Montmorency: thief, liar, gentleman? by Eleanor Updale, 233 pageslast book in the A - Zed title and author challenge
Imagine life in London before the sewer system was installed. The stench, the disease, the grossness. Montmorency, in jail for assorted thievery and recovering from horrendous injuries, begins to think of the new sewer system as a way to change his life. Talk about looking on the sunny side of things.
His injuries kept him in contact with a doctor, who based his growing reputation on the surgeries he did on Montmorency. This gives Montmorency a chance to see how gentlemen live. He decides to use the sewers as a way to get around London and to quickly escape notice of the police. The book follows his release from prison and the double life his leads, building up a fortune as a thief and living the high life as a gentleman.
I usually like Victorian books and this didn't disappoint. It is rated as a Young Adult book, and my 11 year old read it first. We both liked it but not loved it. It is the first book in a series and we agreed we would read another in the series but we didn't need to run out and get the next book. The character of Montmorency was interesting and complex, as he progresses from convict to gentleman with a conscience.
Sounds interesting. I have never even heard of the series before! I have too many series on the go to add another one to it, but I might read this just to see one of these days.
ReplyDelete