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A Place of Greater Safety

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel is an epic historical novel that delves into the turbulent years of the French Revolution. It follows the intertwined lives of three key figures—Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, and Maximilien Robespierre—as they navigate the shifting political landscape, personal ambitions, and intense public fervour of the time. Mantel's rich prose brings these historical characters vividly to life, exploring their complex friendships and moral dilemmas in the face of revolutionary chaos.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by the French Revolution and enjoy richly detailed historical fiction with complex characters and political intrigue. Hilary Mantel brings the era to life with her masterful storytelling and deep insight into historical figures.

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A Place of Greater Safety

An extraordinary work of historical imagination from the double Booker Prize-winning author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, now a major TV series, this is Hilary Mantel’s epic novel of the French Revolution.

An epic work of historical fiction about the French Revolution, from the Booker Prize-winning and bestselling author of the Wolf Hall trilogy

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the double Man Booker Prize-winning author of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror & the Light, comes an extraordinary work of historical imagination. A Place of Greater Safety stands as Hilary Mantel’s epic retelling of the French Revolution, capturing the tumultuous period with searing insight and intricate detail.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of late 18th-century France, the novel centres on the lives of three key figures whose destinies intertwine amidst the political upheaval: Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximilien Robespierre, and Camille Desmoulins. As the novel opens, these young men navigate the shifting sands of pre-revolutionary Paris, each driven by a potent mix of ambition, ideals, and personal demons.

Mantel masterfully depicts the vibrant, dangerous world they inhabit, where every street corner whispers rumours of change, and the salons are rife with vehement debate about liberty, equality, and fraternity. Through their eyes, we witness the fall of the Ancien Régime and the ensuing chaos that propels France towards the peak of the Terror. The interplay of their personalities—Danton's charismatic pragmatism, Robespierre’s zealous idealism, and Desmoulins’ fervent oratory—heightens the dramatic tension as the Revolution's darker aspects start to eclipse its noble intentions, leading inevitably to the tragic downfall of its leaders.

A Place of Greater Safety is celebrated not just for its historical fidelity, but for its psychological depth and rich, evocative prose. Mantel’s meticulous research brings the past to life in vivid detail, while her narrative skill ensures that the reader is deeply invested in the personal and political stakes of her protagonists.

Critically acclaimed upon its initial publication, this novel is often hailed as one of Hilary Mantel’s finest works of fiction. It offers a penetrating exploration of revolutionary fervour, human ambition, and the sacrifices demanded by politics. As the characters grapple with their own choices and the relentless tide of history, readers are left to ponder the cost of change and the complexities of power.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Hilary Mantel immerses herself deeply in the history of the French Revolution, painting a vivid and dynamic picture of that era's energy and horror. Critics praise it as a richly idiosyncratic and well-researched fictional history, an assured masterpiece, and a superbly readable novel. The book breathes life into historical figures, situating them within a brilliantly realised family context and surrounding them with vivid, challenging women. Notable for its inventive style and dramatic tension, it is described as an extraordinary, detailed, and fast-moving tour de force.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780007250554

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 March 2007

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 56.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 610g

Pages: 880

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About the Author

Hilary Mantel was born in Derbyshire. She was educated at a convent and later studied law. After ten years abroad in Africa and the Middle East, she returned to Britain in 1985 to make a career as a writer.

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