Book Description 

The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held within the walls of their crumbling country manor.

Thornwalk, a once-stately English manor, is on the brink of transformation. Its keys are being handed over to a luxury hotelier who will undertake a complete renovation—but in doing so, what will they erase? Through the keen eyes of an enigmatic neighbor, the reader is taken on a guided tour into rooms filled with secrets and memories, each revealing the story of the five Gilbert siblings.

Spanning the eve of World War II to the early 2000s, this contemporary gothic novel weaves a rich tapestry of English country life. As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn into a world where the echoes of an Edwardian idyll clash with the harsh realities of war, neglect, and changing times. The Gilberts’ tale is one of great loves, lofty ambitions, and profound loss, and Angela Tomaski’s mordantly witty yet loving account is an immersive experience. Reminiscent of the haunting atmospheres in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Infamous Gilberts offers a fresh take on a classic genre, capturing the essence of a troubled but fascinating family.

My Review 

This book started off strong and I found myself enchanted by the format of the narrator showing the reader around the dilapidated manor house, regaling the captive audience with tales about the trinkets. 

Very Brideshead, very Saltburn. 

The Gilberts are a fascinating family, but the signs of tumultuousness are present from almost the very beginning. At first, the problems are relatively small and can be resolved with a hearty, “Rotten luck, old sport!” but then as the narrative progresses, the problems multiply exponentially and the signs of tumultuous cannot be ignored. 

Although untitled, the Gilberts come from genteel stock and now find themselves at the precipice of change. One could easily argue that the first World War was the beginning of the end for the old, aristocratic way of life of leisure— What is a week-end indeed— so by the time we meet the Gilberts at the advent of the second World War, there is not much of a place for the idle rich. 

While their decline is punctuated by moments of levity, I found the whole process rather distressing and upsetting to read. Yet I could not look away, and even when I thought that things couldn’t get much worse, they always found a way to. 

I would recommend The Infamous Gilberts because it held my attention, but the overall arc didn’t match the strong opening.That being said, this is a solid debut and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for Tomaski’s next book.  

I received a digital ARC of this book from Scribner/NetGalley.