Undermajordomo Minor

Dave bought a copy of Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick DeWitt as we both enjoyed his previous novels, The Sisters Brothers and Ablutions. I got to 'borrow' it through Amazon's Household Sharing setting for Kindle ebooks. All three of DeWitt's novels are very different and Undermajordomo Minor is almost a fairytale in its style. The story centres around teenager Lucien Minor, who is known as Lucy, as he starts in his new job as a man-of-all-work at a distant castle. I am not sure exactly when or where Undermajordomo Minor is meant to be set and it doesn't really matter. Lucy travels by train, but other elements of DeWitt's world could be medieval Grimm. The castle has the same kind of fairytale timelessness. Its weirdness and the proximity of a nearby village frequently reminded me of the wonderful Gormenghast novels although Mervyn Peake wasn't named amongst other authors in an afterword.

There are some intriguing characters in Undermajordomo Minor. Lucy's mother at the beginning of the book is only to pleased to be rid of him and it was refreshing to read a farewell scene without any gushing emotion. Lucy's attempts to impress his ex-flame Marina are fun, and I thought the thief Memel was one of the most interesting creations. The mad Baron is simply bizarre. None of the portrayals I thought were particularly deep, but this is in keeping with the novel's style, and there are some fascinating descriptive passages which really brought scenes to life. I found it easy to envisage scenes such as the train carriage, the castle interiors, the glorious banquet and the Very Deep Hole. I didn't think Undermajordomo was quite in the same league as DeWitt's previous books, but it is still a very enjoyable read.

For years I have been randomly shouting to anyone who comes near me that genre fiction is the new literary fiction. One of the books I often mention to defend that assertion is Patrick deWitt's Western novel, The Sisters Brothers. That book is a perfect example of the brilliance that occurs when literary talent combines the with plot-driven adventure of a genre story. So when I got that monthly Goodreads email about new books by author's I've read and saw deWitt's latest, Undermajordomo Minor, on the September release list, I new I would get and read the book as soon as it came out. Undermajordomo Minor is not a genre novel like The Sisters Brothers, but it's not the plotless "character-driven" literary fiction that I have grown to find so tiresome either. It's a book that reminds me of the works of P.G. Wodehouse, but where every character is Bertie Wooster. The clever dialogue drives the novel, and when things shift to a strange Bertie Wooster meets 50 Shades of Grey meets Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover vibe, deWitt's prose makes even the most disturbing scene as delectable as a summer sausage. There's also a Very Big Hole. It is well named and essential to the development of the novel's hero.

I realize that this isn't the most detailed review, but Undermajordomo Minor is a novel to be enjoyed, not explained. Lucien 'Lucy' Minor accepts a post underneath the majordomo at the estate of a nearby Baron, and it turns out that everyone is super wacky. There, now you know what the books is about. Now go read it. Savor it. It's a perfect last couple weeks of summer read.