Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories
Audiobook4 hours

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories

Written by Hilary Mantel

Narrated by Jane Carr

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

One of the most accomplished, acclaimed, and garlanded writers, Hilary Mantel delivers a brilliant collection of contemporary stories

In The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Mantel's trademark gifts of penetrating characterization, unsparing eye, and rascally intelligence are once again fully on display.

Stories of dislocation and family fracture, of whimsical infidelities and sudden deaths with sinister causes, brilliantly unsettle the reader in that unmistakably Mantel way.

Cutting to the core of human experience, Mantel brutally and acutely writes about marriage, class, family, and sex. Unpredictable, diverse, and sometimes shocking, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher displays a magnificent writer at the peak of her powers.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 30, 2014
ISBN9781427251718
Author

Hilary Mantel

HILARY MANTEL was the author of the bestselling novel Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, which both won the Booker Prize. The final novel of the Wolf Hall trilogy, The Mirror & the Light, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and won world-wide critical acclaim. Mantel wrote seventeen celebrated books, including the memoir Giving Up the Ghost, and she was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the Walter Scott Prize, the Costa Book Award, the Hawthornden Prize, and many other accolades. In 2014, Mantel was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She died at age seventy in 2022.

Related to The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher

Related audiobooks

Short Stories For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher

Rating: 3.7857142857142856 out of 5 stars
4/5

56 ratings45 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There is a good variety of stories presented in this short book. They are so original and so creative; they are a joy to contemplate. Finally, an author has provided something to read that is not the same-old, same-old variation of a tired idea, not something that feels like it has been hastily written to meet a deadline or written simply for television or a future movie. Each story is unique and different in its development of some common themes.One story tackles a clash of cultures in a Middle Eastern country, another challenges the behavior of children and possibly even how the sins of some are visited upon them as adults, another tale intimates that there are alternate lifestyles, others insinuate the existence of magic or the supernatural, another exposes infidelity as its theme, still another offers up how disabilities are actually viewed differently in the eyes of each beholder, and the final piece exposes the radical effects of political conflicts in a story about “The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher”. Each story explores the psychology behind the behavior of the characters. The idea that “what goes around comes around” kept returning to me as I read. In one instance it involved a $20 tip, in another, the love of a child, and in a third, the allusion to one’s attachment to a pet.Each of the stories is told in its own individual style, and the voice of this author, blends wit, mystery, and the enigmatic, to build up just the right amount of tension and possibility without causing the reader to have to suspend disbelief. The stories offer a concise and insightful study of the motivation behind certain behaviors which alter our lives in positive and negative ways, the emotions that control us affecting our mental and physical health, and the prejudices that color our personal perception of things. The book is excellent and each story invites stimulating discussions as each explores the intricacies of our minds with all of our strengths and defects.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm in total agreement with my friend Gayla—very few of the stories feel like anything complete or well worked out. I was trying to figure out what it is that makes an artist's sketchbook so interesting, but a writer's fragments or juvenilia or something like this just not all that appealing. I guess it's just more of a case of visual art being iterative, but text-based arts—writing, drama, film—are really about the finished product, and it's not really all that much fun to look at an entire collection of out-takes. There were a few good pieces—the title story was well done, and the first one in the galley, "Sorry to Disturb." "Comma" wasn't bad, although it kind of suffered from New Yorker-story syndrome, almost all interior and I'm not sure that's enough to carry it. And I do love her writing, so precise. But otherwise, eh... it's a sketchbook.Also, U.S. audiences who aren't familiar with the legend of Elizabeth Bathory, which is much more well-known in the UK, are going to miss the entire point of one of the stories (not going to say which one because that would amount to a spoiler).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received an advance copy of this book from Librarything in exchange for an honest review. This book is unlike the other two books I have read by this author, "Wolf Hall" and "Bringing up the Bodies". This book is a collection of short stories, all beautifully written. Ms. Mantel has a complete command of the English language and her talent shines through on every page. Today I finished reading "How Shall I know you?". As with all the other stories, this one had my attention from the start. It was the story of a writer in the 1990's, traveling in England speaking to book groups. If I told you the story, it would seem bland and uneventful, but in the hands of this master storyteller, I could not put it down. It was part dream, part nightmare, and ended with a feeling that opportunities come along more frequently than we realize, to make a difference in a less fortunate person's life, but we often let that opportunity pass us by. Hopefully the book tour the protagonist embarked upon was an aberration from the norm.I highly recommend this book to anyone who can discern brilliantly written short stories that make you stop and think.If I had the writing talent of Ms. Mantel, I would continue on, but to sum it up, if you get the chance to read this book, do so ASAP.