The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

by Paul Torday

Late one summer evening, Wilberforce - rich, young, work-obsessed and self-contained - makes an unexpected detour on the way home from the software company he owns and unwittingly takes the first step on a journey that will change his life.

His uncharacteristically impulsive act leads him to the door of Caerlyon Hall, to the vast undercroft beneath it, and the domain of Francis Black, a place where wine, hospitality and affection flow freely. Through Francis, the eccentric and enigmatic owner of Caerlyon, Wilberforce is initiated into a life he could never have imagined: a life rich in the promise of friendship and adventure, where, through his new set of friends, with their shooting parties and stately homes, the possibility of finding acceptance, and even falling in love, seems finally to be within his reach.

As his horizon broadens and his heart expands, Wilberforce becomes a willing pupil to Francis's master, and in the cellars of Caerlyon he nurtures a new-found passion for fine wine.

But even the finest wine can leave a bitter aftertaste, and Wilberforce will learn that the undercroft holds some unpalatable secrets, and that passion comes at a price.

Chronicling the vintage years of Wilberforce's life, "The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce" is a dazzling, haunting story of obsession and addiction, of loyalty and betrayal.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Drama, British Literature, Wine

308 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Paul Torday burst on to the literary scene in 2007 with his first novel, SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN, an immediate international bestseller that has been translated into 28 languages and has been made into a film starring Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas and Emily Blunt. His subsequent novels, THE IRRESISTIBLE INHERITANCE OF WILBERFORCE, THE GIRL ON THE LANDING, THE HOPELESS LIFE OF CHARLIE SUMMERS, MORE THAN YOU CAN SAY, THE LEGACY OF HARTLEPOOL HALL and LIGHT SHINING IN THE FOREST, were all published to great critical acclaim. He was married with two sons by a previous marriage, had two stepsons, and lived close to the River North Tyne. He died at home in December 2013.

Reviews

[Helene Jeppesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce is the second novel by British author, Paul Torday. When Torday introduces his narrator, Wilberforce, it is 2006 and he is an enthusiastic wine drinker who owns an estate called Caerlyon Hall, the subterranean undercroft full of wine located under the Hall, and a flat in Half Moon Street, Mayfair. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Wilberforce is a virtually penniless alcoholic, a delusional widower who has alienated all his friends, squandered a fortune and is at death’s door.

How Wilberforce has managed to progress to this state from being a teetotal computer nerd who owned a multi-million pound software company is gradually revealed, but in reverse, in four parts: 2006, 2004, 2003 and 2002. Torday emphasises significant incidents (and his narrator’s perception of them) with repetition of certain phrases and the retelling (with subtle differences) of certain events in each of the four parts.

While it may be a dark and tragic tale, Torday manages to inject plenty of humour, and readers may well find themselves laughing out loud, at least in 2006. Torday’s characters are well developed and often familiar: the socially inept computer programmer; the hedonistic heir to the title; the well-meaning doctor; the asset-rich, cash-poor gentry; the diplomatically fawning bank manager.

Eck Chetwode-Talbot’s name may ring a bell for readers of Salmon Fishing and both Eck and Ed Simmonds reappear in later Torday books, something that will appeal to fans. Although the outcome is evident from the beginning, it is a measure of Torday’s literary talent that the reader is still eager to discover the who, how and why of it. At the same time, the reader is left a mystery to speculate upon (is Wilberforce’s father among the characters?)

Torday’s portrayal of an alcoholic’s behaviour and addictive personality (the denials, the rationalisations, the blame shifting, the physical and mental symptoms) is excellent and obviously well-researched. This is a brilliant offering by Torday and fans will be eager to read his next book, The Girl On The Landing.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wilberforce although surrounded by what were obviously well-heeled trappings is drunk and disorderly, alone, friendless and hallucinating about a kidnap. How did he get there? Torday tells the story of the previous four years of Wilberforce's life backwards in four parts, one for each year. Torday is on the money with this tragi-comedic tale of self delusion, obsession and addiction, partially (or mostly?) caused by Wilberforce having Korsakoff psychosis (a late complication of persistent Wernicke encephalopathy which results in memory deficits, confusion, and behavioural changes). It's the subtle and sometime not too subtle insertion of (dark) humour that makes this book. 7 out of 12.

