Murder in Mount Holly

by Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux, one of the world€™s most popular authors, both for his travel books and his fiction, has produced an off-beat story of 1960s weirdos unlike anything he has ever written.During the time of Lyndon Johnson€™s presidency, Herbie Gneiss is forced to leave college to get a job. His income from the Kant-Brake toy factory, which manufactures military toys for children, keeps his chocolate-loving mother from starvation. Mr. Gibbon, a patriotic veteran of three wars, also works at Kant-Brake. When Herbie is drafted, Mr. Gibbon falls in love with Herbie€™s mother and they move in together at Miss Ball€™s rooming house. Since Herbie is fighting for his country, Mr. Gibbon feels that he, too, should do something for his country and convinces Miss Ball and Mrs. Gneiss to join him in the venture. They decide to rob the Mount Holly Trust Company because it is managed by a small dark man who is probably a communist. There are some complications. Combine Donald

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Humor, American

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work is The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), a travelogue about a trip he made by train from Great Britain through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through South Asia, then South-East Asia, up through East Asia, as far east as Japan, and then back across Russia to his point of origin. Although perhaps best known as a travelogue writer, Theroux has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel The Mosquito Coast.

He is the father of Marcel and Louis Theroux, and the brother of Alexander and Peter. Justin Theroux is his nephew.

Reviews

[Mmars · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a offensive little send-up this is! Let's see, 1969. Cynicism, racism, bungling cops, naieve people, stupid people, unhealthy people, commies, it's all there. Think about all the violent movies that were made then. Chillingly violent. Yes, Theroux is mocking that violence. He's "mocking" the establishment.

Mrs. Gneiss is a metaphor for America's politicians, sending their boys off to war - stupidly, uncaringly, senselessly.

Is it a great book? No. But, does it deserve one star? No. Not give the amount of really, really, badly written, and mind-numbing pablum currently out there. This is funny - I laughed at the characters, not at racism, etc. It's clearly written. The characters are distinctly drawn.

I give it 3 stars because there were a couple episodes that seemed to have no connection. Like when Miss Ball goes to the doctor wanting a warranty that her fallopian tubes would not grow back. Yeah, yeah, it's funny, but....what did it have to do with the story, especially where it was placed in the book?

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like Paul Theroux is someone I should have read by now. This slender book was the least commitment like, which made it an optimal way to check out the author. It is also as it turns out one of his earliest, so it might not be the most accurate example of his writing abilities. Sort of an absurdist slapstick comedy/satire of a highly ridiculous bank robbery with a lot of politics, racial and otherwise, of the times (1969) thrown in. Light, funny and entertaining way to pass an hour and a half.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book which was written by one of the worlds most popular authors and was a surprise to me because of its very low rating and few readers. Paul Theroux is articulate and politically very liberal. As a matter of fact while I was reading the book I noticed an editorial in the New York Times written by him regarding the release of a Taliban prisoner. No matter what your political leanings are it is certain that his writings are articulate, well thought out and always thought provoking. With that in mind, as I read this story it became clear through the use of demeaning racial slurs and low class intellectual characters that this book indeed was either deplorable or just clever humor or satire of a certain level of intelligence in America back in the sixties when we were dealing with civil rights, assassinations and the Viet Nam War. I chose to accept the concept of the book making fun of the deepest undercurrent of conservatism and it made the book at times almost hilarious. I do not approve of some of the politically incorrect language, but when you write about a certain time period it is enlightening to have someone remind you of the truths. Revisionist history is worthless.

[marymurtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's what you should know about this book: it was a re-release in my advance reader copy service but was actually written over 40 years ago. And after reading it, almost immediately every detail of it drained from my mind. I'm not kidding. I do not recall one single thing from the book. At all. I know I read it, but that's all. There's your review. :(

9/1

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella, originally publishing in 1969, is a hoot, sort of a Donald Westlake novel with Waugh's wit and Flannery O'Connor's grotesque characters.

[Betsy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just don't bother. Despite the blurbs, the plot and writing have nothing in common with Donald Westlake--just an ugly wannabe.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the late 1960s. Lyndon Johnson is President and United States is deep in Vietnam. Herbie Gneiss is happily attending college when his widowed mother guilts him into leaving college to get a job and sending her enough money to keep her from starving...with enough extra to pop chocolate bonbons in her ever-hungry mouth all day long while watching television. He gets a job at the Kant-Brake toy factory which churns out military-style toys. He moves into Miss Ball's rooming house (to be close to work) and meets fellow-roomer Mr. Gibbon who also works at the factory.

Herbie has just settled into his new life when Uncle Sam decides another soldier is needed in 'Nam and drafts him. Exit Herbie off the stage and (spoiler alert) soon out of the story all together. During his brief sojourn at the rooming house, he introduces Mr. Gibbon to his mother and they fall in love. Pretty soon, Mrs. Gneiss gives up her house and moves into Herbie's old rooms at Miss Ball's. Led by the ultra-patriotic Mr. Gibbon (veteran of three wars!), the three decide they need to do something on the home-front while Herbie is off fighting for his country. What better thing to do than to show the You-Know-Whos (all the commie brown people taking over America) that "real Americans" means business? And what better way to show the You-Know-Whos than to rob a bank managed by a small dark man who is undoubtedly a communist? Probably. Maybe.