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hilary Mantel is a masterful story-teller. This collection of short stories is fun, strange, whimsical, and other-wordly. Some of the stories contain marvelous twists which turn the story you thought you were reading on its head. Other stories contain ironies or revelations which create a curious sense of recognition. All of them contain unexpected insights. Mantel’s writing is crisp, and her descriptions fresh and quote worthy. A truly marvelous collection.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My only acquaintance with Hilary Mantel until now has been via her two wonderful, Booker-winning books, "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies." While waiting for the final volume in the Cromwell trilogy, why not dip into her un-Tudor oeuvre and see what else she can do? The ten stories in "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher" present a good opportunity. Most were written and published over the last five years, one back in the '90s. The title story is the most recent and was embargoed before publication date and therefore omitted from the ARC. Thankfully, "The New York Times Book Review" printed the story in its entirety so we early readers got the full Mantel.And it turns out she can do quite a lot, especially in the longer stories, several of which leave a lasting impression, often of unease and foreboding. In the opening story, "Sorry to Disturb," which seems clearly autobiographical, an ex-pat woman chafing against the constraints of her life in Saudi Arabia opens her door to a Pakistani man in distress and becomes subject to his increasingly intrusive attentions as we wonder what is real. The story ends with one of Mantel's signature uses of language that startles and delights:“I can never be certain that doors will stay closed and on their hinges, and I do not know, when I turn out the lights at night, whether the house is quiet as I left it or the furniture is frolicking in the dark.”Frolicking furniture? Really? Jarring but perfect. "Comma" is perhaps my favorite in this collection, beautifully evoking a hot summer and two mis-matched children frightened and exhilarated by what they might see spying on a neighbor. "How Shall I Know You?" is a creepily comic tale of an author's dutiful trekking to book clubs in the hinterlands. And in the marvelous title story, a woman contributes commentary on the petty and political failings of the prime minister her uninvited guest is preparing to assassinate. Mantel's stories are dark, funny, surprising, insightful and beautifully crafted. What more would I want?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received this from early reviewers. Hilary Mantel's skill with language and in painting a picture is superb. I thoroughly enjoyed every word. Reading her modern short stories has strengthened my resolve to read the Cromwell series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This short story collection offers a look at a different side of this author. Distinctive in their outlook, Mantel offers a look at life's vagaries with all of its twists and turns.Each story offers something different and displays the author's range of imagination. Though I usually spend my time with novels, this short story collection provided a couple of hours of tantalizing reading.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Nine stories about present-day British people, none of which are endearing because of their characters but are readable because of Mantel's brilliant writing. Perhaps they lose something in translation to an American culture. I only wish Mantel had a more generous opinion of her fellow creatures.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hilary Mantel could even make the reading of Old Testament genealogies an un-put-downable pleasure. The short story is not my favourite read, but every one of these is a gem.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very good collection, although the weakest was the title story, where the characters and the plot lacked depth.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A beautifully written and thought-provoking collection of tales. The wording throughout is tight and evokes a detailed world of complex reality. Often humorous, always fascinating. I loved it minutely.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    There is an interesting mix of short stories in this collection. I personally found "The Heart Fails without Warning" and "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: August 6th 1983" to be the most compelling.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Each story is complete and leaves nothing wanting. I loved the whimsy of The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Can't see what all the fuss was about. She should have been knighted for it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Contemporary short stories brilliantly written by Hilary Mantel.Subjects ranging from childhood stories to adultery to crime, this is a fascinating book. The style of writing reminiscent of Beyond Black.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A solidly unsentimental collection full of insight and dark humour. I was particularly impressed by the new story added for this paperback edition, The School of English, which is a devastating inditement of the injustices of London society from the perspective of a downtrodden and defenceless Filipina maidservant. That this is placed immediately before the title story adds weight to Mantel's less than complementary views on the Thatcher legacy. Not a long book, and very different to the historical novels, but well worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hilary Mantel wrote 2 great books about Thomas Cromwell that won the Booker Prizes and were excellent. I read them both and rated them very highly. This book consists of short stories some of which were previously published. Overall I enjoyed the stories. The writing is excellent but the subject matter didn't totally engage me. However, I thought the entire book was worth the last story which is the Title story. Very creative and very good. Had the whole book been at this level it would have been a 5. I do think that although an interesting work, this book is no where close to level of her Cromwell books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Mantel, eerily observant and wickedly funny, is a strange combination of self-conscious fear and lashing wit. Faced with her precision, I am reduced to the inarticulate: a laugh, a sigh, a whispered outbreath, G’ol.

