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Rutshire Chronicles #10
Mount!
In Jilly Cooper’s latest, raciest novel, Rupert Campbell-Black takes centre stage in the cut-throat world of flat racing.
Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that Love Rat, his adored grey horse, be proclaimed champion stallion. He longs to trounce Roberto’s Revenge, the stallion owned by his detested rival Cosmo Rannaldini, which means abandoning his racing empire at Penscombe and his darling wife Taggie, and chasing winners in the richest races worldwide, from Dubai to Los Angeles to Melbourne.
Luckily, the fort at home is held by Rupert’s assistant Gav, a genius with horses, fancied by every stable lass, but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. When Gala, a grieving but ravishing Zimbabwean widow moves to Penscombe as carer for Rupert’s wayward father, it is not just Gav who is attracted to her: a returning Rupert finds himself dangerously tempted.
Gala adores horses, and when she switches to working in the yard, her carer’s job is taken by a devastatingly handsome South African man who claims to be gay but seems far keener on caring for the angelic Taggie. And as increasingly sinister acts of sabotage strike at Penscombe, the game of musical loose boxes gathers apace . . .
Everybody loves Jilly Cooper:
'Sex and horses: who could ask for more?' Sunday Telegraph
'Joyful and mischeivous' Jojo Moyes
'A delight from start to finish' Daily Mail
'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' Marian Keyes
'Escape into an alternative universe in which all is right with the world' Guardian
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding
Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that Love Rat, his adored grey horse, be proclaimed champion stallion. He longs to trounce Roberto’s Revenge, the stallion owned by his detested rival Cosmo Rannaldini, which means abandoning his racing empire at Penscombe and his darling wife Taggie, and chasing winners in the richest races worldwide, from Dubai to Los Angeles to Melbourne.
Luckily, the fort at home is held by Rupert’s assistant Gav, a genius with horses, fancied by every stable lass, but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. When Gala, a grieving but ravishing Zimbabwean widow moves to Penscombe as carer for Rupert’s wayward father, it is not just Gav who is attracted to her: a returning Rupert finds himself dangerously tempted.
Gala adores horses, and when she switches to working in the yard, her carer’s job is taken by a devastatingly handsome South African man who claims to be gay but seems far keener on caring for the angelic Taggie. And as increasingly sinister acts of sabotage strike at Penscombe, the game of musical loose boxes gathers apace . . .
Everybody loves Jilly Cooper:
'Sex and horses: who could ask for more?' Sunday Telegraph
'Joyful and mischeivous' Jojo Moyes
'A delight from start to finish' Daily Mail
'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' Marian Keyes
'Escape into an alternative universe in which all is right with the world' Guardian
'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding
Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2016
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About the author
Jilly Cooper
91 books849 followersDame Jilly Cooper, OBE (born February 21, 1937) was an English author. She started her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She was most famous for writing the six blockbuster novels the Rutshire Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
February 7, 2017
It has been six years since Jilly Cooper's last novel in the Rutshire Chronicles was published. The first in the series, "Riders", came to print in 1985 and "Mount", published in September, 2016 is the tenth. As an author, she has been a prolific writer of other works, ranging from fluffy short chick lit to memoir-styled books, written in between this series which has gained her fans and fame, over more than thirty years. That career is notable in and of itself.
"Mount" is not the sparkling, witty and ironic poke at Britain's class system, unlike her previous novels. Jilly has tried her hand at what she calls "flat racing", which most North Americans simply think of when horse racing is mentioned, unlike the Brits who follow steeplechase, cross-country and polo and other equestrian styles even more avidly than the oval racetrack. It is a sport new to her, and she has loaded this novel with all of the detail that she had learned to fictionalize the hustling of horses and jockeys, owners and trainers in this high octane and monied world.
For those of us who have followed the follies and successes of Rupert Campbell-Black and his wife Taggie, it is a lovely reunion. Their children, extended family, children of former rivals who themselves have grown up to continue an ongoing and unpleasant competition and old friends return in the story, further expanding that enjoyment. Characters have aged, some poorly, with Rupert's father needing a homecare aid, or "carer", a reflection of Jilly's personal life with her husband. Health issues and the strain of a demanding blended family deplete Taggie, Rupert is obsessed with achievement and travelling the world to increase stud values and villainous forces intercept to cause trouble in all areas of their lives. There are new love affairs, adulterous couplings, lecherous bonking and even a salacious orgy, hosted by the icky competitor trying to get damning video for blackmail purposes. And predictably, subterfuge puts Rupert's horses and staff in harm's way - with any number of possible suspects.
