This week we’re reading

House of Trelawney By Hannah Rothschild, Bloomsbury Publishing, £16.99

Hannah Rothschild’s latest novel tells the tale of the aristocratic Trelawney family, who have occupied Trelawney Castle for more than 800 years.

The novel is set in 2008, and the glory days of the once fabulous stately home appear to be well and truly over. The castle is falling down, the roof is collapsing and there is not even enough money to provide the inhabitants with hot water, heating or decent food.

The 25th Earl, Kitto, and his wife Jane, the Viscountess are one million pounds in debt and are both emotionally and financially drained. It soon becomes apparent that the Trelawneys are a highly dysfunctional family– not only have they failed to upkeep the family home, but hints at a family scandal will simply not go away as ghosts from the past threaten to rear their heads. The crash of 2008 looms and class prejudice among the people is still alive and well– all these factors make a great story.

Dripping with satire and speckled with outrageous and eccentric moments, House of Trelawney shines a light on the ever-changing face of British society and its relationship with the aristocracy while examining its role within a modern world.

I also appreciated the way the author reflects on the impact of the financial crisis and its far reaching effect on everyone from the richest to the poorest in Britain.

This book was not what I expected, as it is both laugh-out-loud funny and yet enlightening.

Rothschild manages to create aristocratic characters that are not simply two dimensional – they all have their own personal stories which are interwoven into the overall plot of the story.

Even the less favourable characters were still intriguing and she manages to strike the balance between reality and fiction to create a believable plot line that is still exciting and imaginative.

This interesting novel also highlights the noose that can be felt by family members who fall into the line of inheritance, regardless if they are the suited for the job or not.

It also makes for an enjoyable foray into the world of the aristocracy – a world that few of us will ever know, but also a world that, much like the House of Trelawney, is crumbling.

Review by Hollie Bruce. 7/10