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Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?

(Montmorency #1)

Eleanor Updale

3.82 · Rating details · 3,609 ratings · 443 reviews

When a petty thief falls through a glass roof while fleeing from the police, it should have been the death of him. Instead, it marks the beginning of a whole new life. Soon he has become the most successful -- and elusive -- burglar in Victorian London, plotting daring raids and using London's new sewer system to escape. He adopts a dual existence to fit his new lifestyle, ...more

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Paperback, 240 pages

Published May 1st 2006 by Scholastic (first published January 1st 2003)

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May 20, 2011 Hope rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Hope by: Amy

Shelves: recommended-to-me, historical-fiction, young-adult, reviewed, mysteries, juvenile, 2013-reads

Hrmph. I don't know what I think, Goodreads. There were times when this book really seemed to be verging on something bigger than itself, and I kind of wish Updale had just gone for it. We catch hints of a psychological struggle between Montmorency and his alter-ego, Scarper...and I wanted to know more about that. It was at times as if the main character could not remember that he was both Montmorency AND Scarper, and I wanted to know why that was. But rather than an in-depth survey of the ...more

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Dec 21, 2007 April Helms rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: young adults (11+) and adults

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

The Montmorency books are a must-read for anyone who likes Victorian-era style mystery.

A small-time crook is given a new lease on life by an ambitious doctor after a near-fatal fall during a break-in. Now he has learned to navigate the sewer systems to enhance his life of crime, and has created two personalities for himself. But what happens when his two sides start disagreeing with each other? The story is told from the point of view of “Montmorency,” a petty thief with more smarts than he ...more

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May 06, 2008 Kelly rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, award-winners

An interesting juvenile book--there are no children/young adult characters in it.

This is the story of Montmorency, a criminal who slowly goes straight. Montmorency (not even the protagonist's real name; the reader is never told what it is or where he came from) was in a horrible accident (fell through a skylight), which resulted in his arrest and incarceration. A young, ambitious doctor treats Montmorency and then shows him off to the Scientific Society, where Montmorency learns about the ...more

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Jul 02, 2014 Janine rated it liked it

Let me first clarify that the real rating I want to give this one is 2.5 stars. I did like it, but well... Okay let me explain.

Montmorency has such a fascinating premise. The concept is fascinating. A petty thief who goes from a life of crime to becoming a gentlemen? Yes please! It's clear the author knows her stuff when it comes to the Victorian Era, which was impressive, and I can now say I know more about the Victorian Sewage System than I ever intended to, but it made it all the more real Let me first clarify that the real rating I want to give this one is 2.5 stars. I did like it, but well... Okay let me explain.

Montmorency has such a fascinating premise. The concept is fascinating. A petty thief who goes from a life of crime to becoming a gentlemen? Yes please! It's clear the author knows her stuff when it comes to the Victorian Era, which was impressive, and I can now say I know more about the Victorian Sewage System than I ever intended to, but it made it all the more real and believable.

My problem with this book was that I just kept waiting for something to happen. I kept waiting for him to find himself at a high end ball and int he midst of a murder plot or something that only he could solve. This kind of came, but it was subtle and didn't really amount to much, nor was it all that exciting.

And yet, I couldn't stop reading. Every page gave me a new hope of some exciting change in the story, something that would make me grip the page and scream. There are few things I love more than a book that scares me. Yet, I wasn't scared of this one. And that disappointed me.

I've considered reading the sequels seeing as they're all in the library, but I just don't know. There was so much potential for this one. It could have been up there with The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, yet it failed to do so. And yet, I didn't dislike it. I liked it. When it dawned on me nothing exciting was going to happen it made me like it a hell of a lot less, but I still enjoyed it. Despite the constant talk of sewage, it was kind of a light read.

Would I recommend this book? No. I don't know. I'll have to read the others and see how I feel after a while. And I must admit I kept running through ideas of what I'd do to change it, and also how if those changes were made it'd be an awesome film. Part of the reason I probably enjoyed it so much was that I imagined Tom Hiddleston breathing life into Montmorency (who was a bit bland save for his adorable excitement over opera and a few other things). Can't you just see him tackling a dual personality disorder like Montmorency's? Oh the potential this book had!

Well I guess I'll just have to see how I feel about the next books. Here's hoping they're much better. ...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Lady Knight rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, teen, victorian-edwardian, crime, 19th-c, favorites, england-uk, 2009-tbr-pile-read

This was one of my favorite books when I was in high school, and reading it now over two years later, I have to say that it has lost none of its magic! Eleanor Updale does a great job presenting Victorian England and with short chapters and to the point storytelling this will be a winner with anyone over the age of 12!

