September 2008 Book of the Month.
The slow decline of a wine collector told backwards. We meet Wilberforce as he ascends into alcoholism and then back-track to the uninteresting computer self-employed workaholic he once was until a moment of uncharacteristic impulsive behaviour. This author’s first novel, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, was one of my favourite books of last year. This is very different, a sad tale of obsession, ignorance and being totally out of touch with one’s fellow human beings. Wilberforce is not a pleasant man, his tale interestingly delivered. Torday can certainly write.
Comparison: Julian Barnes, Ian McEwan, David Lodge.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Recommendations: |
Win a Copy of The Sisters of Hope Square by Faith Hogan and a Bucket List Scratch Book
Closing date: 04/07/2026
Late one summer evening, Wilberforce - rich, young, and work-obsessed - makes a detour on his way home to the vast undercroft of Caerlyon Hall, and the domain of Francis Black, a place where wine, hospitality and affection flow freely.
Through Francis, Wilberforce is initiated into a life rich in the promise of friendship and adventure, where, through his new set of friends, the possibility of finding acceptance, and even falling in love, seems finally to be within his reach.
Wilberforce becomes a willing pupil to Francis, and in the cellars of Caerlyon he nurtures a new-found passion for wine. But even the finest wine can leave a bitter aftertaste, and Wilberforce will learn the undercroft's unpalatable secrets, and that passion comes at a price ...
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Books of the Month, eBooks of the Month, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce is available in Paperback
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce was written by Paul Torday and published by Orion Publishing Co
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce has 308 pages
£9.89
