Sunday, September 20, 2015

Undermajordomo Minor: a Novel / Patrick deWitt 317 pp.

Lucien Minor leaves his sad home in the town of Bury to serve as Undermajordomo to the Majordomo of the Castle von Aux, far away in the eastern mountains. The work is easy but the atmosphere leaves something to be desired. Ominous figures performing disgusting deeds appear in the night. Things improve for Lucy when he meets Klara, but rumors of his predecessor's disappearance into the Very Large Hole and threats from Klara's other suitor, the soldier Adolphus, keep the proceedings interesting.

This is a strange but lovely fairy tale, told in rhythmic, almost musical language. The best part was the way it sneaked up on me, morphing from a quirky little story into something moving and sweet.

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