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Quote by Hilary Mantel

“People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.”

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British author Hilary Mantel is renowned for her historical novels, particularly for her Thomas Cromwell series, which has earned her international acclaim. Mantel's works are celebrated for their profound insights and literary achievements. more

“For me, it is about using everything that is there and using the gaps in the record, figuring out why the gaps might be there. And then when you move on to the level of what historians said, laying the interpretations side by side. You also have to look back at the documents and make your own judgments. What the record says and what people say about it. A novelist can fill the gaps in a way that a biographer cannot.”

People Way Looks Said Might Moving Sides Levels Records Judgment Novelists Interpretation Gaps Historian Documents Biographers

Author:Hilary Mantel

“One of the frustrations of someone like Thomas Cromwell is that, before they step into the light of history, and become extremely well documented, they are not known. A king might be well documented but not everyone.”

Wells Light Might Known Steps Kings Frustration Cromwell

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 Can Facts Very Good Not Sure Ethical Very Nice

Author:Hilary Mantel

“I am not a historian. I don't see what I do as being a rival to biography.”

Historian Biographies Rivals

Author:Hilary Mantel

“It's complementary. It's fairly clear where the boundaries are. When I start telling you the contents of his head, I am making it up. But I try to make it up based on what is on the record. So even my wildest speculations [on Thomas Cromwell] will have a root somewhere.”

Trying Clear Records Roots Boundaries Speculation Complementary Cromwell

Author:Hilary Mantel

“My first book was a historical novel. I started writing in 1974. In those days, historical novels meant ladies with swelling bosoms on the cover. Basically, it meant historical romance. It was not respectable as a genre.”

Writing Firsts Book Romance Novel Historical Genre Respectable Bosoms Swelling Historical Novels

Author:Hilary Mantel

“People who wrote literary novels about the past probably didn't want them pegged as historical fiction. Certainly that was true in England.”

People Want Past Fiction Novel England Historical Historical Fiction

Author:Hilary Mantel

“I loved Gore Vidal's Burr. That book gave me courage.”

Book Gore Burrs

Author:Hilary Mantel

“When I began to read as an adult, my first big enthusiasm was Evelyn Waugh. I read almost exclusively novelists of a generation back. I did the Russians, then I started getting more up to date.”

Firsts Bigs Generations Adults Enthusiasm Novelists Up To Date

Author:Hilary Mantel

Quote by Hilary Mantel

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