Prisoner 493 was caught burgling a factory in the 19th c. After a horrific fall during the chase, Prisoner 493 (dubbed Montmorency during his trial) receives the care of Doctor ...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Lilyan rated it did not like it

Shelves: wiped-out-from-my-memory, young-adult, series-i-dont-want-to-continue, not-what-i-expected, basic, juvenile, flat

I'm tired of writing negative reviews. For the past couple of months, all the books I've been reading have been medicore at best. No more indie books for me.

Montmorency. Reads like a Young Adult book but was not written to BE a Y.A. which I see as a failing. The story was too basic and easy. Montmorency is a theif that got caught and was badly injured. We have no back story what so ever on this character, nothing. Just that they call him Montmorency and that he has severe scars on his body.

After ...more

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Jun 29, 2009 P rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-fiction

Really dry YA fiction. I might have enjoyed this book more if there was even one likeable character in it. Every character seems one-dimensional and after reading hundreds of books about this time period and Englishmen with their men's clubs, I found that Montmorency fell pretty flat. Also, I am continually amazed when I read books that have negative-zero female characters...especially considering they are written by women!

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Sep 18, 2012 Julia rated it really liked it

A pretty good series that I did enjoy and would probably rank it somewhere on my top 10. I love how it engulfed real events and places in with fictional characters. I love how Montmorency useshis skills to outwit society but later for the greater good.

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Jul 24, 2016 Charles rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery-thriller, read-in-2016

This was probably a YA book. It concerned a ex con who becomes a cat burglar using the sewers of London as his secret escape route. A book about a cat burglar who became a scat burglar.

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Sep 08, 2019 Kailey (BooksforMKs) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Montmorency is a common thief, who devises a plan to use the new London sewer system to carry out plans for bigger and better burglaries, launching him into London's high society as a gentleman. He masquerades as his own servant, Scarper, to sneak out through the streets and alleyways to stage robberies and escape the police undetected. Then he cleans up and dresses for high society as the wealthy gentleman, Montmorency, leading a dual life of villainy and affluence. The plan works a little too Montmorency is a common thief, who devises a plan to use the new London sewer system to carry out plans for bigger and better burglaries, launching him into London's high society as a gentleman. He masquerades as his own servant, Scarper, to sneak out through the streets and alleyways to stage robberies and escape the police undetected. Then he cleans up and dresses for high society as the wealthy gentleman, Montmorency, leading a dual life of villainy and affluence. The plan works a little too well, and Montmorency begins to despise the lower classes, and starts feeling guilty about his crimes. But will he ever be able to truly join the high society he mimics, or will he forever be a common thief?

I liked the many layers of this story, as Montmorency goes from a hardened criminal to a more educated and cultured individual. He wrestles with ideas of honor and honesty, and reads books to expand his knowledge and manners. His character development is gradual and believable with a satisfying conclusion. It's as though, while he is cleaning up from roaming the sewers, his mind also starts to clean up and his ideas change, throwing off the old ugly ideas like the dirt getting scrubbed off his soul. The imagery is wonderfully subtle.

Because the whole premise of the story is the use of the sewers as escape routes during criminal enterprises, there is a lot of talk about poop and smelly sewage. Gross to read about, but definitely effective story-telling.

There were several supporting characters that I really liked, and they added depth to the story in various ways. There is the former cellmate who gets into trouble again with the law. The doctor who treated Montmorency's wounds and operated on him while he was in prison. The friendly tailor who helps Montmorency know what correct clothing to wear to the opera. They are all memorable and interesting, with their own voice in the story.

But there was one supporting character that made no sense to me at all. A woman has a crush on Montmorency, and is always trying to get his attention in flirty ways. I think she was included for comic relief, but she isn't funny, she's just disgusting. She always has food spills and crumbs on her clothing. Her hair and makeup are gaudy, and she pretends to have a cutesy lisp when she talks. She did not further the story very much, with a minimal role in the plot, but so much time is spent describing her and her pathetic attempts to flirt with Montmorency. It didn't fit with the rest of the story and it annoyed me.