While Jilly Cooper tried to write this novel, her husband's fight with Parkinson's disease began to be lost over three years until his death. Jilly herself had hip surgery from which to recover, and two of her beloved elderly pets also passed away, leaving her with a single dog. She writes gratefully of the reception that she received at various farms and races, as well as thanking her son who contributed with his research. I felt, however, that Jilly just didn't have the vim and vigour to pursue any social commentary to any degree in this story; I think that she was tired.
I so appreciate Cooper's writing what I believe is the end of the Rutshire Chronicles, which concluded on a sweetly reflective note. It was fun to have a visit with them again. Everyone had aged - they don't have the same edge - and in the end, were considering how to shape their lives so they could enjoy more time with one another. The wisdom of hardship and time: realizing your true priorities.
Recommended for loving Jilly Cooper fans. She turns 80 this year.
3.5 stars
"Mount" is not the sparkling, witty and ironic poke at Britain's class system, unlike her previous novels. Jilly has tried her hand at what she calls "flat racing", which most North Americans simply think of when horse racing is mentioned, unlike the Brits who follow steeplechase, cross-country and polo and other equestrian styles even more avidly than the oval racetrack. It is a sport new to her, and she has loaded this novel with all of the detail that she had learned to fictionalize the hustling of horses and jockeys, owners and trainers in this high octane and monied world.
For those of us who have followed the follies and successes of Rupert Campbell-Black and his wife Taggie, it is a lovely reunion. Their children, extended family, children of former rivals who themselves have grown up to continue an ongoing and unpleasant competition and old friends return in the story, further expanding that enjoyment. Characters have aged, some poorly, with Rupert's father needing a homecare aid, or "carer", a reflection of Jilly's personal life with her husband. Health issues and the strain of a demanding blended family deplete Taggie, Rupert is obsessed with achievement and travelling the world to increase stud values and villainous forces intercept to cause trouble in all areas of their lives. There are new love affairs, adulterous couplings, lecherous bonking and even a salacious orgy, hosted by the icky competitor trying to get damning video for blackmail purposes. And predictably, subterfuge puts Rupert's horses and staff in harm's way - with any number of possible suspects.
While Jilly Cooper tried to write this novel, her husband's fight with Parkinson's disease began to be lost over three years until his death. Jilly herself had hip surgery from which to recover, and two of her beloved elderly pets also passed away, leaving her with a single dog. She writes gratefully of the reception that she received at various farms and races, as well as thanking her son who contributed with his research. I felt, however, that Jilly just didn't have the vim and vigour to pursue any social commentary to any degree in this story; I think that she was tired.
I so appreciate Cooper's writing what I believe is the end of the Rutshire Chronicles, which concluded on a sweetly reflective note. It was fun to have a visit with them again. Everyone had aged - they don't have the same edge - and in the end, were considering how to shape their lives so they could enjoy more time with one another. The wisdom of hardship and time: realizing your true priorities.
Recommended for loving Jilly Cooper fans. She turns 80 this year.
3.5 stars
September 11, 2016
Marvellous "bonkbuster" from Jilly Cooper who is happily back on form, now she has returned to the world of horses. If you were disappointed by some of non-horse novels since Polo, you'll be delighted once again with Mount!.
Rupert is back - and thanks to some apparent age massaging (the dates don't seem to be canon any more, so just try to overlook this - Young Eddie's age is a particular issue) Rupert is still a flawlessly gorgeous romantic hero, virile and beautiful, in his late fifties.
You'll probably spot the villain a mile off, from the book blurb after you've read the prologue. There's a scene which doesn't happen which I was surprised at (a particular race) but the book was so long by this point that I can see why Cooper chose another denouement.
Lots and lots of horses and racing and intrigue and adrenalin, and even though I'm not a horsey person, I really became fond of some of the equine characters like Master Quickly. More of New Year's Dave would have been nice. Quite a bit of sex - Cooper tends to be more funny than erotic - and while it's great that she celebrates "silver shaggers" I could really have done with a lot less of Valent's and Etta's horny honeymooning.
I'm always left wondering whether racing people shag around this much. I suspect it's probably even more prolific than Cooper describes!