    Sometimes she uses just a word, an adjective or a verb, that brings a smile, a wince, a world to life: “At six, the steeple-headed Saleem had lost his baby fat, and his movements were tentative, as if his limbs were snappable.”

    The story “How Shall I Know You?” speaks directly to my fears. An author is persuaded to speak to a book group outside of London and it is a loathsome destination: her lodging “was not precisely as the photograph had suggested. Set back from the road, it seemed to grow out of a parking lot, a jumble of vehicles double-parked and crowding to the edge of the sidewalk.” The smell of the place had a “travelers’ stench…tar of ten thousand cigarettes, fat of ten thousand breakfasts, the leaking metal seep of a thousand saving cuts” recalling her struggle with a biography about a man who accidentally cut his throat while shaving. The author recalls an earlier, presumably more luxurious accommodation: ”In Madrid, by contrast, my publishers had put me in a hotel suite that consisted of four small dark paneled rooms. They had sent me an opulent, unwieldy, scented bouquet, great wheels of flowers with woody stems. The concierge brought me heavy vases of a grayish glass, slippery in my hands, and I edged them freighted with blooms onto every polished surface; I stumbled from room to room, coffinned against the brown paneling, forlorn, strange, under a pall of pollen, like a person trying to break out of her own funeral.” The story speaks to my fears because I am struck with terror when someone suggests actually meeting an author, or asking them a question. Haven't they already told us what they wanted to say? What on earth could I possibly ask? Good lord, and what, wither under that funny, devastating, vampiric wit, that x-ray vision?

    This is a slim collection, beautifully printed with vast spacing and acres of white. There is room for your mind to wander to what she might have said but did not. Mantel uses words in a way that has no precedent. Her vision is unique. She doesn’t need as many words as others often do to convey her devilish vision. You would have thought, if you’d tried to read her award-winning novels about Thomas Cromwell, that she could not write only a little, but you’d be wrong. She can, and she does, here. These are perfect little gems that speak to her (and our) deepest fears, the deepest held secrets of the heart.


  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: is a nice collection of ten Hillary Mantel short stories. Two or three of the stories provide an unexpected, last-minute punch that managed to catch me by surprise after I had been lulled into thinking that I was reading little more than a well done character study of one or two characters. But, rather surprisingly, especially considering the controversy in the U.K. about the collection's title story, "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher," that story is not one of the best or most affecting ones in the book. It is, in fact, rather predictable and is one of my least favorites.Hillary Mantel is not known for her short work, so most readers will be unfamiliar with her short story style, but what she shows with publication of this collection is that she should spend more time writing stories of this length. She is very good at it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Sorry To Disturb: **** Reminded me a lot of one of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads - Bed among the lentils. Felt like a real experience of a real woman and a glimpse of another world. Tells so much by what is left out.
    Comma: *** and a half. Pretty disturbing.
    The Long QT: **
    Winter Break: ***
    Harley Street: ** Didn't work for me.
    Offences Against the Person: ***
    How Shall I Know You: ***
    The Heart Fails Without Warning: **** Very sad.
    Terminus: ***
    The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: ***** Brilliant short story. Every page twisting away from expectations and stereotypes, but every word persuading us as soon as it happens.

    I started slowly but then read most of the stories end to end - and they came across as pretty disturbing. Shall re-read a few.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    In the reverse of the reviewer below, I am a great fan of Hilary Mantel but do not like short stories. I thought I might like this book of stories by one of my favourite writers but unfortunately although the writing was marvellous I could not get enjoyment from them. To me she does a wonderful job of building the suspense only to have the story finish abruptly with no questions answered. I found the last story from which the book gets its title to be only half a story, one which the reader must complete oneself and therefore quite unsatisfactory. And incidentally the idea of giving the book its title from this story creates a very false impression of what the book is about, this to me is "a big con"
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Short stories, realistic fiction.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5

    This is my first Mantel. I’ve been postponing reading the first two volumes of the Cromwell trilogy, waiting for the third volume to come out predictably in 2016. One does not tackle a twice-awarded-writer-with-the-Man-Booker-Prize without having everything in one big bundle to make a proper assessment...Nevertheless here goes my first take on Hilary Mantel, for what it’s worth.

