Undermajordomo Minor

Starred review from June 8, 2015
In his delightful and dark new novel, Booker nominee deWitt brings his amusingly off-kilter vision to a European folk tale. After nearly dying from an illness that claims his father, Lucy Minor, a bored and pompous young man, leaves his fairy tale–like hamlet of Bury to begin a new life as assistant to the majordomo at Castle Von Aux. Just getting there proves to be an adventure: Lucy is beset by thieves, learns of his predecessor’s awful fate, and is relieved of his last coin by Adolphus, an exceptionally handsome soldier fighting a war in the forest. Once at the castle, Lucy befriends the thieves who robbed him, competes with Adolphus for the love of the beguiling Klara, and attempts to restore the Baron Von Aux to sanity. Lucy’s earnest actions only create more trouble when a dinner party descends into grotesque bacchanalia, a lecherous guest loses his teeth, and Adolphus makes a final play for Klara’s heart, driving Lucy to the edge of the Very Large Hole, where he vacillates between killing himself and someone else. DeWitt (The Sisters Brothers) uses familiar tropes to lull the reader into a false sense of grounding, delivering with abundant good humor a fully realized, consistently surprising, and thoroughly amusing tale of longing, love, madness, and mirth. Agent: Peter McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media.

July 1, 2015

The latest from deWitt (The Sisters Brothers) has the feel of a folk or fairy tale but without any overt magic or fantasy elements and takes place in an unnamed (but vaguely European) place and no particular time period. Lucien "Lucy" Minor leaves his village for a domestic position in the mysterious castle of a mad baron. On his journey, he meets a pair of pickpockets, Memel and Mewe, with whom he eventually becomes friends. Lucy is soon romantically entangled with Memel's daughter, Klara, who is also being pursued by arrogant soldier Alphonse, fighting a war whose meaning or purpose is unclear. With Lucy's devil-may-care attitude and penchant for lying, he faces threats from many quarters yet always manages to escape unscathed. VERDICT This novel's cheeky tone, dry wit, and dark undercurrents call to mind William Goldman's The Princess Bride and the work of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. While the story seems to meander at times, by the end, all the pieces fit neatly into the author's carefully crafted design. Slight but recommended for the fun and whimsy of its storytelling. [See Prepub Alert, 3/9/15.]--Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015

If you liked DeWitt's The Sisters Brothers, an edgily funny remake of the classic Western that was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, you'll probably like his new work, too. Weak and hapless Lucien (Lucy) Minor feels like a shadow among his town's robust brawlers. Then he's hired as assistant to the majordomo of looming Castle Von Aux. But the castle itself is dark with secrets that soon lead to murder.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2015
"A modesty of appetite represents a paucity of heart": a sometimes bibulous, occasionally violent, well thought through modern take on folkloric storytelling. Lucien Minor isn't a hobbit, but he's fond of pipes all the same. Or at least the idea of a pipe, the object on which deWitt's (The Sisters Brothers, 2011) opening paragraphs rest and that Lucy, as he's called, hopes will become a suitable extension of his person, something that will contribute to his odd comeliness-for though sickly and pasty-faced, "there was something pretty about him, too." Lucy's prettiness and gender-hopping name has bearing on this odd tale, which has other hobbit-y aspects but, though a fairy tale for adults, not much of Tolkien's world-embracing earnestness. Lucy isn't long for the teeny town of Bury (a hobbit-y Anglo-Saxon word, that, meaning "fortified place"): unable to bear his mother's seeming conviction that, unintentionally or no, he's sent his poor dad to an early grave, 17-year-old Lucy finds employment in the castle of a certain Baron Von Aux. There the tale shifts, subtly, from Tolkien to Stoker with a dash of Conan Doyle, but with plenty of humorous touches. The Baron isn't much seen, for, as another member of the household instructs Lucy, "it'll be months before you lay eyes on the man, if you lay eyes on him." But is that really because the Baron is locked away brooding, or are more sinister forces in play? DeWitt's yarn is playful and pleasing, though decidedly minor; we've seen some of it in Brigadoon, some in The Princess Bride, some in the collected works of Douglas Adams, and it seems something of a throwaway in light of the author's proven abilities. Still, it's a sometimes-subversive and smart entertainment that blends lighthearted moments with more thoughtful reckonings of the human condition: "I have suffered through an era of unluckiness," indeed. For fans of the books of Neil Gaiman, the films of M. Night Shyamalan, and similar fabulisms.

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Starred review from September 15, 2015
Following up on the huge success of The Sisters Brothers (2011), deWitt has another askew masterpiece on his hands, this time turning his unique narrative voice onto the familiar tropes of the fairy tale. Lucien (Lucy) Minor leaves his home, by train, to accept the position of the assistant to the majordomo of Castle Von Auxaka undermajordomo. A darkly humorous adventure ensues, as Lucy leaves home as a boy and becomes a man. Throughout this journey, Lucy encounters many memorable characters, including two thieves who become his best friends and, surprisingly, his moral compass; a tall, dark, and handsome solider, who is fighting an unseen war against an unnamed enemy; and the beautiful Klara, who captures his heart but not without competition. The highly nuanced characters are king in this tale. More than a compilation of quirks, each new character adds depth to the story, opportunity for growth in Lucy, and just plain fun for readers. To keep the pace moving swiftly, deWitt breaks up the novel into several sections with tongue-in-cheek titles, such as, The Location, Apprehension, and Restoration to Normality of the Baron. Readers who love The Princess Bride or the movies of the Cohn brothers will be thrilled with this novel. DeWitt has delivered another intriguing, compelling, and thought-provoking winner that will appeal to anyone who wants to be captivated by a smart, entertaining read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)