Wolf Hall

Well, I made it through this slugfest and the experience was very much like eavesdropping on a rambling old man in the next room who expounds on everything and, every once in great while, says something mildly witty. I'm assuming that this is a highly regarded piece of literature because Mantel puts some pretty sentences together. As for the entertainment factor? I didn't find much.
Two things drove me crazy. First, a statement is made and followed by “Thomas thought” but then the OTHER character responds as if they heard him say it. Second, the bit I was most interested in, the memory theater (created by Guido Camillo)....well, not much happens there.
I also enjoyed the Cardinal for awhile and mourned his death when I realized all of the humor in this story just died with him.
I'm just hoping against hope that the 3rd book doesn't end up on the Tournament of Books list, because I have no intention of revisiting this.