FICTION

Undermajordomo Minor

by Patrick DeWitt
Ecco: HarperCollins. Sept. 2015. 336p. ISBN 9780062281203. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062281234. F
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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.]
Reviewed by Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis , Jul 01, 2015
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