I enjoyed the writing style and the plot kept me engaged. This is an entertaining book, and I'm glad that I read it! ...more

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Mar 27, 2018 Geoff rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-book, read-2018, mystery-crime, spy

3.5 stars. This may be the strangest, most amoral, least trope-ridden (yet based on the prison to society imposter trope) YA novel I've ever read. I couldn't stop listening even though the plot never really went anywhere. The closest feel I have for this book is the superhero origin story, which is supposed to be meaningful and deep and provide shape to the character, but never does since its vignettes always seem to lack stakes (even when we know uncle Ben is going to die or Krypton will ...more

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Apr 11, 2019 C.J. Milbrandt rated it liked it

Shelves: _found-thrifting, historical, here-there-be-thieves, here-there-be-doctors

A burglar falls through a glass roof into the gears of a machine and is horribly mangled, so he spends much of his prison life in the infirmary, undergoing a long series of surgeries, then in lecture halls, undergoing the humiliation of being on display. All the while, he plots. One day, he wants to be a fine gentleman. And to do this, he'll become an even better thief.

I was intrigued by the set-up in the summary. To achieve his goals, Montmorency creates two identities. He is both a gentleman ...more

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Oct 04, 2018 Lauren Stoolfire rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, historical-fiction, mystery

I'm glad I just happened to stumble upon this YA historical mystery at a thrift store because that was a very promising series opener. I think I'll have to look for book two, Montmorency On The Rocks.

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Apr 17, 2018 April rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, historical

3.5 stars. I truly enjoyed this story. I'm actually thinking of reading the next in the series. Stephen Fry made the audio fabulous.

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May 13, 2015 MATT ABHOLD rated it liked it

“Montmorency” by Eleanor Updale was a decent book. There were some parts that were pretty unbelievable and some that made a lot more sense, but they went well together.

Montmorency was a thief in London, and he was a pretty good one too. Up until he fell through a ceiling while being chased, he had never been arrested. During the fall, he had sustained injuries that could have ended his life, if not for a doctor who wanted to take on the project. His name was Robert Farcett, and he was “Montmorency” by Eleanor Updale was a decent book. There were some parts that were pretty unbelievable and some that made a lot more sense, but they went well together.

Montmorency was a thief in London, and he was a pretty good one too. Up until he fell through a ceiling while being chased, he had never been arrested. During the fall, he had sustained injuries that could have ended his life, if not for a doctor who wanted to take on the project. His name was Robert Farcett, and he was Montmorency’s guardian angel, it seemed like. Farcett visited the prison that held Montmorency daily to check on him after he had performed all of the operations that kept Montmorency alive.

There was a scientific society in London where all of the great minds met. Farcett was one of those invited for his work on Montmorency, and often times Montmorency was a display. Farcett explained what measures he had to go through to keep Montmorency alive. Montmorency did not like going to these because he was put on display and did not like that feeling. But he did not know that being there would change his life. An architect for the city had been invited to one of the meetings, and he had explained what he was working on; sewers that ran the length of the city and going to almost every house that could afford it. Montmorency tried his best to memorize the layout that was shown, and started scheming a plan for after his release.

Montmorency served his time in jail afterwards with no problems, and decided to set his plan in action. He would sneak through the sewers, where nobody would expect, and steal as much as he wanted. There were few problems for this, such as getting into the sewers and being able to see. After a few heists, he bought or stole the necessary tools for his line of work; a hook to lift the covers, a head-lamp to see, waders to keep the sludge off, and extra bags to put the loot.

Montmorency was getting used to his rich, pompous lifestyle and did not want to go back to being poor, so he had to keep the heists going. One time though, there was a storm and he was washed through the sewers until being released into a bay where boatmen rescued him.

At the hotel where he stayed, there were many wealthy people and some who were very influential. Montmorency became good acquaintances with Lord George Fox-Selwyn, a higher up in British government. These two would go to horse races, gamble, and hang out in the hotel parlors together.

After a while, Fox-Selwyn began asking around about Montmorency and found out who he really was; a thief. He was more relieved than anything, because there was a job that needed to be done and it seemed that Montmorency would be perfect for it. The goal was to figure out if one of Britain's politicians was betraying his country by giving information to the Mauraumanian government. There couldn’t be any association with the British government, so the person who went in could not be connected. There was a catch though; Montmorency would have to bring something back proving that he was actually present at a meeting between Sir Gordon Pewley and the Mauraumanian ambassador.

The book ends with Montmorency in his hotel room having just given the information to Fox-Selwyn, who offers Montmorency a job working with him.

