The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

by PaulTorday (Author)

Synopsis

'You really love me don't you?' she said. 'Of course I do.' 'It's hard to tell because you never talk much. You've never really had any fun in your life at all, have you?' 'No, but that's about to change.' Late one summer evening, Wilberforce - rich, young, work-obsessed and self-contained - makes an unexpected detour on the way home from the software company he owns and unwittingly takes the first step on a journey that will change his life. His uncharacteristically impulsive act leads him to the door of Caerlyon Hall, to the vast undercroft beneath it, and the domain of Francis Black, a place where wine, hospitality and affection flow freely. Through Francis, the eccentric and enigmatic owner of Caerlyon, Wilberforce is initiated into a life he could never have imagined: a life rich in the promise of friendship and adventure, where, through his new set of friends, with their shooting parties and stately homes, the possibility of finding acceptance, and even falling in love, seems finally to be within his reach. As his horizon broadens and his heart expands, Wilberforce becomes a willing pupil to Francis's master, and in the cellars of Caerlyon he nurtures a new-found passion for fine wine. But even the finest wine can leave a bitter aftertaste, and Wilberforce will learn that the undercroft holds some unpalatable secrets, and that passion comes at a price. Chronicling the vintage years of Wilberforce's life, The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce is a dazzling, haunting story of obsession and addiction, of loyalty and betrayal.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 308
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Published: 07 Feb 2008

ISBN 10: 0297851594
ISBN 13: 9780297851592
Book Overview: Strong EPOS; A solid follow-on to Salmon Fishing but wholly unique; hugely atmospheric, with lush descriptions of landscape and wine and deeply felt emotions.

Media Reviews
'Remarkably, given the bleakness of both subject and hero, it is an incredibly good read.' -- Marianne MacDonald DAILY TELEGRAPH 'What makes us want to find out about Wilberforce is Torday's wonderful prose - the same simple, clear writing that made Salmon Fishing so readable.' -- Susan Elderkin FINANCIAL TIMES 'he has a good feeling for character and a sly sense of humour' -- David Robson SUNDAY TELEGRAPH a well-told tale. Torday wryly observes Wilberforce's descent -- Paul Dunn THE TIMES grows more and more poignant as the novel progresses. satisfyingly full-bodied and slips down a treat -- Peter Parker SUNDAY TIMES marks him out as a writer of serious promise, whose achievements in this second novel hint at bigger, better works to come. -- Fiona McCann IRISH TIMES Torday tells ths story in reverse, a familiar narrative device used effectively here -- Shyamantha Asokan THE BIG ISSUE a really good book by a really talented writer A BOOK A WEEK BLOGSPOT the pages practically turn themselves and the closing lines of the book, after such a heady brew, are so deliciously sobering JOHN SELF ASYLUM BLOGSPOT the whole book is delightfully written. Paul Torday is a remarkably original novelist -- David Sexton EVENING STANDARD Telling the story back-to-front allows Torday to highlight Wilberforce's self-delusion; he's that familiar figure, the alcoholic who pretends that he's merely a connoissuer -- Josh Lacey GUARDIAN exceptionally accomplished. second novels are notoriously difficult to pull off but Torday has managed a near masterpiece -- Virginia Blackburn DAILY EXPRESS Torday's confidence in his story's power to command attention is not mispaced. Wilberforce is well worth sampling -- Nicola Smyth INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY You Really Must Read: beguiling novel by the author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, about a wine snob's bad alcoholic manners SUNDAY TIMES slips down a treat THE WEEK Four stars - a subtly comic novel -- Claire Allfree METRO another quirky offering from a true original -- Iain Finlayson SAGA a heart-wrenching tale of alcoholism and a lonely man's search for identity. a mesmerising page-turner -- Anthony Gardner Mail on Sunday (the plot) provides Torday with copious opportunities for comedy, which he readily exploits. But there is a serious undertone -- Nina Kelly Time Out
Author Bio
Paul Torday was born in 1946 and read English Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford. He burst on to the literary scene in 2006 with his first novel, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, an immediate bestseller that has been sold in 19 countries. He is married with two sons by a previous marriage and has two stepsons and lives close to the River North Tyne.