[Maria Raynal · Rating 2 out of 5]

On impulse, I grabbed this at the library, thinking it would be a fun read about wine...not so much. Instead, it's about a man who kills himself by drinking up to 6 bottles (yep, BOTTLES) of wine a day, yet maintains he "just likes to taste the wine." Denial, much? His OCD is implied throughout, as is his near complete disregard for anyone but himself. I like how the story plays in reverse, over four years, but in the end, his story doesn't add up, is predictable and depressing. Ultimately, you don't like the character enough to want to save him. Cheers.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I realized that the timeline of this book was not linear, I kept reading it, and then I began to see it as a minor masterpiece. I saw traces of Thomas Hardy in it, as well as Italo Calvino and other authors. No spoilers here, but if they were allowed I would write quite a bit about this book. I highly recommend it for anybody interested in literature that is being written right now.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had this been the first Paul Torday novel I had read, it would likely have been the last! No doubt a newish author wants to prove himself but this is just an exercise in trying to be different or show off, I think.

The whole book is a flashback starting at the end and working back to a vague beginning. Except it neither begins nor ends so the reader is left wondering what happened [if indeed, he is that engaged with the story or character].

This may be an interesting concept if you are an academic but most of us just want to read a good story and above all the ending is important. Most people want some sort of conclusion or resolution. Not perhaps a happy ending but one in which something is concluded to some satisfaction. This novel does not do that leaving one to wonder what became of Wilberforce although it is likely that he drank himself to death.

Not recommended! Try one of his other books, they are better.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much more bleak and sombre second novel from Paul Torday who debuted with the entertaining Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. The main character here becomes increasingly dislikeable as his wrong-footed life choices come home to roost. Wilberforce makes for a thoroughly unreliable narrator as he seeks to justify his alcoholism and betrayal of his friends. He's a man who ventures out of his depth and sinks rather than swims. The reverse timeline structure makes the story all the more poignant and at times it's quite painful to read.

[Ursula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I nearly gave up on this a couple of times as I found the character so unlikeable but managed to get to the end!

[JimZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Paul Torday's books with the exception of his last one which was OK. The others I thought were exceptional and this one was perhaps my favorite. It was so different. Poor Wilberforce.

I have three versions of this book.
1. Uncorrected bound proof with a drawing of a man sitting at a table and raising a glass of wine and a dog is sitting on the table. And above that picture is a car heading towards the house where all the wine is supposed to be..

2. A paperback edition, I think the 4th printing. Same house but with multiple bottles of wine and wine glasses.

3. A first edition, numbered in a slipcase. Same picture on front as the paperback version.

The only thing I don't have is the date that I read the book. :(

[Jules The Book Junkie Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chilling and sad story of a young man's downward spiral. The story begins at the end of Wilberforce's existence, and his bleak tale is told in flashbacks. Years after reading this haunting book, I still frequently recommend it to friends.

The story is well crafted and clever. The main character is not likable, but his story is compelling. I could not put down this hugely depressing book. One might ask why I would so highly recommend such a sad story, and the answer is simply that it is a very well written book.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilberforce (he's never called anything else in the novel) is a driven but talented software developer, a child of unknown parentage adopted at birth by a well-meaning but wool-gathering woman and her academic but thwarted husband. He sees himself growing up largely loveless, though one of the things I feel is missing from the novel is more about his relationship with his adoptive mother. (His adoptive father either ignores him or disparages him.) He and a buddy find success in software development, but then, at a point where he has pretty much everything he thinks he wants (money and the markers of success), Wilberforce meets Francis Black, a man with a huge, expensive and gloomy family seat (Carlyeon, now largely used by the local council for nothing much) and a wine collection to die for. Francis lives through his friendships with similar people (the country gentry) and by occasionally selling off some of his wine. Through Francis, Wilberforce meets a variety of people and is introduced to the kind of life he never even imagined, and meets his wife, Catherine. But if Francis's wine has played a role in bringing Wilberforce out of his narrow little life into something bigger and perhaps more interesting, it also has a terrible sting in its tail. When Francis dies, Wilberforce takes on the obligations of the wine collection (and the house), and things go inexorably but unnecessarily downhill. The reasons are left up to the reader to determine by drawing his or her own conclusions.