Montmorency was a really intriguing character because throughout the book he lived two different lives. One a wealthy man, one a thief. This split made him nervous because if he messed up, his life was over. Everyone would find out what he did before he was rich. He would go back to prison and get out as a poor man again.

There weren’t many other characters in the book that made a huge difference.

This book was set in London in 1875. This played a key role because that is that time that the sewers were becoming a big deal and just being implemented. He used the sewers to get around the city and make money stealing things.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery and crime books. I also recommend to teenagers around the age of 15 because it was an easy read that is still interesting. ...more

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Feb 18, 2016 Nathan Togstad rated it liked it

Personal response: Montmorency was a book of a man with nothing to lose. He was basically dead, then he was given a second chance. He made plans and was going to execute them when he left the prison. When he was released, he found that everything was harder in real life. This book shows that the reader can overcome anything if you set your mind to it. It also displays the fact that people can, and will change over time.

Plot: Montmorency was in a terrible accident. He fell through a roof
Personal response: Montmorency was a book of a man with nothing to lose. He was basically dead, then he was given a second chance. He made plans and was going to execute them when he left the prison. When he was released, he found that everything was harder in real life. This book shows that the reader can overcome anything if you set your mind to it. It also displays the fact that people can, and will change over time.

Plot: Montmorency was in a terrible accident. He fell through a roof running from the cops. A doctor managed to save his life from all his injuries. The fact that he was alive made him eligible for prison. He was in prison, but never actually stayed there. The Doctor brought him along to show his work. The other inmates made fun of him because of this. When with the doctor, Montmorency heard of the plans of a sewage system. He knew that would help him when he got out. He also had the idea of two different identities. His rich one would be Montmorency and the poor would be Scrapper
When Scrapper was released he found that his only possessions were blood soaked clothing. He went into town and found an apartment. He managed to make a payment and started with his plan. He slowly got himself used to the sewers. He finally got to the point where he could make it in and run around. He started to steal from stores and use the sewer as an escape route. The only problem was selling the goods. Montmorency had some clothing that Scrapper ‘found’ and made reservations at a fancy hotel. Montmorency would live the high life while Scrapper would make the money. As time went on, Scrapper found himself clinging on to life. There was a rush of water into the sewage system, and it took him for a ride. He was found in the river by fishermen. Montmorency realized that he needed a more stable way to make money. Montmorency stopped a rearing horse and met a rich man by the name of Fox Sullivan. Montmorency helped Sullivan with some work with the government. Scrapper snuck into a dinner and got information that would help stop an uprising. By helping Sullivan, Montmorency was offered a job as a spy.

Characterization: Montmorency was a person without a purpose. He had no reason to be alive. With his new found life, people expected him to return to a life of crime. When he first got out he was going to go back to crime. He was stealing from every jewelry store in his reach. As time went on, he had enough to start his fancy life. He decided over time that it was too risky to keep taking and start earning. He eventually got to the point that he didn’t need Scrapper. When he got the final job offer, he completely stopped being Scrapper. He even returned most of the items that he stole. Over the course of the book Scrapper turned into Montmorency.

Impact of Setting: In the beginning Montmorency was the scum of society. This was in an advanced country of England in 1925. He was in a prison rotting. Once he was released, He slowly worked his way up. He was in London’s low income apartments for the longest time. He paid for it by running under the streets like a sewer rat. As time went on, Montmorency had enough to buy into the most expensive hotel possible. He would enjoy opera at the opera house and talking with fellow guests in the lobby. Montmorency became a member of England's high society.

Recommendation: This book would be great for people to see how people change over time. The book was not the easiest to read. A 17 year old would be able to take a lot away from this book. The book isn’t really geared to a specific gender, so I believe that anyone could enjoy it.
...more

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Sep 27, 2013 Maya rated it did not like it

When I saw this book at a school book fair, the $2 sale sticker should have warned me. But whoever wrote the summary on the back of the book did an absolutely stellar job. Mystery, a gothic mood, a thief who assumes a new identity after a doctor sews his broken body back together - it seemed the perfect plot. If only the person who'd written the summary had written the rest of the book.

-Prisoners in a gritty Victorian chain gang literally take up the chorus of "4-2-3, wee-wee-dee." *facepalm* (p When I saw this book at a school book fair, the $2 sale sticker should have warned me. But whoever wrote the summary on the back of the book did an absolutely stellar job. Mystery, a gothic mood, a thief who assumes a new identity after a doctor sews his broken body back together - it seemed the perfect plot. If only the person who'd written the summary had written the rest of the book.