Taggie gets a bit of a raw deal here. Long-time fans may regret one of the major storylines, which may ruin some of the characters for you if you like your romances "safe" (and given Appassionata, feels a bit out-of-character). Mount! is NOT "safe". It's also not very fairytale-ending unlike some of the others, though of course it ends reasonably happily for all the progatonists.
If you haven't read Jilly Cooper before...
DON'T start with this one. At the very least read Rivals (her second and best novel, where the Rupert/Taggie relationship happens) and preferably Riders. There's also a combined edition. I would also recommend reading The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous just because it's so lovely, and gives you background to the Rannaldini stuff. You could read Polo if you really love the horsey stuff.
The novel that directly precedes Mount!, Jump!, gives some background but isn't really vital. I would also skip the art/music/orchestra/school ones - you could aways read these later. The four horsey ones: Riders, Polo, Jump! and Mount! do create a continuity of their own.
But Rivals remains the best of all her work!
Rupert is back - and thanks to some apparent age massaging (the dates don't seem to be canon any more, so just try to overlook this - Young Eddie's age is a particular issue) Rupert is still a flawlessly gorgeous romantic hero, virile and beautiful, in his late fifties.
You'll probably spot the villain a mile off, from the book blurb after you've read the prologue. There's a scene which doesn't happen which I was surprised at (a particular race) but the book was so long by this point that I can see why Cooper chose another denouement.
Lots and lots of horses and racing and intrigue and adrenalin, and even though I'm not a horsey person, I really became fond of some of the equine characters like Master Quickly. More of New Year's Dave would have been nice. Quite a bit of sex - Cooper tends to be more funny than erotic - and while it's great that she celebrates "silver shaggers" I could really have done with a lot less of Valent's and Etta's horny honeymooning.
I'm always left wondering whether racing people shag around this much. I suspect it's probably even more prolific than Cooper describes!
Taggie gets a bit of a raw deal here. Long-time fans may regret one of the major storylines, which may ruin some of the characters for you if you like your romances "safe" (and given Appassionata, feels a bit out-of-character). Mount! is NOT "safe". It's also not very fairytale-ending unlike some of the others, though of course it ends reasonably happily for all the progatonists.
If you haven't read Jilly Cooper before...
DON'T start with this one. At the very least read Rivals (her second and best novel, where the Rupert/Taggie relationship happens) and preferably Riders. There's also a combined edition. I would also recommend reading The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous just because it's so lovely, and gives you background to the Rannaldini stuff. You could read Polo if you really love the horsey stuff.
The novel that directly precedes Mount!, Jump!, gives some background but isn't really vital. I would also skip the art/music/orchestra/school ones - you could aways read these later. The four horsey ones: Riders, Polo, Jump! and Mount! do create a continuity of their own.
But Rivals remains the best of all her work!
September 16, 2016
I'm glad I didn't pay full price for this book, otherwise I might've been seriously pissed-off. I have read every book in this series and, I'm sad to say I won't be in a rush to read any more, should Cooper choose to continue.
A read through the acknowledgements shows an impressive range of A-listers from the racing world and the author clearly felt the need to toss as much information as possible about UK horse-racing into the story, which led to random chunks of info-dump that should never have escaped an editor's red pen. It just seemed like Cooper was throwing the stuff in so we could see how diligent she'd been with her research and how well-connected she is.
The characters, too many to keep track of, and more than were needed, were sketchily drawn or caricatures. I found it hard to connect with any of them and I really didn't care what happened to them either.
The plot was silly, far-fetched and unrealistic. I've noticed over the course of the Rutshire Chronicles that successive books have veered more toward farce/fantasy and this one is no exception.
I love Cooper's ability to paint vivid, evocative pictures of the British countryside. That is lacking here. I fell in love with Taggie in 'Rivals', now she's a shadow of her former self, a doormat confined to the kitchen while Rupert buggers off around the world. I can't think of any trainer who could spend that much time away from a racing yard and have the successes that Rupert has. And where does all the money come from?
I can't help thinking that this would have been better as two books rather than this mad, too-busy rush of a story.
A read through the acknowledgements shows an impressive range of A-listers from the racing world and the author clearly felt the need to toss as much information as possible about UK horse-racing into the story, which led to random chunks of info-dump that should never have escaped an editor's red pen. It just seemed like Cooper was throwing the stuff in so we could see how diligent she'd been with her research and how well-connected she is.
