Dissolution
by C.J. Sansom
List Price: $14.00
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0142004308
Publisher: Penguin
C. J. Sansom earned a Ph.D. in history and was a lawyer before becoming a full-time writer.
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Q: What inspired the creation of Matthew Shardlake? Why did you afflict him with this particular physical deformity?
CJS: I wanted to write a novel about the dissolution of the monasteries, a very dramatic episode in English history whose dramatic potential I thought had never been fully exposed-perhaps because of the complexities of theology and politics that were involved. To interpret the time to modern readers, I needed a protagonist who was "apart" from his time-through intellectual rigor and honesty, but also in more subtle ways. Or at least I think that was what was going on in my subconscious, because Shardlake and Mark riding through bad weather together was a picture that appeared in my head fully formed one day. I don't know why I gave him the hunchback, perhaps it symbolizes the weight he carries as a person of integrity in that grim time.
Q: Considering the large, if confined, cast of characters and the intricate plot twists, how did you keep the narrative on course? Discuss your method of writing such a novel. Did you have an outline? Were you aware of the outcome from the beginning?
CJS: I believe very strongly in writing to a tight structure, especially in a thriller-though I know not all thriller writers do that. My background as a lawyer has something to do with my schematic approach, I'm sure. I wrote Chapter One, then did an overall "structure plan" that changed and developed as I went on, reviewing what is revealed to whom at what stage. But I don't put the novel in a straitjacket-characters have to have room to develop. For example, I originally intended the abbot to be the murderer, then realized he wouldn't have had the stomach for murder, but the bursar would. But I had the idea of a female killer, and the notion that Mark would betray Shardlake, from the start.
Q: How did you make the transition from lawyer to writer? Do the two careers require types of logical thinking that compliment each other?
CJS: I had always wanted to write novels, but not coming from a wealthy background I needed to work for a living and had little energy to write at the end of a busy day-a common story I know! In 2000 I decided to take a year off and have a real go at writing a novel, and the rest is history, or at least historical novels. As I said above, I think the habit of organizing large bodies of complex material, always with presentation as a factor, which I had for years as a solicitor working in civil litigation, has influenced my way of working. And my first incarnation, as a history student at university helped with the research!
Q: Why did you choose to write about this particular time in England? Do you think it is the most important era of English history, a time that lends itself particularly well to drama, or a combination of these things?
CJS: I think the sixteenth century is a fascinating period in British and European history-the intellectual framework of medieval Europe was torn apart and the modern world began. I wouldn't say it was the "most important" period of English history-the Industrial Revolution shaped modern life far more. And I am interested in other periods, having just finished a novel set around the Spanish Civil War.
Q: No. I didn't think someone as young and emotional as Alice could ever be interested in Shardlake, and I see him as the sort of detective, like Inspector Morse, who doesn't have a lot of success with the ladies-I don't mean because of his hump, which would not have been that uncommon in England then-more his lack of self-esteem. But he does have a serious, reciprocated romantic interest in the sequel, though I won't say whether or not it ends happily . . .
CJS: No. I didn't think someone as young and emotional as Alice could ever be interested in Shardlake, and I see him as the sort of detective, like Inspector Morse, who doesn't have a lot of success with the ladies-I don't mean because of his hump, which would not have been that uncommon in England then-more his lack of self-esteem. But he does have a serious, reciprocated romantic interest in the sequel, though I won't say whether or not it ends happily . . .
Q: What aspect of Shardlake's personality do you empathize with the most? Do you imbue your characters with parts of yourself? If so, is this a phenomenon that, as a writer, you don't notice till the novel is completed?
CJS: I think most major characters are either parts of oneself or parts of people that have made an impact on you, for good or ill. Beyond that, I don't know, because I find that mostly my major characters are formed subconsciously, and often take on a life of their own on the page and move away from what was planned-like the abbot, mentioned above.
Q: Which part of Dissolution was the most time consuming: the writing or the research?
CJS: The research took about two to three months-I was lucky because I knew the period well and needed only to research the dissolution. Writing was odd-the first half took six months. Then, after a crisis of confidence, I decided to just bash on and finish and I did the second half in six weeks. I don't think it suffered, which is odd. The revision is what takes a lot of time and is the least enjoyable part, but it has to be done and knocked into the best shape possible for the readers!
Q: Other than Matthew Shardlake, Brother Guy stood out as an individual with a fascinating past. Is it possible that he will reappear in another novel?
CJS: It is. He does. He is the only character from Dissolution, apart from Shardlake and Cromwell, to appear in the sequel, Dark Fire.
Q: From which authors have you learned the most about writing?
CJS: I have always had very catholic tastes. John le Carré, P. D. James, Ruth Rendell, and John Steinbeck spring to mind.
Q: Do you have further plans for Shardlake? If so, what are they?
CJS: The sequel, Dark Fire, finds him once again reluctantly involved in a mission for Cromwell. It is set entirely in London, in 1540, three years later. I will shortly be starting research for a third Shardlake novel, set during Henry VIII's royal progress to York in 1541.
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Excerpted from Dissolution © Copyright 2009 by C.J. Sansom. Reprinted with permission by Penguin. All rights reserved.
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