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House of Trelawney

Shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize For Comic Fiction

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House of Trelawney

By: Hannah Rothschild
Narrated by: Elaine Claxton
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Bloomsbury presents House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild, read by Elaine Claxton.

Shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize For Comic Fiction

'If you’re in need of a Succession replacement then this tale of a crumbling English dynasty clinging on to the past while coping with the fallout of the 2008 crash is for you. Pure pleasure' – Stylist

'Delights from start to finish' Mail on Sunday
'Witty and stylish' Sunday Times
'Jilly Cooper territory with a whiff of Joanna Trollope ... a lavish saga' The Times
'Slyly comic' Red
'What you might get if you threw What a Carve Up! and Kind Hearts & Coronets into a blender together' John Boyne
The seat of the Trelawney family for over 800 years, Trelawney Castle was once the jewel of the Cornish coast. Each successive Earl spent with abandon, turning the house and grounds into a sprawling, extravagant palimpsest of wings, turrets and follies.

But recent generations have been better at spending than making money. Now living in isolated penury, unable to communicate with each other or the rest of the world, the family are running out of options. Three unexpected events will hasten their demise: the sudden appearance of a new relation, an illegitimate, headstrong, beautiful girl; an unscrupulous American hedge fund manager determined to exact revenge; and the crash of 2008.

A love story and social satire set in the parallel and seemingly unconnected worlds of the British aristocracy and high finance, House of Trelawney is also the story of lost and found friendships between three women. One of them will die; another will discover her vocation; and the third will find love.©2020 Hannah Rothschild (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Romantic Comedy Small Town & Rural Women's Fiction Comedy Witty
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Critic reviews

If you’re in need of a Succession replacement then this tale of a crumbling English dynasty clinging on to the past while coping with the fallout of the 2008 crash is for you. Rothschild is a mischievous narrator and this story is pure pleasure from the word go
Fun of this kind is irresistible
Jilly Cooper fans (and who isn’t?) will love the unashamedly upmarket settings and posh characters. A romcom to beat the winter blues: funny, sharply-observed and boho-chic glamorous
Waspish yet generous-hearted, it delights from start to finish
Rothschild … is a witty, stylish storyteller and her overall message definitely feels timely
This is Jilly Cooper territory, with a whiff of Joanna Trollope; a lavish saga about privileged people behaving badly … Rothschild is a writer of high intelligence, however, and she shakes these dear old tropes up into something more akin to John Lanchester’s blistering contemporary satire Capital … Rothschild teases out the green shoots with skill and humour … If we take House of Trelawney as a light-hearted state-of-the-nation novel, it says a lot about the dangers of dwelling on past entitlement and the importance of unsentimental realism
Curl up and lose yourself in this hugely entertaining satire of a deeply dysfunctional family of aristocrats desperate to save their crumbling Cornwall home
This slyly comic novel is a great dissection of class and privilege
A satisfying read, with plenty of good one-liners and a sly twist
The madcap nature of the story; the clichés, and clever way they are rendered, make this a thoroughly enjoyable read – or, to use the correct terminology, a jolly good show. Yet the larger issues this satire plays on are equally fascinating
Rothschild’s engaging tale House of Trelawney cleverly satirises an unconventional aristocratic clan who have run into money troubles
Wraps up a story of love and friendship in a gentle satire of entitlement … Good fun
A sparkling satire
In their crumbling Cornish castle, the impoverished and eccentric aristocratic Trelawneys live on their wits and value-pack mince. But the fallout of the 2008 financial crash brings even more change in its wake. A wryly witty and sharp social satire
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It's a good story - not the game changer as her previous book but a good read and easy listen storyline. She created some great characters and a complex storyline - would be good to have a sequal.

Good characterisation of a wealth of people

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So enjoyable, Hannah Rothschild knows her stuff. A pacy plot with well drawn characters. Recommend.

Escapism

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Hannah's first book was one of my favourites on Audible but this was very weak in comparison.

A disappointment

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I was searching for something different to my usual listen and stumbled across this book.
It was an easy listen, escapism, thoroughly enjoyable. The narration was good.

Really enjoyable

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I loved this audio book, the characters are beautifully crafted and the story keeps you guessing.

fantastic page turner

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