The characters, too many to keep track of, and more than were needed, were sketchily drawn or caricatures. I found it hard to connect with any of them and I really didn't care what happened to them either.
The plot was silly, far-fetched and unrealistic. I've noticed over the course of the Rutshire Chronicles that successive books have veered more toward farce/fantasy and this one is no exception.
I love Cooper's ability to paint vivid, evocative pictures of the British countryside. That is lacking here. I fell in love with Taggie in 'Rivals', now she's a shadow of her former self, a doormat confined to the kitchen while Rupert buggers off around the world. I can't think of any trainer who could spend that much time away from a racing yard and have the successes that Rupert has. And where does all the money come from?
I can't help thinking that this would have been better as two books rather than this mad, too-busy rush of a story.
December 1, 2016
This series is one of my guilty pleasures. This book was wonderful. I have become emotionally attached to the characters over t.he years. Jilly Cooper has a gift for creating memorable characters and she even manages to make the animals in her stories into characters. The animals are as much a part of the stories as the humans. Most women would agree that probably the most memorable character of all is Rupert Campbell Black.
In this book, Rupert turns 60. Don't worry ladies, he is still naughty and still sexy. Rupert is now breeding Thoroughbred race horses and it gives you a good picture of racing behind the scenes. Rupert finally learns some important life lessons and things come out very well for him in the end (I do not want to spoil it for any of my fellow Jilly Cooper fans so I will let you read it for yourself).
One thing that I enjoyed was the relationship between Eddie, Rupert's father who has dementia, and Love Rat, Rupert's favorite stud.
Rupert's grandchildren are introduced as characters so I am hoping that there will be more books.
Anyone who likes horses and dogs will like this series. They are long and complex with lots of characters with all the books in the series having characters from earlier books.
In this book, Rupert turns 60. Don't worry ladies, he is still naughty and still sexy. Rupert is now breeding Thoroughbred race horses and it gives you a good picture of racing behind the scenes. Rupert finally learns some important life lessons and things come out very well for him in the end (I do not want to spoil it for any of my fellow Jilly Cooper fans so I will let you read it for yourself).
One thing that I enjoyed was the relationship between Eddie, Rupert's father who has dementia, and Love Rat, Rupert's favorite stud.
Rupert's grandchildren are introduced as characters so I am hoping that there will be more books.
Anyone who likes horses and dogs will like this series. They are long and complex with lots of characters with all the books in the series having characters from earlier books.
January 7, 2024
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**2.5 stars**
Mount! by Jilly Cooper. (2016).
(Rutshire Chronicles; #10)
Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that his adored stallion Love Rat be proclaimed 'Leading Sire'. He is determined to beat his detested rival Cosmo which means abandoning his racing empire and his darling wife Taggie and chasing winners worldwide. The fort at home is held by Gav, fancied by every stable lass but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. Then Gala, a grieving and ravishing Zimbabwean widow, arrives as a carer for Rupert's father and both Gav and Rupert are drawn to her. When Gala switches to yard work, a handsome allegedly gay South African man takes over as carer but seems more interested in caring for Taggie...
Some years ago when I was in my mid-teens, I picked up a copy of Polo, which is the third of this series where every book can be read as a standalone, and really enjoyed it. In my late teens/early twenties I made a point of finding all the other books in the Rutshire Chronicles and reading them. So when I realised there was a newer book (okay, seven years after the fact I realised this), I had to get a copy. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations but I still made it through the almost 600 pages. It is a big book, starting with 16 pages of cast of characters/animals which really is overwhelming to begin with but quite helpful. Our lead character Rupert is coming up to the age of 60, but every woman with a heartbeat still wants to have sex with him as per the earlier books when he was younger. He is now obsessed with having his favourite horse being titled 'Leading Sire' which for those of us not in horse world means having the most successful descendants. The storyline is primarily about this ambition, the horse racing world, and the sexual adventures of everyone in the book. There is a name that Rupert uses to describe a woman's private parts which I would like to never see again in my life because... just no.
Overall: this was more of a nostalgia read for me, taking me back to a series I enjoyed when I was younger - while it was similar to the previous novels it's not really to my tastes now but there's plenty of readers rating it highly.
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**2.5 stars**
Mount! by Jilly Cooper. (2016).
