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The Unspeakable Gentleman
A son confronts a powerful father and a tangled past in a tale of loyalty, wit, and hidden truths.
On the shore of a fading aristocracy, a man returns to the house of his childhood to face a father whose calm hides sharp costs. The reunion unfolds in a room crowded with memory—portraits, maps, and the rust of old authority—as old loyalties clash with new passions.
Between sharp dialogue and tense silences, the narrative follows a son and his father, a wary companion in Brutus’s watchful presence, and a woman whose perceptions tilt the balance of trust. The story blends humor, bitterness, and a sense of fate as secrets surface and choices must be faced with both courage and consequence.
Atmospheric setting that shifts from quiet rooms to a charged table of papers and recollections A father’s cool control tested by a son’s stubborn honesty and a woman’s insight Themes of loyalty, legacy, and the price of truth in a world of remnants Witty, restrained prose that builds tension through dialogue and mood Ideal for readers who enjoy character-driven tension set against a moody, historical backdrop.
On the shore of a fading aristocracy, a man returns to the house of his childhood to face a father whose calm hides sharp costs. The reunion unfolds in a room crowded with memory—portraits, maps, and the rust of old authority—as old loyalties clash with new passions.
Between sharp dialogue and tense silences, the narrative follows a son and his father, a wary companion in Brutus’s watchful presence, and a woman whose perceptions tilt the balance of trust. The story blends humor, bitterness, and a sense of fate as secrets surface and choices must be faced with both courage and consequence.
Atmospheric setting that shifts from quiet rooms to a charged table of papers and recollections A father’s cool control tested by a son’s stubborn honesty and a woman’s insight Themes of loyalty, legacy, and the price of truth in a world of remnants Witty, restrained prose that builds tension through dialogue and mood Ideal for readers who enjoy character-driven tension set against a moody, historical backdrop.
- GenresFiction
277 pages, Hardcover
Published August 24, 2018
About the author
John P. Marquand
82 books62 followersPulitzer Prize for Novel in 1938 for The Late George Apley
John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for The Late George Apley in 1938. One of his abiding themes was the confining nature of life in America's upper class and among those who aspired to join it. Marquand treated those whose lives were bound by these unwritten codes with a characteristic mix of respect and satire.
By the mid-1930s he was a prolific and successful writer of fiction for slick magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of these short stories were of an historical nature as had been Marquand's first two novels (The Unspeakable Gentleman and The Black Cargo). These would later be characterized by Marquand as “costume fiction”, of which he stated that an author “can only approximate (his characters) provided he has been steeped in the (relevant) tradition”. Marquand had abandoned “costume fiction” by the mid-1930s.
In the late-1930s, Marquand began producing a series of novels on the dilemmas of class, most centered on New England. The first of these, The Late George Apley (1937), a satire of Boston's upper class, won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other Marquand novels exploring New England and class themes include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949). The last is especially notable for its satirical portrayal of Harvard anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner, whose Yankee City study attempted (and in Marquand's view, dismally failed) to describe and analyze the manners and mores of Marquand's Newburyport
John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for The Late George Apley in 1938. One of his abiding themes was the confining nature of life in America's upper class and among those who aspired to join it. Marquand treated those whose lives were bound by these unwritten codes with a characteristic mix of respect and satire.
By the mid-1930s he was a prolific and successful writer of fiction for slick magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of these short stories were of an historical nature as had been Marquand's first two novels (The Unspeakable Gentleman and The Black Cargo). These would later be characterized by Marquand as “costume fiction”, of which he stated that an author “can only approximate (his characters) provided he has been steeped in the (relevant) tradition”. Marquand had abandoned “costume fiction” by the mid-1930s.
In the late-1930s, Marquand began producing a series of novels on the dilemmas of class, most centered on New England. The first of these, The Late George Apley (1937), a satire of Boston's upper class, won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other Marquand novels exploring New England and class themes include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949). The last is especially notable for its satirical portrayal of Harvard anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner, whose Yankee City study attempted (and in Marquand's view, dismally failed) to describe and analyze the manners and mores of Marquand's Newburyport
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 18, 2017
In 1920 John P. Marquand a future Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the mystery adventures staring Mr. Moto, began his career with the novel, The Unspeakable Gentleman. Almost 100 years later some elements are formulaic and therefor predictable. Read as an action adventure of its day it is a thriller of the old school. This is the way they used to write them. It is family friendly and aimed at a male's sense of traditional romance and high adventure.
