Mount by Jilly Cooper - SPOILERS!

[MrsCampbellBlack]

So do not read this thread if you have not read the whole book.

I wanted to punch Gala's lights out

Amazon have emailed that it is on its way! Cannot wait as it is years since her last book!

I am so disappointed - I mean really really disappointed.

I think Jilly was in a really dark place when she wrote this book. None of the characters are likeable with the exception of Gav and Bao.

Gala is a fucking bitch and Rupert oh Rupert. I really wish I hadn't read it.

We know he was a cad but Taggie saved him and she didn't used to be quite so wet.

And the implications that she was shit in bed compare to Gala - well that just doesn't tally with what Jilly wrote in previous books.

Jilly has basically ruined it all and it could have been such a good book. Racing is interesting and she just didn't need to do that to Rupert and Taggie.

Gala shagging him knowing Taggie had cancer was just awful.

Doesn't instil much faith in Rupert being there in the future during chemo etc.

And yes I know it isn't real - but these characters have been a part of my life for sooooo long.

Totally agree that Taggie didn't use to be that wet! She and Rupert barely spoke to each other for the whole book! And she never said boo - didn't say one word to Rupert for forgetting her birthday or kissing Gala on live TV. The Taggie we knew in Rivals was principled - telling Rupert Declan was right to refuse to read the Corinium application and standing up for animal rights etc. I think she should have been seen to reflect on her marriage and consider leaving Rupert. Perhaps she should have walked out, which would have devastated Rupert and he would have dropped everything to get her back. Giving her cancer meant she didn't have to actually do anything - she never did learn to assert herself. Grr.

I was also rather shocked at the idea that Wolfie might be having an affair! He wasn't, was he? It was Tab being jealous. Did that sound a wee bit emotionally abusive to anyone else - I can't help it, I'm just possessive like Daddy?

I was really shocked when Rupert went to Lime Tree Cottage to shag Gala, leaving Taggie in bed at Penscombe. It was so cold!

Why do you think Jilly did it? Have read a few interviews with her recently - the Camilla Long one in the times was particularly interesting.

And I am pretty sure Rannaldini did rape Tab not just try too.

A strange read. Agree that Taggie was just a doormat in this one. Rupert cheating was horrible, I was waiting for him to have a last minute realisation and stop himself. Buttercunt, bleugh. It was nice to see the characters again and I did enjoy a lot of it. The ending felt quite rushed. Agree with MrsCB above, just not enough likeable characters in this book. Gala was horrible. Although he was a villain I could do with a Jan around the house. Also there seemed to dialogue basically lifted from earlier books which was a bit confusing.

Score, p244: "Then he (Rannaldini) had rammed his cock into her, not minding if his aim was off-centre. At first it buckled against her tightness then, tearing her because of her dryness, forced itself inside."

That sounds like actual rape to me - do you think because Tabitha escapes before ejaculation occurs (because Gertrude bites Rannaldini), Jilly has decided it was only attempted rape?

And bleurgh to buttercunt! Vom.

On a lighter note, the amount they drink rather staggered me, and I'm no teetotaller. Etta and Valent drink 2 bottles of champagne and a bottle of red while having geriatric sex - all I can say is that I would have been fast asleep as soon as I lay down after 1 bottle!

I think it was quite a mean book - even small things like poor Sukie had put on a lot of weight.

I think Jilly just wanted to destroy everything really.

Agree re the alcohol - makes me feel positively virtuous in comparison.

There wasn't the humour that there used to be either.

Oh DEAR. I'm scanning my way through the endless chapters on the intricacies of a local horse race in the hope of finding a few words on humans, preferably one I know, or a crumb or two of humour or raunch.

Boy, am I flicking quickly. This is a ramshackle manual on flat racing, not a Jilly Cooper.

I haven't read the whole book and I probably won't. I am terrified of being outed here, because that really would be faintmakingly awful, but all I can say is:

1. There are whole repeated paragraphs barely 5pp apart.
2. It's not funny.
3. Toffs love a white Zimbabwean, not sure anyone else does.
4. Oh God, the endless racing TMI.
5. Her nature writing is exquisite, better than Ted Hughes.
6. Everyone is badly dressed, which isn't good enough these days.
7. The fragments that are good are repeats from previous books. Except (5).

