Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Undermajordomo Minor cover art

Undermajordomo Minor

By: Patrick deWitt
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £20.99

Buy Now for £20.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

A Strange Scottish Shore cover art
Leonard and Hungry Paul cover art
The Bloody Chamber cover art
The Tutor cover art
Knights of the Realm cover art
Rembrandt's Mirror cover art
Some Can See cover art
The Crimson Petal and the White cover art
Remote Control cover art
When We Believed in Mermaids cover art
The Observations cover art
Wicked cover art
Daughter of the Forest cover art
The Misbegotten cover art
Daughters of Nri cover art
Provoked cover art

Summary

Lucien (Lucy) Minor is the resident odd duck in the bucolic hamlet of Bury. Friendless and loveless, he is a compulsive liar and a weakling. When Lucy accepts employment assisting the majordomo of the remote, foreboding castle of the Baron Von Aux, he meets thieves, madmen, aristocrats, and a puppy.

Thus begins a tale of polite theft, bitter heartbreak, domestic mystery and cold-blooded murder....

©2015 Patrick deWitt (P)2015 W F Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"Confirms deWitt as one of the most talented young writers around." ( Sunday Times on The Sisters Brothers)
"Wonderfully funny and original." ( Spectator on The Sisters Brothers)

What listeners say about Undermajordomo Minor

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    44
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    68
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I am still thinking about it

After Ablutions and Sisters Brothers I was excited, then became progressively more disappointed as I read, then expectant again believing I was being set up for some marvellously contrasting event, then curious, then questioning again. Eventually I found myself wishing I could call Patrick and ask; Why did you do this? Is it an early story that you feel you can now publish? Or were you trying to avoid sensationalism and uniqueness in your writing as a discipline, a personal challenge to write of the ordinary more beautifully than of the beautiful? Were you looking down on your happy place? A world you withdraw to?

The thing is though that I am still thinking about this story and this place. I think we all have our own imaginary places and they often have Easts and Wests and mountains and snow and train carriages with compartments, where we can live simple lives without our everyday distractions while we keep the machine turning and where we are not frustrated by our place in the world.

I once wrote of my own land one day while bored at work, which was similar geographically with mountains and snow, and with a kind encouraging and benevolent ruler who believed in self development for all. Unfortunately I was unable to achieve this as my boss didn't share these views, being from the mean crappy kingdom next door.

My review title does not mean I am trying to decide the title, it means I am still, and will be for some time, thinking about this story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very enjoyable tale

Great, funny, creepy, very well narrated. And worth it for the dinner party scene alone :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A strange but involving tale.

it took me a while to get into the book at first as I couldn't connect with the central character Lucy, perhaps because he himself was so adrift and disconnected. Gradually , the story sucked me in. The formality of the language at first irritated me but it suits the timeless , slightly magical feel of the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A rich and fun experience incredibly well read.

At once deWitt's voice echoes the works of Dahl in its rich and varied portrayal of one boy's journey to find and keep a hold of love. A cast of characters emerge from an idyllic landscape full of bloodlust and sex. Just like are Sisters Brothers, the experience is unique, the story bold and understated. Great to listen to on walks.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing after The Sisters Brothers

Simon Prebble is an excellent narrator but essentially this novel lacks any surprise, revelation or real character development. After the invention of The Sisters Brothers, which is great, one has the feeling that the inventive spark left the author and that he almost wilfully ignored chances to do something unusual or original. I persevered to the end hoping something would rescue the story, but I have to say it's a dull book and very disappointing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Couldn't get on with it at all

Tried a few times with this but i couldn't get in to at all. I hated the characters and didn't find it funny at all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Strange tale..

Would you try another book written by Patrick deWitt or narrated by Simon Prebble?

No it was a bit too strange and not very wonderful. I guess S.P. done his best.

Did Undermajordomo Minor inspire you to do anything?

no ..I just stuck with it to the end . its now gone !

Any additional comments?

it was a silly tail with not much to it ,didn't like the ending . never mind someone out there will enjoy it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!