I haven't yet read Wolf Hall, the historical fiction novel about Thomas Cromwell. I have read Mantel's Beyond Black, though, a modern gothic novel about the world of professional fortune tellers. Beyond Black was given to me by some random person I met at a hostel in Prague 3 years ago. It's a really compelling novel of a cutthroat business world, one of Wall Street type competition, and its protagonist is the assistant of one such fortune tellers who's talented but also, well, fucked. I'm guessing Beyond Black will be the big seller in Mantel's backlist.
From The Guardian:
Author Hilary Mantel has been named Man Booker Prize winner for her historical novel Wolf Hall.
Mantel, 57, beat five other shortlisted authors, including Sarah Waters and JM Coetzee, with her book based on Henry VIII's adviser Thomas Cromwell.
On stage she said that if winning the Booker Prize was like being in a train crash "at this moment I am happily flying through the air".
The writer received the £50,000 prize at a ceremony at London's Guildhall.
Mantel told the gathered audience that it had taken her about 20 years to decide whether to write this particular book.
"I couldn't begin until I felt secure enough to say to my publisher - just what a publisher always wants to hear - 'this will take me several years you know'. But they took it on the chin."
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