-Prisoners in a gritty Victorian chain gang literally take up the chorus of "4-2-3, wee-wee-dee." *facepalm* (p 32)

-The book might have made a good Victorian noir, except it was toned down for children. Example of an insult: "Well, I can't help being fat, can I? Every time I kiss your wife she gives me a biscuit!" *facepalm* (p 66)

-One of the characters talks with a pretend lisp to get Montmorency to like her. The reader must crawl through pages of unintelligible conversation such as "She'th stwypee with a likkle like shtar of white bwetween her earth." *facedesk* (p 93)

-That character, Cissie, is very taken with Montmorency, "showing a little too much ankle when he was near." What is it with the racy ankle trope?

-Montmorency literally breaks down and cries at an opera. He reaches for what he presumes is his hankie, but it's actually the ruffled skirt of the lady next to him. She doesn't mind and they cry and cheer together. "His happiness was complete." Because if he cries at the opera, he must be multidimensional. I - Pretty Woman? (p 132)

-Chapter 20 ends with a one-word paragraph. And that word is "thwopp." (p 114)

-The characterization was poor, with all the characters we're suppose to dislike being portrayed as unwaveringly, ridiculously stupid, fat, prissy, obnoxious, corrupt, etc. The major villain's most dastardly quality is a tendency to exclaim: "Oh dear! O dearie me!" That's his only remotely bad quality.

-Page 156. The dialogue is printed like this: "You ****ing little ****! I'll have your ****s for ****s!" The asterisks are not mine - they literally appear like that in print. Look. Either you take the prudish route and say your character "swore", or you actually write out the swearword when they say it. Don't put asterisks in the middle of a book. ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 CB rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: library-school, middle-school

Chris Bancells

Updale, E. (2004) Montmorency: thief, liar, gentleman? New York: Orchard Books.

Historical Fiction

Print

Selection tools consulted: School Library Journal, WorldCat

Review:

Without question, this novel's titular character is a thief and a liar. The question which ultimately consumes him, however, is whether or not he can transform himself into a gentleman. Prior to the novel's opening, Montmorency is a talented and rising thief in Victorian London. When a job goes bad, and he falls Chris Bancells

Updale, E. (2004) Montmorency: thief, liar, gentleman? New York: Orchard Books.

Historical Fiction

Print

Selection tools consulted: School Library Journal, WorldCat

Review:

Without question, this novel's titular character is a thief and a liar. The question which ultimately consumes him, however, is whether or not he can transform himself into a gentleman. Prior to the novel's opening, Montmorency is a talented and rising thief in Victorian London. When a job goes bad, and he falls through an unseen skylight, he nearly dies as a result. It is only through the brilliant ministrations of Dr. Farcett that Montmorency survives. The good Doctor is not entirely selfless, however, as he uses the opportunity to experiment with new surgery techniques for his own professional benefit. He presents Montmorency, then known as prisoner 439, to the scientific community after each operation. In the process, Montmorency learns a great deal about the upper class and their concerns, especially the new London sewer system. In this new modern convenience, Montmorency sees an opportunity and, upon his release, he uses the sewers to begin a fabulously successful life of crime. Creating the double identity of the mysterious gentleman Montmorency and his rough servant Scarper, the main character (who's real name is never given) becomes wealthy and popular. The more he gains, the more he has to lose, and he must decide what man he wants to be at his core: Scarper or Montmorency. The chapters are short and the pacing lively, which, in addition to a strong narrative voice, makes for a quick read. There is, however, a great deal of information left out. In addition to never knowing the main character's real name, the reader never gets to see him in action until the end of the novel. Montmorency/Scarper goes on a long series of robberies, but only the results are reported. There is no described action of his apparent and growing skill. For a plot which is built around this character trait, this is a serious lapse. Additionally, there are several relationships left unresolved, especially between Montmorency and Dr. Farcett. Not recommended. ...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Kit★ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, series-longer, victorian-era, y-a

I highly enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful little surprise, and I'm still in that happy after-book feeling. I picked it up awhile ago on one of my book hunts, maybe Goodwill, maybe a library sale, don't remember. But after the disappointment of the last book I just read, I was wanting something that I could breeze through, that wouldn't be overly dramatic or complicated. This one caught my eye, and I started reading. Right away I was intrigued by the character, Montmorency. I grew to be very ...more

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Jun 01, 2009 lianna rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: People who are bored

Remember that rule? You know the one that told us not to judge a book by it's cover? Bear that in mind as you look at this. The cover of Monmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? makes it look great, maybe even dark and thrilling. Is it really? No.