Torday obviously did a lot of research on the origins, development and medical outcomes of alcoholism, and from that point of view the novel is an excellent way to get to grips with these and see them played out to the bitter end.

I quite liked the narrative style of this novel. Chapters alternate between the present and the past, and interestingly the novel starts with an incident very near the end-point of Wilberforce's story and works towards its origins (or probable origins); again, the reader is left to draw his or her own inferences into what, beyond the story we're told, those origins are. Thus there is a bit of a mystery which the author refuses to make obvious. The reader can either leave it at that, or speculate based on some very subtle clues scattered about in the narrative.

It's not a long book, but it is a good one, though ultimately a dark one. I read it two or three times, and will probably some day return to it again. If you're looking for a book where wine is the central character, this isn't it, and you won't learn the art of wine-tasting from it. It's about alcoholism and the baggage that goes with it: selfishness, self-deception, perceptual and cognitive distortions, and finally a kind of warped fantasy world.

[Chantelle Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this book, because it sort of depressed me, hence the three star rating. However, it is a brilliant book, very clever, differernt, beautifully written and constructed, and at some points was definitely a page turner. It just lacked warmth and joy for me, so I will explain why. Wilberforce is in his thirties, a successful computer software developer, but he has never been in love, never really had friends, and was never truly loved by his foster parents as a child. He has thrown himself into his company and and worked day and night with no social life. However, one day he takes a car ride, finds a shop and a country house, and meets some new people there. Francis Black is a wine merchant and obsessive. His friends Ed, Eck, and Catherine are of a higher class, extremely well off and connected, and they somewhat take the lonely Wilberforce under their wing. The story though, is told back to front. A very interesting twist, but that is what makes it depressing! It starts with the end; Wilberforce, his wife dead, his friends hate him, Francis Black dead, and nothing to live for, has become a complete alcoholic on the verge of death. What follows is the story of how he got there, going back one segment at a time until we are at the point when Wilberforce first met them all. To begin with I quite disliked him. I found the endless descriptions of wine quite boring, and I found his attitude to life disappointing and frustrating. True, as the story unfolds backwards, I did begin to understand what had happened to him, and at times felt very sorry for him. A few of the characters mention that he is like 'anybody' or 'nobody' or like a person who is empty, with something missing, and that was my overall feeling about him as well. You do start to understand why as the book goes on, but you also get a sense of doom slip over you, because you know how it is going to end for him! This was an interesting book, but it just didn't give me enough. I wasn't inspired or pulled in, I didn't really empathise with any of them, despite really wanting to. I would read more from the author though out of curiosity.

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a strange book, one that I don't think will ever have a consensus of approval - my rating of 5 stars probably seems like a strange choice to most people who have read this book. This is one of those novels that will simply mean different things to different people. I found it difficult to get into but very worth persisting at, and I loved the way Torday used a nonlinear structure to turn a relatively simple plot into something mesmerising account of one man's strange downfall. Wilberforce is a character that will be hated by many and resonate with few; I am one of those few. I love this idea of a person with very little sense of self, due to a life lacking in love, finding it impossible to be himself, because even he doesn't know who he is. Most would say that Salmon Fishing is Torday's better novel, but for me, this novel was far more engaging and impacting - though, that being said, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone; Torday's writing style is definitely an acquired taste.

