Undermajordomo Minor - Softcover

DeWitt, Patrick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062281224 ISBN 13: 9780062281227

Publisher: Ecco Press, 2016

Synopsis

Friendless and loveless, young and aimless, Lucien (Lucy) Minor is the resident odd duck in his bucolic hamlet of Bury, a weakling and compulsive liar in a town famous for producing brutish giants. When Lucy finds employment--as Undermajordomo, assisting the Majordomo of a remote, foreboding castle--he soon discovers the place harbors many dark secrets, not least of which is the whereabouts of the castle's master, Baron Von Aux. Along the way, he encounters thieves, madmen, aristocrats, and Klara, a delicate beauty for whose love he must compete. Thus begins a tale of theft, heartbreak, mystery, and cold-blooded murder in which every aspect of humanity is laid bare for our hero to observe. Undermajordomo Minor is an adventure story, a fable without a moral, an ink-black comedy of manners, and a love story--and Lucy must be careful, for love is a violent thing.

About this title

Review:

"Undermajordomo Minor wears a fairytale cloak, but at its wondrous and fantastical heart lies an unexpectedly moving story about love, home, and the difficulty of finding one's place in the world. Elegant, beautifully strange, and utterly superb."--Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven

"Patrick deWitt has an untrammelled and utterly original imagination. I cannot think of anyone else who could pull off so beautifully this controlled explosion of drollery, mischief, sly fun and tenderness."--Neel Mukherjee, author of The Lives of Others

"Undermajordomo Minor is brutal, brilliant, sly, absurd, and poignant. It's both gripping tale and hilarious subversion. Once again Patrick deWitt proves his wild, original talent, generous wit, and exquisite control."--Sam Lipsyte, author of The Ask

"Patrick deWitt novels don't sneak up on you; they're the kind you love instantly. His latest...is no exception. From the moment you tumble into its strange world, there is no other world... [A] fairy tale, although one with plenty of room inside for thoroughly modern, adult complications."--BookPage

"[A] well thought through modern take on folkloric storytelling.... The tale shifts, subtly, from Tolkien to Stoker with a dash of Conan Doyle, but with plenty of humorous touches... DeWitt's yarn is playful and pleasing... Smart entertainment that blends lighthearted moments with more thoughtful reckonings of the human condition."--Kirkus Reviews

"[A] deliciously off-kilter coming-of-age story... a detached levity dances through every moment....Alongside the humor lies a wry wisdom about the hidden strengths of the perpetual outsider. Take special note of this delightful, wickedly sharp gem."--Shelf Awareness

"[A] charming vision of a Never-Never Land for adults. It's an entertaining read, complete with its own implication that distraction from the mundane travails of life is sometimes exactly what one needs."--Dallas Morning News

"Compulsively readable sentences, oscillating between the prosaic and the lyrical, the modern and the arcane..."--San Francisco Chronicle

"[In Undermajordomo Minor], geography and era are purposely abstracted. Where we are, when we are, or why we're there are all afterthoughts. What matters is Mr. deWitt's imagination, which is a forceful train that ignores the usual tracks."--New York Times

"A deliciously off-kilter coming-of-age story...Take special note of this delightful, wickedly sharp gem"--Shelf Awareness

From the Back Cover:

From the bestselling, Man Booker-short-listed author of The Sisters Brothers comes a brilliant and boisterous novel that reimagines the folk tale

A love story, an adventure story, a fable without a moral, and an ink-black comedy of manners, Undermajordomo Minor is Patrick deWitt's long-awaited follow-up to the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed novel The Sisters Brothers.

Lucien (Lucy) Minor is the resident odd duck in the bucolic hamlet of Bury. Friendless and loveless, young and aimless, Lucy is a compulsive liar, a sickly weakling in a town famous for producing brutish giants. Then Lucy accepts employment assisting the Majordomo of the remote, foreboding Castle Von Aux.

While tending to his new post as Undermajordomo, Lucy soon discovers the place harbors many dark secrets, not least of which being the whereabouts of the castle's master, Baron Von Aux. He also encounters the colorful people of the local village--thieves, madmen, aristocrats, and Klara, a delicate beauty for whose love he must compete with the exceptionally handsome soldier Adolphus. Thus begins a tale of polite theft, bitter heartbreak, domestic mystery, and cold-blooded murder in which every aspect of humanity is laid bare for our hero to observe.

Undermajordomo Minor is an adventure, a mystery, and a searing portrayal of rural Alpine bad behavior, but above all it is a love story--and Lucy must be careful, for love is a violent thing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0062281224
• ISBN 13: 9780062281227
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336