffordable Author:Hilary Mantel