The three elderly robbers-to-be set work casing the joint and making plans for a spectacular robbery that will put them on the front page as patriotic Americans saving their money (and the rest of the town's while they're at it) from the evil Reds who are stealing everybody blind. As is often the case, the best laid plans often go astray--but what's a murder or two, kidnapped policemen, and a stolen cop car among friends?

Paul Theroux's Murder in Mount Holly (1969) is the second non-traditional crime novel I've read from my birth year. It's starting to look like a trend. It could, just, be slotted into the inverted mystery category. There are definitely no surprises here--except for guessing how many corpses there will be littered about before the over-the-hill gang get done with their crime spree. But I don't think Theroux's real goal was a crime novel. It strikes me more as satirical commentary on the times in which he lived. He plays on the idea of patriotism--most obviously with the character of Mr. Gibbons, but also with Mrs. Gneiss's false pride in sending her son off to the battlefield. I definitely get the feeling that dear old mom is thinking more about her next bonbon than she is about Herbie off in Vietnam. And if her lover-boy, Gibbons, weren't so hipped on his particular brand of patriotism I doubt she'd give it another thought at all. He uses the casual violence to underscore the violence of the current war. Theroux also examine the fear of the other (all those brown people taking over everything) that strikes a chord with today's reader with the background noise of Donald Trump and his supporters chanting "Build the wall!"

A thought-provoking novel that, like Blind Man With a Pistol, gives the reader another snapshot of America in the late 1960s.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Gabriel Congdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the best 3 Star book I’ve ever red.

[William Bevill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went in expecting/hoping/eager to like this after hearing of bad reviews. I knew I would gleam some goodness and maybe greatness. Instead, I walk off curious why this would made into a novella. It's a short story, not just in short size, but in the simple concept of the story. And what of this story? It is mostly forgotten. There is little to enjoy here, some interesting characters who go nowhere, and are best forgotten. This will rank low among so many great Theroux novels.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early Theroux novel, already showing the promise of his mature works. A dark comedy, in many ways, taking aim at prejudice, racism and the military industrial complex. Yes it was published 1969. We are still protesting the same things, aren't we? Sigh.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satire, but funny crazy characters. Senior citizens want to rob a bank and give the money to charities. There is a retired Army man of 38 years that works in a toy factory that makes authentic war toys, a widow who gorges herself while watching TV and expects her son to provide her with food and money, and a kindergarten teacher that takes in boarders and has the janitor as her lover. The good son Herbie withdraws from college to work and support his mom, but then gets drafted. Written in 1969 not at all politically correct with terminology especially about people and race. I found it entertaining and little silly.

[Kirk Weikart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The summary accurately describes the story as offbeat and the characters as 1960's weirdos. The characters are caricatures; however, the extreme personalities made the story even funnier. The story (written in 1969) is politically incorrect by today's standards. I can see why some of the author's books are banned in certain countries. The characters judgmental tones are scathing and would not be accepted in today's society. However, for a person of my generation, this would be seen as a parody, bringing to mind movies starring Sid Caesar and Charlie Callas rather than being offensive. Books should make you think about things; this book achieves that goal.

[JAMES MEYER · Rating 3 out of 5]

This brought to mind Jane Bowles', "Two Serious Ladies." Bowles' novel is richer, deeper, stranger, more profoundly unsettling, but Theroux has produced an absurd farce that reflects an absurd, and dangerous, moment in the American timeline.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Supposed to be satire? I honestly have no idea what the point of that book was.

[Rob Paczkowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I can say is NO! Don't...

[READERS RETREAT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not for me

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

An exceptionally strange, early novel by Theroux.

I've been reading him since the mid 1970s. there aren't many novels I've missed. Love his short stories. Enjoy his travel writing but his novels are - to be kind - uneven.

As always mileage will vary according to the driver. Good luck.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of Flannery O'Connor meets... Paul Theroux, I guess. This is a very early work and there's a coldness to it, and a flippancy. Theroux does warm up a bit later, I find.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that I gave this book two stars because 1. it's short and didn't take up too much of my time and 2. I generally like Paul Theroux's writing. Otherwise, it would have been in the single star category. First published in 1960 and released in the United Kingdom, I'm unclear why it was re-released last year. Basic plot: Herbie Gneiss drops out of college and gets a job at the Kant-Brake toy factory to help support his overweight, hypochondriac mother who sits at home all day stuffing herself. In order to be closer to his job at Kant-Brake, Herbie gets a room in a rooming house run by an elderly woman named Nellie Ball. Another Kant-Brake employee, Charlie Gibbon, a retired Army veteran also rooms at Miss Ball's rooming house. Short story story. Herbie is drafted and sent to Vietnam. His mother becomes romantically involved with Charlie and she, Charlie, and Nellie decided to rob a bank to protest the infiltration of communists into American society and "to prove to the world that old folks still had a lot of spunk left." Now I was involved in the anti-war protests in the 1960s and I'm certainly in favor of empowering the elderly, but good grief, this book is a mess. Paul, I was really excited to see this book on the new book shelf at the library but I was certainly expecting more.

