A Brief History of Montmaray (2008)

Sixteen-year-old Sophia Margaret Elizabeth Jane Clementine FitzOsborne (better known as Sophie), a princess in the royal family of a tiny island kingdom lying in the Bay of Biscay, midway between Britain and the Iberian peninsula, records the twilight days of Montmaray, just before the outbreak of World War II, in this young adult novel from Australia. With a population depleted by the ravages of World War I - the island's adult male population was almost entirely wiped out, fighting in the Montmaravian unit led by King John - and of emigration, an economy that had been bankrupted by the recent stock-market crash, and a ruler driven mad by his role in destroying his own people, Montmaray was in a steep decline, its royal family - mad King John, his scholarly daughter Victoria, his nephew and heir, Toby, and Toby's two sisters: our narrator, Sophie, and the tomboy ten-year-old Henry (Henriette) - practically the only residents left. As Sophie struggles with the decision to leave Montmaray - she has been offered a "season" in English high society, by her wealthy Aunt Charlotte - she also bears witness to the dramatic events, from a royal death to the invasion of the Nazis, that bring one chapter of her life, and of the life of Montmaray, to a close...

I was really quite excited when A Brief History of Montmaray was chosen as one of our "in the spirit" reads for the Kindred Spirits group to which I belong - dedicated to the work of L.M. Montgomery, we sometimes read books that have been nominated as being "in the spirit" of that author's work, in our book-club - as I have something of an interest in Ruritanian fantasy (sometimes also styled "Ruritanian Romance"), in which non-fantastic tales unfold in imaginary kingdoms. The praise heaped on this one by most of my goodreads friends, and by group members, led me to believe that, if nothing else, it would be an entertaining read. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite as charmed as I'd hoped, although the story did pick up a little bit for me, midway through the book. It wasn't that Cooper's tale was derivative - although it could very well be, judging by the frequency of comparisons, in other reviews, to Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle (which I have not yet read) - but more that I simply didn't care all that much about the characters. I'm struggling to put my finger on the issue, but something about them - perhaps because we see them through Sophie's journal, and her narrative voice isn't very strong? - felt very distant to me.

Still, as noted, I did get involved in the end - probably because the story switched from character study to outright action - and was racing through the final section, to see what would happen. I'm also, despite my lukewarm response to the first half of this book, planning to read the sequel, The FitzOsbornes in Exile (which our book-club is also discussing), so it obviously wasn't that bad. Hopefully I will feel more of a connection to some of the characters, in the subsequent book. ( )

LOVE. Looooove this book. It is to me what I Capture the Castle is to so many others. Charming, engaging, sympathetic...nothing really happens for the first half of the book and I DON'T CARE. I wanted it to be twice as long. I want to live on Montmaray. I want to be a princess of a tiny, made-up island, even though they are really poor and it's always cold and the king is crazy...I am terrible at coherent reviews, but I massively recommend this book.


*Stars: I either give 5 or none; either this is a book I will fight for, or it's not, and I only star the ones I am willing to throw down in defense of. Non-star books, please don't take offense. I am weird and my tastes are not necessarily indicative of the worth of anything. ( )

Its not this book's fault that it gets compared to I Capture the Castle. It's not the book's fault that I love Dodie Smith's similar tale of cusp of womanhood/stuck in a moldering castle/impossible family drama/conflicting romantical feelings, like how I believe I'll love my child.
That said, it's still a good book. The journal format is at times a little too journal like, in that some details of everyday life that would realistically be in a teenage girl's journal do not make for compelling fiction. I am intrigued this is the beginning of series because I think this a strong case for seeing a character undergo a dramatic change, not just continue the story. ( )

A couple of weeks ago, my friend B. (who sometimes comments here as the Baroness) mentioned A Brief History of Montmaray and The FitzOsbornes in Exile as being very Maureen-y books. Shortly afterwards, I was at the library* and happened to see the first one on the shelf. So I snatched it and settled down to read.

And, yes, these are very Maureen-y books. Which is a way to translate my slavering love for them into somewhat sane human-speak.

In A Brief History, we’re introduced to Sophie FitzOsborne, a sixteen-year-old Princess of Montmaray. Montmaray is a tiny island kingdom in the Bay of Biscay, where Sophie lives with her mad uncle, the king, his daughter Veronica, and her younger sister Henry. Her brother, Toby, the heir to the throne is off in England getting an education (in theory). The book is told in the form of diary entries through 1936.

And, yes, there are inescapable comparison to I Capture the Castle, as well what I read as down right references. This could have gone badly in several ways: it could have confused those who have never read Dodie Smith’s book,** or it could have alienated those who cherish it. In my opinion, Cooper manages to avoid either of these flaws, mostly by having her references be negative ones, slipped slyly into the story. For instance, the castle at Montmaray does not have a moat. For the non-ICC reader, they simply take that as a statement which makes sense in the context of its paragraph. For the ICC reader, there is a moment of triumph.

(The opening of the second book is especially notable for this: “I write this sitting at an exquisite little Louis the Fifteenth secretaire in the White Drawing Room…” It’s nothing like “I write this sitting with my feet in the kitchen sink,” and yet if the reader is familiar with the earlier line, it’s so clearly an echo.)

As a side note–this is the best kind of reference, in my opinion. Just the opposite of heavy-handed and understandable both to those in the know and those who don’t share the reference point. Like the dolphin ring in The Thief.***

But Cooper’s books don’t exist merely in a kind of literary vacuum, reliant on Dodie Smith. Sophie is not Cassandra, the FitzOsbornes are not the Mortmains, and the ways in which the two do intersect simply make the story more enjoyable. For one thing, Sophie is much more concerned with the wider world, especially in the second book, set in the hideous run-up to WWII. Against this difficult backdrop, Sophie, Toby, Veronica, Simon, and even Henry, must come to terms with the times they are living in, and come into their own. I found both books extremely compelling and enjoyable.

Although, there were only five Tudor rulers of England, not six.

These are the first two in a trilogy, with the third book being published next year. Can’t wait! (Yet another book to look forward too!)

Book source: public library for both
Book information: Knopf, 2009 and 2011 respectively; YA

* Despite the fact that I work at two libraries, this was a third library, which I was visiting specially. It has a larger collection!

** If this is you, what is WRONG with you? GO READ IT!

*** What, you think I can pass up an Attolia reference? HAH. ( )

Listened to Listening Library edition narrated by Emma Bering. Definitely planning to listen to the next one on audio as well. ( )