Mrs CB - Why do you think Jilly did it?

Care fees.

She should have written a book on rural England if you ask me - it would be a classic, instantly, and give her talent what it deserves ie a place in the canon. She can write about nature better than anyone living.

I think you are correct Lanaor. In the Camilla Long interview there was quite a bit about how she'd had to support her family pretty much always - well Leo I mean.

It also implied her marriage wasn't that brilliant and I wonder if she therefore just couldn't let Rupert and Taggie live happily ever after - or without him shagging the vile Gala.

And are we now meant to assume that Gala and Gav stay living 100 m away from Taggie and Rupert and it is all fine.

If she does write another book - I jolly well hope Taggie tells Rupert to fuck off and goes and finds herself someone nice.

I also agree her nature writing is lovely and her older characters used to be flawed but they generally redeemed themselves in some way.

Not any more.

I would almost wonder if she actually wrote the book!

She wrote it all right. And under horrible circumstances she did brilliantly. But I suspect the editors never got a chance to make raw Jilly sound like real Jilly.

I also think that Jilly's extreme cleverness and powers of observation have outed themselves surreptitiously in the plot, if not the gush. She just couldn't help being more accurate about people and their marriages in the long haul. We want the dream she made, though.

Yes, I could have done with a lot more people/fun. There wasn't even that much sex, apart from Etta/Valent I'm with Trixie, they are too old. What happened to Trixie - did she stay with icky Seth in the end? Or was she just forgotten about?

I also wondered about Trixie - assume she stayed with Seth.

Yes Etta in her crotchless thong was a bit much really.

Jilly could have written about the ups and downs of a long marriage but she really didn't need there to be butterc**t.

I mentioned this on the other thread - I'm sure the ages are all messed up, Rupert has to be more than 57.

That makes Taggie about 38, but she was 19 in the mid eighties... and it's clearly set in 'now' with iphones and twitter.

Yes, I thought that too AyeAye. Was actually going to check the dates from Rivals but just feel too sad about it all.

I actually think Jilly should just have killed Taggie off and let Rupert stew in his own guilt for the rest of his life.

Just finished.

I love Jilly. LOVE her. I know Emily to Octavia practically word for word. Also Riders and Rivals. I also like the racing stuff, despite having little interest in horses IRL.

But... Too many characters, too many plots many of which seemed to be dropped or sloppily resolved (l was sure Bao' s sister was going to pop up and the Wang plot ended up not really going anywhere after Gala's fainting fit.)

Too many unlikable characters who never really redeemed themselves. Hated Gala. The Jan subplot was annoying. And Taggie where is your spine?

Also some very crude national stereotypes (which to be fair has always been the case but particularly glaring here). And Old Eddie sexually assaulting elderly women was revolting.

The editing was poor to non existent which often seems to happen when authors are very famous. Was it rushed out?

Any bits with Etta, Valent or Mrs Wilkinson could have been cut out quite happily. Ditto the whole bit with Seth Bainbridge and Trixie.

The prologue with the origin story of the Campbell-Blacks was OK, but the denoument was so rushed. Either battling over top stud or whatever it was, or the family feud - it didn't work having both.

Urgh to 'buttercunt' - what the fuck was she thinking?

I kind of enjoyed it but it's obviously not a patch on her earlier books (Riders, Rivals, Polo). But appalling editing, if indeed there was any (when Jump came out I bought it immediately and noticed that Bas Baddingham - a major character in Rivals - had been referred to as Bas Baddington! I don't know how that got as far as printing, clearly no one checks very thoroughly)

Back to Mount - I got confused over the sheer amount of stable hands and couldn't work who was who and who they worked for.

Thought the Trixie storyline was pretty pointless and then it just ended a third of the way through the book with her going back to Seth? Really? Didn't he rape her in Jump?

The downtrodden abused wife and Janey's online dating friend was also absolutely pointless and reminded me of a very similar storyline in Apassionata

The animal rights stuff that she tries to shoe horn into every book now is getting tedious especially she's clearly fond of fox hunting - so all animals are equal but some are more equal than others - eh Jilly?

The national /racial /xenophobic stereotypes are getting ever more cringe worthy and if you're female you've still got to loose weight to get your man.

And Rupert's age - I think he's really about 65-67 as he was 18ish when Perdita was conceived and that was late 60s??