[Ushan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paul Theroux has tried his hand in many genres: a travel book, a semi-autobiographical novel, a dystopian sci-fi novel, one-page stories, and more. This is an absurdist dark comic crime novel. In 1965, a man and two women in their sixties - a retired soldier working in a toy soldiers factory, a kindergarten teacher and the widow of a toolmaker - decide to rob a bank and somehow use the money to stop "coons and communists" from taking over America and destroying the American way of life. They do rob a bank, murdering and kidnapping people who get in their way, in a manner reminiscent of Coen brothers movies filmed decades after this book was written. Perhaps if I had been more familiar with the types the novel sends up, I would have found it funnier.

[Susan Emmet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't know this novel(la) was reissued in the US after its birth forty years ago.
I found it sanguine, satirical and often hideously hilarious.
The trio of aging slobs who perpetrate a bank robbery in the name of...patriotism? money? justice? their due?...is pretty funny.
Theroux has written so much in varied fashion. I'd not met a book like this in his shelf.
Thinking back to 1969, the war's horrors, the personal prejudices that always "inform" ignorant people, the self-justification of crappy behavior, the just plain awfulness of some folks - all speaks clearly regardless of date, I think.
Oh - the trio, Gneiss, Gibbon and Ball- are cause for laughing loudly while reading.

[Larry Hostetler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read other reviews or I might have been prepared. Four characters: a batty old veteran, a mountain of a shrewish woman and her milquetoast son, and a boarding-house owning elementary school teacher living in make-believe land.

Since this book is set in the 1960s I will compare it to several shows from that era: it is a cross between the Twilight Zone, The Andy Griffith Show, and Dragnet. An odd book, at least it is short and a quick read.

If you like quick and quirk this might be an enjoyable book for you. Otherwise you can use your time more enjoyably and productively in almost any other way.

Disappointing; I expected more of Paul Theroux. But you can't win every time.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a re-release of a book Theroux had published in 1969. It's silly, but mercifully short. To my mind, it doesn't merit more than 1.5 stars but I've given 2. I won't rehash the plot or bother to review it. Just read the previous reviews posted on this site. The only comment I'd add is that this is set in the Vietnam War era, not WW II as one reviewer stated. The story takes place during the presidency of LBJ and refers to the war protests across the country, Communism, and race relations.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This absurd little novel was more like a long short story. Theroux has chops -- all the sentences are great. The story didn't end up amounting to much, but that did not cut down on my enjoyment. I read recently that authors are writing more, shorter works to drum up enthusiasm for their longer stuff. This will likely end up having that effect for me. Any Theroux recommendations?

[John Mccullough · Rating 2 out of 5]

First published in the UK in 1969, now in the US in 2011, it is a critique of the Viet Nam War and the people who supported it. It is dated, but still occasionally hilarious. A combination of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, with characters like Archie Bunker, it is a slapstick satire of the war, a bit bittersweet at times. It is short but still takes a bit of time to get on to the real meat - the bank robbery which will teach them damned dark-skinned pinkoe commies that there are still red-blooded Anglo-Saxon 'Murikins left to defend truth, justice an the 'Murikin way.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Review "Murder In Mount Holly" by Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux’s publishers market his new book as a comic-mystery-thriller. It’s comic, but it’s not new and the only mystery is why the publisher doesn’t hawk it as satire.

Go to my blog:
Have Words Will Write ‘Em

and then to the Minneapolis Star Tribune

--Joe

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a quirky little story. An absurdist farce—part Richard Brautigan, part Timothy Leary—this 42-year-old book was resurrected recently by Grove/Atlantic under the Mysterious Press imprint from Theroux's back catalogue. A curious choice, this certainly isn't his best work; but perhaps even in these days of electronic publishing, a recognisable name shouting from the shelf has potential. Still, it was an enjoyable bit of fluff.

[Arlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a novel; it's a novella at 148 little pages. It's a reprint of a 1969 novel and selling it for a listed price of $22 makes it a true rip off. The story is thin, the characters are one-dimensional, and there's very little action or true mystery. It's truly a book to be missed by fans of Paul Theroux. He should stick to publishing new travel narratives and not reissuing dull, old fiction.

[Elaine Tama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this short novel in two evenings, all the while chuckling out loud at the strange characters and their behavior during the short time frame of the book. It takes place during the Vietnam War era, and I remember the how the draft impacted families, just like Herbie's family. The pro-war veteran who works in a company which produces toy war goods, and Theroux's description of the culture of the company, is hilarious.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hardly ever do I laugh out loud while reading a book, but this one, I started laughing on the first few pages and finally retired to my room to finish it in private where I could laugh away without getting annoying looks from my family. It's a small book filled with funny scenes and conversations. I may have to read it again someday when I'm longing for a laugh. It'll still be funny the second time around.