    One of my favourite things in life is reading that truly astounding book at the right juncture in time, ie, a book that mysteriously echoes and enriches my current thoughts. I think this was one of those (imperfect/perfect) books. There is a peculiar comfort in reading a book whose structures and operations mimic what, I think, literature should be all about. One of the things I like the most about literature is to read it and later on write about it. Literature for me is all about a set of interlocking conventions (a system), and how we can read this so-called system into something meaningful.

    You can find the rest of this review on my blog.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In order to feed my craving for more of Hilary Mantel, author of two Booker Prize winning novels of the court of Henry VIII, I picked up a copy of the recently published collection of stories, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. I have about another year until the third and final volume in the trilogy of Henry, Thomas Cromwell, and the rest of the Tudors of what I consider one of the most interesting dynasties in history. So these ten stories will have to tide me over until then.Mantel exercises all of her literary power in this collection. Only one story – about a 17 year-old-girl with anorexia – disturbed me right out of my enjoyment. The other nine however, are serious, astute, and pleasurable reads.The first item, “Sorry to Disturb,” tells a tale of a husband, who never speaks to his wife. She is affected by an oppressive culture, and her husband’s silence only adds to her misery. The next, “Comma” is a rather peculiar story of two children – both from average middle class families. Kitty is precocious and Mary developmentally challenged. Mary transfers to another school, and and loses touch with Kitty. They bump into each other on the street years later.In “The Long QT,” Jody catches her husband kissing Lorraine, and a surprising result occurs. The next, “Winter Break,” involves a couple on a pre-paid vacation, who jump in the first available taxi, and are off for a bumpy ride. Bettina works as receptionist in a medical building. She tries to befriend a peculiar, lonely woman, but that plan backfires in “Harley Street.” In “Offenses against the Person,” a teen discovers her father’s affair with a co-worker.One of the most interesting stories is “How Shall I Know You?” The narrator is on a book tour, and must put up with grungy hotels, terrible food, and an unending series of dull and clichéd questions. I sense a bit of biography her from Mantel. “Terminus is a creepy story about a woman who sees her dead relatives on a train.That brings us to the Title story, “The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: August 6th 1983.” A woman expects a boiler repairman for her home near No. 10 Downing Street. When the bell rings, she admits him. He turns out to be an assassin, who takes over her house. A rather thrilling story to end the collection.I always enjoy English writers for what they add to my vocabulary. Hilary Mantel’s collection of short stories, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher 12 intelligent, interesting, and a worthy read. I don’t “mind the gap” in the Tudor Trilogy as much as I might with these great stories. 5 stars.--Jim, 10/23/14
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was my first time reading Ms. Mantel and I would not be hesitant to pick up other works by her. The stories have a quiet way of painting realistic pictures of life that is both unnerving and poignant. I found the strongest stories to be "The Heart Fails Without Warning" and "Offenses Against the Person". Both straightforward stories, one about a family facing a daughter with an eating disorder and the other about a daughter coping with her father's infidelity, are both humorous and sad, what life truly is. The collection is made up of simple stories that stay with you once you finish the last page.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    It didn't let me finish! Skipped last chapter! Why doesn't it let rewind?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received my copy of this short story collection for Early Reviewers. My copy did not include the title story. I'm impressed with Mantel's facility with this form. She captures moments of human experience with unblinking clarity; her voice is compassionate but not the least bit sentimental. "Sorry to Disturb" does just that. it's about the uncomfortable encounter of living in a culture that is so alien that one is "tilted from the vertical and condemned [forever] to see life skewed" page 35. "Comma" is a perfect short story. Narrator Kitty and her childhood companion, Mary Joplin, are substantive and vivid. This story about childhood curiosity and expanding worldliness, but with exact naïveté, is oddly moving and vaguely ironic. Very satisfying. "The Long QT" is a wonderful very short piece. Irony at its humorous best. The super-short "Winter Break" toys with the reader, lulling one into a side street of narrative. "Call no man happy until he has gone down into his grave in peace. Or at least to his junior suite; and can rub out today and wake tomorrow hungry." Cynical, yes? "Harley Street" is a funny commentary on the human condition, on the need for belonging. Loved it. "Offenses Against the Person" is a bit more layered, more opaque. Quite good, after some thought. The narrator of "How Shall I Know You?" is palpably real. A less than fully sympathetic author of fiction, now foraying into biography, she tells us of one dreary evening spent providing a reading and signing for a Book Group. In 32 pages, Mantel interestingly explores the dynamics of surface appearances and idealization. Mantel is a master of simple moments and truths that give her characters depth and texture: "In those days I didn't know there was something wrong with my heart. I only found it out this year." With this passage, the narrator's full life becomes figure, providing ground for the 24 hours of the story. Mantel also calls out her own "syntactical oddity," which