(Rutshire Chronicles; #10)
Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that his adored stallion Love Rat be proclaimed 'Leading Sire'. He is determined to beat his detested rival Cosmo which means abandoning his racing empire and his darling wife Taggie and chasing winners worldwide. The fort at home is held by Gav, fancied by every stable lass but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. Then Gala, a grieving and ravishing Zimbabwean widow, arrives as a carer for Rupert's father and both Gav and Rupert are drawn to her. When Gala switches to yard work, a handsome allegedly gay South African man takes over as carer but seems more interested in caring for Taggie...
Some years ago when I was in my mid-teens, I picked up a copy of Polo, which is the third of this series where every book can be read as a standalone, and really enjoyed it. In my late teens/early twenties I made a point of finding all the other books in the Rutshire Chronicles and reading them. So when I realised there was a newer book (okay, seven years after the fact I realised this), I had to get a copy. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations but I still made it through the almost 600 pages. It is a big book, starting with 16 pages of cast of characters/animals which really is overwhelming to begin with but quite helpful. Our lead character Rupert is coming up to the age of 60, but every woman with a heartbeat still wants to have sex with him as per the earlier books when he was younger. He is now obsessed with having his favourite horse being titled 'Leading Sire' which for those of us not in horse world means having the most successful descendants. The storyline is primarily about this ambition, the horse racing world, and the sexual adventures of everyone in the book. There is a name that Rupert uses to describe a woman's private parts which I would like to never see again in my life because... just no.
Overall: this was more of a nostalgia read for me, taking me back to a series I enjoyed when I was younger - while it was similar to the previous novels it's not really to my tastes now but there's plenty of readers rating it highly.
January 5, 2025
5⭐️= Very Good.
Audio.
Now, I’ve always given Jilly Cooper books a 4* rating, but this one was read at the perfect time - making me giggle out loud. Of course, there was no mind- blowing plot and the characters were far- fetched and not always politically correct, and do you know…I didn’t care one little bit. Full of innuendos and spicy romps. Very tongue- in- cheek.
If you like horse-racing and are not easily offended, this might be for you.
Audio.
Now, I’ve always given Jilly Cooper books a 4* rating, but this one was read at the perfect time - making me giggle out loud. Of course, there was no mind- blowing plot and the characters were far- fetched and not always politically correct, and do you know…I didn’t care one little bit. Full of innuendos and spicy romps. Very tongue- in- cheek.
If you like horse-racing and are not easily offended, this might be for you.
December 30, 2019
Jilly Cooper is back! More importantly, Rupert Campbell-Black is back! After the disappointments of the last couple Jilly Cooper books, Mount is a delightful return to the fun of her earlier work.
Rupert's dream is to have his beloved Thoroughbred stallion, Love Rat, declared leading sire. His main competition is the fiendish Cosmo Ranaldini and his horse, Roberto's Revenge. While he's flying all over the world to enter his horses in the richest races of the entire globe, things at home are being overseen by his stable manager Gav (who is of course a genius with horses but tormented in love), the nurse for his increasingly senile father Eddie, Gala (of course she is also a genius with horses AND a tormented widow) and a host of other characters (most of whom are geniuses with horses and unhappy in love). Notice a theme here? In the meantime, someone appears to be sabotaging Penscombe and the horses.
The good: Rupert is in fine form, and is his usual hot-headed, passionate, annoying, self. Somehow you can't help but root for Rupert no matter how disgracefully he acts. If you are a horse lover, there are TONS of horse parts in this book (even more than Riders and Polo!). The competition to win the Leading Sire award lasted the entire book, and had lots of unexpected twists and turns. There was a subplot with a scare for Taggie, and lots of betrayals and misunderstandings.
The bad: Many of the characters seem like newly named versions of previous characters. It's like Jilly is running out of ideas for characters in her books, so just taking the old ones and giving them new names and voila! New character. They also seem completely undeveloped, so it's really hard to like them. And even the ones who are main characters and who are somewhat developed—aren't really very likeable.
****Spoiler alert!*** One of the prevailing themes of the books is Rupert's love for Taggie, and his faithfulness to her. In this book he cheats on her, and it seems so random. There is no believable reason, the person he sleeps with isn't likeable, there is no built up basis that makes the events understandable. It's like Jilly just threw it in there for excitement. ***Spoiler Alert over***
Lastly, it's a bit annoying how we're supposed to still see Rupert as the sex god hottest man in the universe and how he doesn't age. Is he going to be 100 years old and still have this? It's getting a bit tired.
