Mr. Scobie's Riddle

by Elizabeth Jolley

Mr. Scobie's admission to a nursing home offers a severe challenge to its domineering proprietress, Matron Hyacinth Price

Genres: Fiction, Australia, Literature

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Monica Elizabeth Jolley was an award-winning writer who settled in Western Australia in the late 1950s. She was 53 years old when her first book was published, and she went on to publish fifteen novels (including an autobiographical trilogy), four short story collections, and three non-fiction books, publishing well into her 70s and achieving significant critical acclaim. She was also a pioneer of creative writing teaching in Australia, counting many well known writers such as Tim Winton among her students. Her novels explore alienated characters and the nature of loneliness and entrapment.

Honours:
1987: Western Australian Citizen of the Year
1988: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to literature
1989: Canada/Australia Literary Award
1997: Australian Living Treasure

Reviews

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar in feel, method and quality to Miss Peabody's Inheritance, and just as enjoyable--although this one took a bit longer to get going. Jolley fits nicely next to Muriel Spark on your bookcase, as an author whose liking for comedy, lack of obvious political slant, popularity, and gender has probably kept her from gaining the respect she deserves. Here we have a very serious meditation on aging, and dying, but in the guise of a satire on aged care. It was published in 1983, but wouldn't be out of place among the discomfort-comedies you get on TV now, like The Office. Only it's much better, and good enough that I've got another Jolley waiting for me as I type...

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been justly compared to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. No Nurse Ratched - but we do have a Matron Hyacinth Price of the ineptly run St. Christopher and St. Jude nursing home. She and her “employees” are taking care of many elderly residents while happily bilking them out of their money is the process. Mr. Scobie is so much smarter than they, more learned than they but due to his piano teaching skills and his young students has ended her anyhow. He has “issues” with the place, the help and especially the food.
Not that all the residents don’t, believe me they need to be very afraid. There is an interesting episode where all the resident’s dentures are thrown together in the sink for washing: then they run around trying to match them back up to their owners! If you are considering facility care for a member of your family you probably shouldn’t read this!
The book begins with letters gong back and forth between Matron Price and Night Nurse Shady. Some of the funniest material I’ve read and someone needs to script this one quickly! I have most of the rolls cast in my mind already: with Tommy Lee Jones possibly as Mr. Scobie and Matron Price actually could be played by Louise Fletcher, it would be wonderful!
The late Elizabeth Jolley was quite a prolific author and one of the best in Australia until her 2007 passing. This book will show you why.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

really 2.5 stars, but can't say I "enjoyed" reading it, as opposed to getting through it. Jolley referenced the title a couple of times, but I don't think I got the connection. Basically, it's the story of an elderly man, sent to a nursing home by his niece, who rebels when he realizes it's a long-term, not intermediate, deal; the place is fairly shabby, (deliberately?) resembling Fawlty Towers. He triumphs in the sense of keeping his dignity intact, despite Matron's efforts to wear him down. The farcical aspects were amusing, but a little went a long way.