Long Live the King
By Fay Weldon (352 pages)
Published by St. Martin's Press
Bookish rating: 3.5
This second novel in oh-so-witty Fay Weldon's Edwardian trilogy continues to help Downton Abbey fans cope with the Downton off-season.
All of British aristocracy is caught up in preparing for Edward's coronation, and here we again meet the Dilbernes. A comedy of manners that's light on plot but heavy on wit, the novel pretty much delivers what you'd expect: unflinching mockery of people who far care vastly about how long one's dress train can be for the coronation than orphaned relatives.
Weldon bounces happily from one character's head to the next, drolly revealing their rationalizations, weaknesses, and motivations. And again, we get to see the servants' points of view as well.
Typical Weldon fare, this is a fun, jolly ride. Recommended, just for the fun of it.
