The Irresistible Inheritance Of Wilberforce

By: Paul Torday

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Late one summer evening, Wilberforce - rich, young, and work-obsessed - makes a detour on his way home to the vast undercroft of Caerlyon Hall, and the domain of Francis Black, a place where wine, hospitality and affection flow freely.

Through Francis, Wilberforce is initiated into a life rich in the promise of friendship and adventure, where, through his new set of friends, the possibility of finding acceptance, and even falling in love, seems finally to be within his reach.

Wilberforce becomes a willing pupil to Francis, and in the cellars of Caerlyon he nurtures a new-found passion for wine. But even the finest wine can leave a bitter aftertaste, and Wilberforce will learn the undercroft's unpalatable secrets, and that passion comes at a price ...

Read by David Rintoul

(p) 2008 Orion Publishing Group©2008 Paul Torday

Critic reviews

Exceptionally accomplished.. second novels are notoriously difficult to pull off but Torday has managed a near masterpiece

The whole book is delightfully written...Paul Torday is a remarkably original novelist

Grows more and more poignant as the novel progresses.. satisfyingly full-bodied and slips down a treat

Remarkably, given the bleakness of both subject and hero, it is an incredibly good read

What makes us want to find out about Wilberforce is Torday's wonderful prose - the same simple, clear writing that made Salmon Fishing so readable

He has a good feeling for character and a sly sense of humour

A well-told tale...Torday wryly observes Wilberforce's descent

Telling the story back-to-front allows Torday to highlight Wilberforce's self-delusion; he's that familiar figure, the alcoholic who pretends that he's merely a connoisseur

Torday's confidence in his story's power to command attention is not misplaced...Wilberforce is well worth sampling

A heart-wrenching tale of alcoholism and a lonely man's search for identity...a mesmerising page-turner

[The plot] provides Torday with copious opportunities for comedy, which he readily exploits. But there is a serious undertone

Slips down a treat

My favorite novel of all time

An amazing book that should connect to anyone who is a bit different than the crowd, and for anyone who can appreciate the overwhelming folly and mental anguish that awaits those who while are good and decent, but yet whom choose the selfish option when the decision really really matters.

Deeply moving

This is a beautifully realised and moving story. Wonderfully written and read, it held me gripped throughout. I was not familiar with Paul Torday and having experienced 'Wilberforce' am now being amused by "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen".
The story of the Wilberforce (and you do get to find out his first name) tells of the slide into madness and the deceit of addiction. Paul Torday writes with command and confidence and his descriptive prose at times is mesmerising. Highly recommended.

Extraordinary story

Not all is "light & happiness" in this story, but the main character is extremely well constructed & throughout the story we get inklings that help us understand him. It is superbly crafted, a wonderful read. It's definitely "hard to put down".

Starting this book you have no idea where it's going to go. That said, it is one of those stories that begins at the end...and ends at the beginning.

A little way into the book we begin to grasp what's going on for Wilberforce & how this part of his story will end. He's a character to love, with all of his failings.

If you've read & enjoyed "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" you will know & appreciate Paul Torday's wonderful way with a story. This story is not in the same theme, but his brilliant narrative style is expressed just as clearly.

Paul Tourday

The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce kept me interested throughout. The reverse sequence plot was somewhat disconcerting as you knew the end and could only listened for the way the end was reached.

Very, very good.

I bought this on a whim, having never heard of the book or the author before - I just like David Rintoul as a narrator. It turned out to be a fantastic story - lots of twists and turns, an interesting approach to 'revealing' both elements of the story and the character of the protagonist, good writing, and good reading. (I don't want to spoil it for you by saying much about the plot.) My only quibble, and it's a small one, is that I would have liked a little more closure at the end - I was left thinking, "Okay, but what happened NEXT?" But overall highly recommended.