[Nia Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was it a comedy or a tragedy. Guess I will never find out. But that's what Paul Torday always does.
The moment a bottle of wine is opened it dies. But what doesn't die?
This is the story of a computer geek, Wilberforce told in the reverse order. Yes, Torday calls him Wilberfore right till the end, only then do you get to know his first name.
Pretty dark story. Wilberforce is a socially awkward, emotionally challenged, practically teetotal computer geek cum owner of a profitable company who finds himself under the spell of Francis, a dying wine collector who lived is a palatial home that's mortgaged to the hilt. And its all downward from there.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic.
It starts slowly, and I'm thinking, "Is he going to be drinking wine and visiting restaurants throughout the whole 300 pages?" But the story gets more and more interesting. Starting in the present and going back a year in each following part of the book makes for exciting reading - slowly filling the blanks in the story.
The only thing I wished for was to know how the story ends for Willberforce. Could he be Francis' son?
I highly recommend the book.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reverse timeline was interesting however I found the story deeply disturbing. IMO Wilberforce had all the classic symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome. His attitude to alcohol was not so much alcoholism as it was OCD. It was hard to know what to believe - his friends with incredible wealth, his seeming lack of personal responsibility...
And who was Francis Black? I'm not sure but he was probably the only character for whom I felt any empathy.

[Jacquie South · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 ⭐️ really, but I’ll round it up to 5.
A really sad and slightly frustrating book. Very well written, and I found the narrative device of telling the story in 4 parts in backwards chronological order was very effective. Obviously knowing how Wilberforce ends up and what happens makes each step back in time more heartbreaking.
I was left a little frustrated - I kind of wanted more closure than the author allowed, but overall I was quite impressed with this sad little story.

[Mandy Setterfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping read. The story of an alcoholic told in reverse chronological order. Once I'd got to the end, I wanted to start again and read it backwards. During the early part of the book, when his illness is at its worst, I couldn't put it down, and if forced to, kept thinking "wonder how Wilberforce is?"

[Birgitt Krumboeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. This author is pitch-perfect. I am so sorry that he is no longer among us.

[Sandra Van Rijt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesante

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

edit: lowered score to 2.5 bc i can’t stop thinking about how i didn’t enjoy it that much lol

excellent writing and storytelling, the foreshadowing (reverse foreshadowing?) was really good, i liked reading the final part. unfortunately, the content of the book was really not for me.

i thought this was a magical mystery based on the blurb. it was more like a mystery about how one man fell into alcoholism, and how he’s never really had anyone in his life yet treats most people in his life terribly eventually. it was depressing and sad and made me feel sad. i still think it’s a good book, but i just couldn’t enjoy it. some points were truly painful to read.

also, slight spoiler, but was it implied that francis was his biological dad??

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thought provoking and well written book, which travels back through the recent years of an alcoholic's life. It was a sad tale, which left me feeling a bit deflated - so I guess it succeeded in telling the story it set out to do!
There were parts (obviously) which were off putting - the descent into illness and Wilberforce's self delusions, but also the characters being of an upper class, leisurely denomination, who weren't particularly likable, sometimes made it difficult for me to relate, and thus enjoy the book. I felt the author knew his topic quite well - the wine, to some extent, but also the ways of the gentry, with their hunting, fishing and shooting mentality.
On the whole, though, I did feel sympathy for Wilberforce. I'm glad I've finished the book though, and will now go and find something a little more uplifting.

[Elizabeth]

I read this because I adored Torday's first book, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and because I think he shares my obsession with the Percival/Peredur grail narrative. Maybe (I've said this before....) maybe I'm just obsessed. But the long-lost heir wanders into the hall of the dying lord (whose son he is and whose name he shares), where three men greet him and take him out to practice an art at which he is a natural; there are many visits to various crumbling castles, and perilous voyages, and at one point the dying lord says to him, "You asked the wrong question."

"What is the right question?" the nameless hero asks, at which point I, hysterical, looked up from the book and shouted (much to the consternation of my family), "What is the meaning of all these wonderful things?" Surely, surely...

However, back on earth, this is a curiously not-depressing book about alcoholism--it ought to be more upsetting than it is (the Daily Telegraph reviewer comments, 'Remarkably, given the bleakness of both subject and hero, it is an incredibly good read'). Partly I think you feel so distanced from the narrator that you never really engage with him; also, the book's backward structure means that you always know where his downward spiral is going to lead him.

I liked it but not nearly as much as the quirky and inspired Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

[Helen Precious · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book of 4 parts that starts with the ending. This book just bored me, I didn't expect it to be funny but I did expect to be entertained. The main character Wilberforce was portrayed as being in his mid 30's but I found his character to be someone in his mid fifties. He is an alcoholic and this is the story of him from the start of his working life to current day - but in reverse. The story surrounding his wife and how they came to be together was weak and unconvincing, as were the other lead characters Eck, Francis and Ed. Colin suddenly made an appearance in the first chapter but then vanished never to be heard of again. Why on earth did Wilberforce agree to buy the Estate and the Undercroft? This question was not answered adequately nor was it convincing. Was there any suspense - nope. Are any of the characters likeable/believable/sympathetic, nope, they just don't have any substance. The theme of wine runs continually through this novel - this was tedious - I suspect the author wanted to showcase his (boring) knowledge. This is the story of an alcoholic and the effect of alcohol on his life, it could have been so much better.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

The introduction was interesting enough to make me want to read further. Skilled at describing setting and people, Torday drew me into the story and halfway through I found myself attached the to main character and the dilemma he was going through. There were two climaxes in the story but I feel they occur way too early in the book. What was a big disappointment to me was that the ending was flat. I waited for the punch line but there wasn't one. There were no surprises in store. Wilberforce never knew who his parents were. I kept on wondering if Francis was actually his father but there wasn't any confirmation towards the end. Worth mentioning is that Torday's technique of flashback that progressively goes backwards in time is distinctive in this novel as well as his other ones. However, in this novel, the ending that is supposed to be an introduction of the story is a let down. It felt like opening a present with anticipation of a surprise, only to find that there was nothing in the box.

[Loudoh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I often say that a good book is one that evokes emotion and great book is one that leaves you wondering if the characters are OK long after you have turned the last page.

Having just turned my last page, this bleak book has left me feeling sad and depressed and I'm not wondering if Wilberforce, Catherine and Francis are OK because I know exactly what has, or will happen to them. I think this is one of those book that will leave me feeling haunted, just like Lionel Shrivers, 'We need to talk about Kevin' and J.K Rowling’s ‘Casual Vacancy’did.

I found it interesting reading other reviews of this book where people said that they often recommend this book to friends. I would never recommend this book to a friend but I wouldn't deter them from reading it. It is a well crafted, well written book and I felt compelled to finish it even though I didn't like the emotions it was evoking in me.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a talented writer! Anyone who can take what would normally be a depressing subject and turn it into an enjoyable read deserves high praise. As Wilberforce's world spirals out of control by the seduction of wine, we walk backward through his life to try and understand how this happened. I so wanted to befriend this sad young man and offer him my sympathy and compassion. Not sure why, but expect it was due to the brilliance of the writing.

[Lisa Wosik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t much like Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, Paul Torday’s first book. I thought it was quite dull so I was expecting to not like this but I really loved it! I loved the idea that this thing that was just wine became such an obsession to Wilberforce and I couldn’t help wondering if he was Francis’ secret child?!

[Evridiki Amanatidou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having already read "Salmon fishing in the Yemen" and "More than you can say" I came to simply adore Torday"'s writing. But I became a little disapointed by "The Irresistible inheritance of Wilberforce". I would have prefered an "orthodox" narrative, meaning the plot to happen from past to present times and not the reverse. Anyway, I liked the "digging"into Wilberforce's character.

[Mark Nunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very clever book, like a fine wine it has many layers with subtle topnotes adding complexity to a robust base.

I did find that the reverse chronology to be a little frustrating, I feel cheated by not knowing what happens next, like the ending was stolen from me. However the exploration of Wilberforce's past is well done and allowed his character to be explored quite effectively.