is of course her signature talent. Her description of a developing migraine is poetry. How weird is that? A heartbreaking portrait of anorexia and the ambivalence of sibling (family?) relations, "The Heart Fails Without Warning" is perhaps a bit overdone. "It's not generally agreed, it's not much appreciated, that people are divided by all sorts of things, and that, frankly, death is the least of them." "Terminus" is an ironic ontological contemplation. This is an interesting and affecting collection of short stories. Definitely recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When this book was published, I initially resented anything that was keeping Hilary Mantel from publishing her third novel about Thomas Cromwell. But I finally gave in and read this collection of eleven short stories, and found that this form, too, is something Mantel does very well. Dark, startling and unsettling, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher includes several gems.In the opening story, Sorry to Disturb, a British woman living in Saudi Arabia is visited by a Pakistani man. His repeated visits become a problem, and she and can't get rid of him. Mantel spent several years in Saudi Arabia herself, and clearly drew on the experience for the themes in this story.In The Long QT, a woman hosting a party discovers her husband embracing another woman. Told from the husband's point of view, Mantel quickly portrays the hostess as just a little bit OCD, and not fully present with her guests:Picking up glasses, she would push through groups of her own guests, guests who were laughing and passing mobile phones to each other, guests who were, for Christ’s sake, trying to relax and enjoy the evening. People would oblige her by knocking back what was in their glass and handing it over. If not she would say, “Excuse me, have you finished with that?” Sometimes they made little stacks of tumblers for her, helpfully, and said, “Here you go, Jodie.” They smiled at her indulgently, knowing they were helping her out with her hobby. In How Shall I Know You?, the reader is part of an author's inner monologue when she appears at book events. I loved this bit about making commitments: When the day came, I wondered why I’d agreed to it; but yes is easier than no, and of course when you make a promise you think the time will never arrive: that there will be a nuclear holocaust, or something else diverting. Winter Break is the most vivid and disturbing story in the collection. A couple on holiday travels by taxi to their resort. An incident occurs en route, and the couple remains in the car while the driver handles the situation. A surprising dark ending revealed what really happened, and sent shivers down my spine.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow. These stories come from an amazing, imaginative mind. Some are shocking, many with unexpected endings. Fortunately, the title story appeared in full in this week's New York Times Book Review. A few of these troubling stories will stay with me for a long time.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I dislike reviewers who, when reviewing an advance copy of a book, take the opportunity to point out errors and issues that obviously relate to the fact that it is, indeed, an advance copy. Every advance copy comes with the warning that it is not the final proof. The intent is to get it in the hands of reviewers so word of mouth can start for the book in time for its release. Now, if the official version of the book has issues – issues to the point that they drive to distraction – then such is appropriate fodder for a review. But don't hammer an advance copy for being an advance copy.I bring this up because I am about to violate my own rule. But I have good cause (doesn't everyone claim to have good cause?) You see, I was immediately taken aback when the short story collection titled The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher did not include that short story. The note on the front of the book states "Title story embargoed until on-sale date", which raised many unanswered questions. In fact, those six words are almost a story in themselves. Unfortunately, that six-word story is better than any of the ones in this collection. And that is the reason I bring up the missing story. I cannot believe that it would be so good, so awe-inspiring, so revelatory, such a classic, that it could save this collection.The stories that have been included are flat, inconsequential, and do nothing to move the reader. They are populated by people who are unlikable – but not unlikable enough to be remembered. Things happen to them. And they react, or they don't. And they are people whose problems seem far less than important.The stories go nowhere. They are pointless happenings that don't even contain the pretense of having a point. They are slices of life that have no life.And throughout I kept wondering why I was even bothering.For me, one test regarding the quality of a short story collection is whether, after a short passage of time, I can remember the stories. The good news is that I remembered most of the ones in this collection. The bad news is that I remembered them with distaste.How good is the short story "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher"? I will probably never know because there is nothing in this collection that will make me seek it out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am indeed a Hilary Mantel fan (am awaiting third in her "Wolf Hall" trilogy), so was happy to receive this collection of her short stories via LT's Early Reviewer program. I was NOT disappointed! The character development was both quick and complete, the stories read very visually, and each of the tales was gripping and pulled reader in. Some of them were disturbing, but the characters, and what they were experiencing felt realistic. I am waiting to receive the published book so I can read the title story, which was not released in advance (the title story as well as last story in the early edition reviewed were only ones not previously released/published). Give these short stories a try!