The unspeakable gentleman is Captain Sheldon, father to the narrator Henry. Events yet to be disclosed had caused the Captain to abandon his son and wife and leave his seaside home in disgrace. Now many years later he returns. Secret agents of the French Revolution are seeking his capture and death. A mysterious letter and a young lady are both under the protection of the captain, a self-admitted scoundrel. Having lost his reputation and his first fortune he tells his son and anyone around that he has lived on his wits and at the cost of all the values of the society that had branded him a bad man. Having nothing left that was dear to him; he has been free to live life as a wanton and dissipated man.
For all his protest we quickly see that he is a man of athletic ability and fine judgement that belies the ravages of bad living He continues to inspire the loyalty of his fellow sailors, and the trust of at least one titled French family.
His body servant, never described as a slave is a large, mostly quiet black man, Brutus. Note that anyone who speaks ill of or disrespectfully of Brutus is going to be a bad person. Good people respect him and acknowledge his value as a person. He is in a subservient role, but one born of loyalty rather than social norms. Also note that the Captain is particular that the young lady in his suit is never to be referred to except with respect. She is a Lady, capital L and never a woman. Also note that she is no wilting flower, but a thinking strong woman, capable of representing herself and seeking her own agenda.
At the risk of overreaching this book made me think of Ivanhoe, with faint traces of The Count of Monte Cristo. The Unspeakable Gentleman has returns after many years to a home where he cannot expect to be warmly greeted. There are those who believe him a man without honor and those ready to kill not the fatted calf, but fellow town's men. There is a far off revolution that threatens the Captain and his followers.
The plot line is not so much one of unexpected twists as one of slow reveals. We are asked to tolerate a few too many incomplete or interrupted explanations. The motives of the uncle who raised Henry are muddled. Overall this not intended to be great literature, just a good beach read or a book to fire the imagination of a pre-teen. This is not great literature , but good entertainment.
The unspeakable gentleman is Captain Sheldon, father to the narrator Henry. Events yet to be disclosed had caused the Captain to abandon his son and wife and leave his seaside home in disgrace. Now many years later he returns. Secret agents of the French Revolution are seeking his capture and death. A mysterious letter and a young lady are both under the protection of the captain, a self-admitted scoundrel. Having lost his reputation and his first fortune he tells his son and anyone around that he has lived on his wits and at the cost of all the values of the society that had branded him a bad man. Having nothing left that was dear to him; he has been free to live life as a wanton and dissipated man.
For all his protest we quickly see that he is a man of athletic ability and fine judgement that belies the ravages of bad living He continues to inspire the loyalty of his fellow sailors, and the trust of at least one titled French family.
His body servant, never described as a slave is a large, mostly quiet black man, Brutus. Note that anyone who speaks ill of or disrespectfully of Brutus is going to be a bad person. Good people respect him and acknowledge his value as a person. He is in a subservient role, but one born of loyalty rather than social norms. Also note that the Captain is particular that the young lady in his suit is never to be referred to except with respect. She is a Lady, capital L and never a woman. Also note that she is no wilting flower, but a thinking strong woman, capable of representing herself and seeking her own agenda.
At the risk of overreaching this book made me think of Ivanhoe, with faint traces of The Count of Monte Cristo. The Unspeakable Gentleman has returns after many years to a home where he cannot expect to be warmly greeted. There are those who believe him a man without honor and those ready to kill not the fatted calf, but fellow town's men. There is a far off revolution that threatens the Captain and his followers.
The plot line is not so much one of unexpected twists as one of slow reveals. We are asked to tolerate a few too many incomplete or interrupted explanations. The motives of the uncle who raised Henry are muddled. Overall this not intended to be great literature, just a good beach read or a book to fire the imagination of a pre-teen. This is not great literature , but good entertainment.
October 1, 2023
Entertainingly strange ending and plot overall. Clean. Excellent narration. Keeps interest…. 3-1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🔅
October 14, 2025
An old-fashioned, swashbuckling father-son adventure. The narrative is a product of its time in its portrayals of black men and white women, so be forewarned if you choose to read this one. It is a freebie on Kindle.
December 11, 2014
Well, I guess you get what you pay for. This was free on Kindle, and it was still overpriced. A silly, stiff story which reads like a rejected Hollywood screenplay. I could see Errol Flynn in the leading role. I did not hate reading this, I guess, but it was basically disappointing.
May 15, 2011
I didn't expect it to be an action story. I don't think the plot quite works at the end, with all the character motivations properly sorted out, but it was a pleasant read nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews