Treasure Hunt

This was a delightful novel, which was originally a play. It revolves around a slightly daffy Anglo Irish Family a few years after the Second World War. Although their castle is crumbling around them and they are forced to take on "PG's" (paying guests) to make ends meet, the older generation, members of the faded aristocracy, continue to live in the past, when life revolved around endless parties, glasses of champagne, and betting on the horses. A wonderful look at a disappearing world from someone who lived in it. Very well written and entertaining. This is my first Molly Keane novel. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Keane is a descriptive and yet concise writer, allowing the reader to experience the lush, posh life of an Irish Manor House, without overwelming James-esque paragraphs. Her story is fanciful, full of twist and turns, and amazingly humorous. Based on her own experiences of small town living, she spins a humorous, almost anecdotal tale of a wealthy family gone broke, having to take in "P-G's" -paying guests to break just barely even. The (lunatic) elders of the family include, Hercules- the childlike uncle, fond of his biccys(biscuits-cookies); Consuelo- the scathingly flippant aunt, fond of spending; and Aunt Anna Rose, widowed baronness who sits in a sedan chair actually believing she is traveling on the Orient Express, phoning her family from abroad on the telephone they've hooked up for her. Titled the Treasure Hunt because of (hidden)lost rubies, if only Aunt Anna Rose could remember where she hid them 50 years before, "I cannot remember, but they are hidden very well"! This is a spectacularly hilarious book, and a quick read- I picked it up for a $1.50, and put it down just a day later. Anyone who loves timeperiod pieces will adore this. Enjoy.