What happened to Lazarus after he was raised from the dead? Did he have a happy life? This is the kind of problem which besets Fludd, who impersonates a Roman Catholic priest, and it soon becomes clear to Father Angwin that this new assistant has strange powers and attributes.
Fludd
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‘“Fludd” is a funny, exquisitely written story of priests and nuns in fifties England, but it is also a questioning, intellectual book that applies a profound thoughtfulness to various abtruse areas of religious (or supernatural) belief … A faultless comic masterpiece.’ Literary Review
‘Good morality tales are unusual; but rarer still are books that genuinely make you laugh out loud.’ Spectator
‘Hilary Mantel brings together the miraculous and mundane, the dreadful and the ridiculous in a novel of imagination and skill.’ Financial Times
‘In “Fludd”, Mantel draws on her own imagination, inventing a dark universe which works to laws of her own making. The effect is dazzling, and establishes her in the front ranks of novelists writing in English today.’ Guardian
‘An excellent and ambitious novel.’ Sunday Times
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.About the Author
Hilary Mantel is the author of thirteen books , including A PLACE OF GREATER SAFETY, BEYOND BLACK, and the memoir GIVING UP THE GHOST. Her two most recent novels, WOLF HALL and its sequel BRING UP THE BODIES, have both been awarded The Man Booker Prize – an unprecedented achievement.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Feline
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The only other Mantel I have read is Beyond Black which was written some fifteen years after Fludd so I was a little concerned that her writing would not be as mature and fluid in this earlier work.
Whilst one can see that it is a less experienced author, I have to say that the Mantel magic was clearly at work here. From the first scene setting (which is a little laboured) where one finds oneself in a Northern version of Cold Comfort Farm crossed with Craggy Island to the final glorious scenes (think Dickens/Gormenghast/Royston Veysey) she builds one's suspicions, slowly but firmly, that all is not as it seems.
Very hard to say more without giving away the plot - a great piece of writing, not too long and very satisfying.
Whilst one can see that it is a less experienced author, I have to say that the Mantel magic was clearly at work here. From the first scene setting (which is a little laboured) where one finds oneself in a Northern version of Cold Comfort Farm crossed with Craggy Island to the final glorious scenes (think Dickens/Gormenghast/Royston Veysey) she builds one's suspicions, slowly but firmly, that all is not as it seems.
Very hard to say more without giving away the plot - a great piece of writing, not too long and very satisfying.
55 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The doleful, English, mill town of Fetherhoughton is the stage for this short, delightful novel, FLUDD, by Hilary Mantel. There are four principal players. Father Angwin, pastor of the Roman Catholic church of St. Thomas Aquinas, has lost his belief in God's existence, but determinedly continues to serve his flock while suffering the oversight of his idiot diocesan bishop. Miss Dempsey, his spinster housekeeper, lives in terror of a small wart above her upper lip, thinking it a portent of cancer. Sister Philomena, a nun teaching in the parish school, is an Irish girl forced by her family into the convent, where she endures the petty tyranny of its Mother Superior. Then there's FLUDD, a curate ostensibly sent by the obnoxious bishop to help Angwin modernize his pastoral approach. Or is he? Once Fludd is in residence, people begin to, um, transform.
The engaging aspect of this story is that the reader never understands the nature of the being called Fludd, a mystery also grazing Angwin's perception during his first meal with Fludd, when the former observed:
"Whenever (he) looked up at (Fludd), it seemed that his whiskey glass was raised to his lips, but the level of what was in it did not seem to go down; and yet from time to time the young man reached out for the bottle, and topped himself up. It had been the same with their late dinner, there were three sausages on Father Fludd's plate, and he was always cutting into one or other, and spearing a bit on his fork; he was always chewing in an unobtrusive, polite way, with his mouth shut tight. And yet there were always three sausages on his plate, until at last, quite suddenly, there were none."
Is Fludd a man, or something else. He can tell fortunes by looking at the palm of one's hand. He alludes to having once been the practitioner of another profession that sounds a lot like alchemy. Odd talents for a Catholic priest. In any case, by the satisfying end of the tale, you, the reader, is left to decide for yourself - if you can.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Loobiloo
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the second book by Hilary Mantel that I have read, the first being Beyond Black. As before, I was drawn to the book not only because of the author but because of the subject matter - Mantel conveys a fascination for spiritualism in it's widest sense, a personal knowledge of Catholic traditions, and an ability to reveal underlying indosyncrasies that often go unseen. I particularly enjoyed the colourful descriptions of the town of Fetherhoughton in the first quarter of this book, which I recognised as being not too far from my own hometown. In fact, Mantel was raised in Hadfield in the North of England and based the book amongst the familiar cotton mills of the 1950s. Mantel's gentle humour pokes fun at the town's inhabitants, a dark place filled with secrets that lies in the shadows of the mill chimneys. But Fetherhoughton is far from being bleak despite the often dismal weather and local moors, as demonstrated when a mysterious cleric arrives at the door of the local clergy. What ensues is an eventual strengthening of local resolve and the reader cannot help but warm to the many characters portrayed.
I loved this book and felt at home there. The interview with Mantel at the end, in which she describes the real-life events that led to the book's conception, is well worth reading too. And while the humour in the main is soft and flowing, there are two or three laugh-out-loud moments. Wonderful and highly recommended!
I loved this book and felt at home there. The interview with Mantel at the end, in which she describes the real-life events that led to the book's conception, is well worth reading too. And while the humour in the main is soft and flowing, there are two or three laugh-out-loud moments. Wonderful and highly recommended!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
History at its best
History at its best another book recommended by a friend Mantel obviously does her research and paints a brilliant word picture
Published 7 days ago by Wendy Robins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
A thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking novel.. Havnt finished it yet but and enjoying the wry humour and gentle prods at community behaviour, the church, the North...
Published 21 days ago by harlandjones@onetel.net.uk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb storytelling
Atmospheric and beguiling, another gem from the pen of Ms Mantel, So different in style and design from Wolf Hall and Bring up the bodies, but every bit as brilliant, without doubt... Read more
Published 22 days ago by N.B.Woodhall
2.0 out of 5 stars
Fludd by Hilary Mantel
Quite disappointing,bit of a non-story. No grand finale or even a satisfactory ending-just sort of fizzled out. Read more
Published 29 days ago by helen coulthard
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not my kind of humour
Some people have told me how wonderful this book is but I didn't find it very funny and gave up on it. Probably just my taste.
Published 1 month ago by Suchea
4.0 out of 5 stars
Clever Satirical Fantasy
This is a clever satire on a Catholic parish in deepest Pennine country, in the 1950's. It is also a wonderfully funny fantasy, where everyone gets either what they wish for or... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mama T
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very different
Very different to Wolf Hall etc but just as well written and very enjoyable, couldn't put it down, would definitely recommend it
Published 3 months ago by bookworm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable enough
A read which will keep you interested, but has not the refined humour and wit of Wolf Hall. I will be intrigued enough to read this story again; but it is very much a departure... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Shelly Bowers
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quirky
This was my first Hilary Mantel read, I found it good enough to want to explore more of her books. It has an unusual topic/theme, which is thought provoking without being stuffy. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Suzanne Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting read
I'd heard a lot about the author so decided to try one of her novels. I found her descriptive prose very good, character desciptions were very observant with lots of detail. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ceebee
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