When I first saw this book in the library of my school I picked it up quickly, hiding it from others. I called over my friend and we decided to read it for our book report. It looked good. The summary was fine. The cover was great. And what other choices do ...more

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Mar 21, 2009 Wendi Lau rated it really liked it

Shelves: juvenile-literature

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 08, 2007 Decendant_of_Darkness rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: anyone

Imagine if you were a thief who hasn't been caught once while stealing. And one day you just happen to fall and almost die. Would you quit steeling, or after you were done with your jail sentence get two identities? And continue steeling and living rich at the same time. Well this is what happens in the book Montmorency thief liar gentleman, by Eleanor Updale. In which the main character, which goes by many names and, which you will have to read it to find out why, lives a double life. One as ...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Clackamas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pre-teen-and-teen, 2012

What a nice story! I know that "nice" isn't exactly effusive but "delightful" is a bit too much.

There was a bit of history in the painting of the setting that was interesting. But really the thing that bumped this book up in my esteem was the main character's story arc. He moved from thief to gentleman in a believable way. (The subtitle of the book is "thief liar gentleman," so that isn't a spoiler).

Montmorency didn't change all at once. His gradual change of morals and values happened at a pace ...more

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Sep 04, 2010 Amanda rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 22, 2009 Philip rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Of course, I always round up, so a 3.5 becomes a 4.

I guess the four depends on how you put the emphasis on "really." I REALLY liked it versus, yeah... I really liked it. ...

As you're reading this, I know you're thinking... "great another review that says nothing about the book, but only about the goodreads star rating system." Whatever, we've all been there.

Montmorency was a good quick book. Part Jekyll and Hyde, part Prince and the Pauper part a bunch of other stuff...

I could have some ...more

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Sep 11, 2015 Nathan Procopio rated it liked it

Overall this book is pretty good. It's fairy fast paced so it kept me interested and I didn't find myself skipping parts because they were boring. Full of action it is a good read for anyone who likes books set in the past but have lots going on and aren't historical but tell interesting stories. I liked that this book kept me interested and made me want to read the others in the series. The author does a good job of grabbing the reader and keeping them interested in what is happening. The ...more

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Aug 22, 2007 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: action/historical fiction lovers

My mom picked up this book for me at a book fair a few years ago. I read it and really enjoyed it. I saw it on my bookshelf the other day and read it through again.

The characters in the book are really intriguing. I loved following the story of Montmorency, also known as Scarper, through his life of crime and his rise to the upper social class.

The plot is a thriller and very unpredictable. I highly recommend this book!

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Mar 19, 2011 Sherwood Smith added it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-novel

This is sfnal only in feel—the Victorian passion for scientific endeavor, often carried out on people who were not consulted. Like the jailbird who was near death, operated on, his progress exposed to the Faculty. He reinvents himself as Montmorency, gentleman thief, and becomes his own sidekick, the crude, and cruel, Scamper. How he does this, what the Victorian world was like (particularly the new sewers) and what happens was a wonderful read. Delicious writing, with brilliant detail.

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Sep 28, 2008 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: bbya, humorous, historical

Montmorency, a petty thief in Victorian England, is badly injured and then caught by the police, but his time recuperating in jail is the beginning of a whole new life for prisoner #493.

Montmorency is a light and fun read: the prisoner uses the knowledge he gained in prison to develop a new life of crime, complete with two personas, that of a rich man and his loathsome servant, to pull it off. Readers will be pulling for Montmorency and will want to dive into the sequels.

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Oct 15, 2010 [Name Redacted] rated it liked it

Shelves: pulp, historical-fiction

A fun, quick story about a petty criminal who winds up in jail and decides to make something of himself -- that something is, of course, a master criminal. I think the elements which stood out most for me were the inglorious and decidedly un-glamorous means by which "Montmorency" secures his wealth, coupled with his mounting dissociative identity disorder. Good, light reading.

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About Eleanor Updale

Eleanor Updale

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Eleanor Updale studied history at St. Anne's College, Oxford, before becoming a producer of TV and radio current affairs programmes for the BBC. Her first children's novel, Montmorency, won the Silver Smarties Prize and the Medway Book Award.