In spite of the “bad”, this book is still a fun romp. It's not literature by any means, but it's exciting and engaging and a great read!!
Rupert's dream is to have his beloved Thoroughbred stallion, Love Rat, declared leading sire. His main competition is the fiendish Cosmo Ranaldini and his horse, Roberto's Revenge. While he's flying all over the world to enter his horses in the richest races of the entire globe, things at home are being overseen by his stable manager Gav (who is of course a genius with horses but tormented in love), the nurse for his increasingly senile father Eddie, Gala (of course she is also a genius with horses AND a tormented widow) and a host of other characters (most of whom are geniuses with horses and unhappy in love). Notice a theme here? In the meantime, someone appears to be sabotaging Penscombe and the horses.
The good: Rupert is in fine form, and is his usual hot-headed, passionate, annoying, self. Somehow you can't help but root for Rupert no matter how disgracefully he acts. If you are a horse lover, there are TONS of horse parts in this book (even more than Riders and Polo!). The competition to win the Leading Sire award lasted the entire book, and had lots of unexpected twists and turns. There was a subplot with a scare for Taggie, and lots of betrayals and misunderstandings.
The bad: Many of the characters seem like newly named versions of previous characters. It's like Jilly is running out of ideas for characters in her books, so just taking the old ones and giving them new names and voila! New character. They also seem completely undeveloped, so it's really hard to like them. And even the ones who are main characters and who are somewhat developed—aren't really very likeable.
****Spoiler alert!*** One of the prevailing themes of the books is Rupert's love for Taggie, and his faithfulness to her. In this book he cheats on her, and it seems so random. There is no believable reason, the person he sleeps with isn't likeable, there is no built up basis that makes the events understandable. It's like Jilly just threw it in there for excitement. ***Spoiler Alert over***
Lastly, it's a bit annoying how we're supposed to still see Rupert as the sex god hottest man in the universe and how he doesn't age. Is he going to be 100 years old and still have this? It's getting a bit tired.
In spite of the “bad”, this book is still a fun romp. It's not literature by any means, but it's exciting and engaging and a great read!!
October 16, 2016
Hooooo, boy. I'm always going to love Jilly Cooper. A new Cooper novel will always be a banner day in my household. That said, it's been a long while since the holy heyday of the Rutshire Chronicles trifecta - say the names with me: Riders, Rivals, Polo, Amen - and me & Jilly are both older. Whilst I cannot deny enjoying the fuck out of this book, in all it's almost pastiche levels of Cooper glory, there are aspects I found…problematic.
Look, Cooper is a 79-year old posh, white woman. She's hilarious and smart and kind and I adore her. But in this novel she also demonstrates the kind of casual racism that your Nana might, in a world where you can still write people of colour as ravishing/charming/frightfully clever and have the Asian characters speaking pidgin English swapping Ls for Rs, or casually refer to someone as "a black". There's always been the casual classism and sexism (RCB is her hero, after all), but the rampant homophobia seems especially stepped up this time around (predatory "faggot" bingo, anyone?) and there are a couple of unnecessarily PC-baiting trans comments. I get that Cooper has her style and her brand - and, fuck me, I love that as much as the next die hard fangirl - but it's disappointing that her editor wasn't able to coax her into something a little more, for the want of a better word, woke. She's always walked a fine line between funny and glib, and she fails here more often than not.
Also, I haaated Gala. The white Zimbabweans suffering as an ethnic minority subplot is a worthy topic, which is presented unfortunately sans any racial or cultural history, and with a heavy focus on the cruelty of "the blacks".
That said, it's still peak daft Cooper: superlatives and bad puns galore, animals better characterized than half the humans, horses, parties, and everyone gets a new polo neck sweater that's just the right shade to set off their eyes. All the characters from the old books pop up at some point, culminating a big set piece party for Rupert's 60th. The race stuff is fun, although reading the thank you acknowledgements indicates that half of this book was conceived whilst jet-setting around the world on a jolly. (Which I'm fine with; after losing Leo, Jilly deserves every fucking happiness.) It's all tissue thin and basically made me want to dive back into the older books.
Look, Cooper is a 79-year old posh, white woman. She's hilarious and smart and kind and I adore her. But in this novel she also demonstrates the kind of casual racism that your Nana might, in a world where you can still write people of colour as ravishing/charming/frightfully clever and have the Asian characters speaking pidgin English swapping Ls for Rs, or casually refer to someone as "a black". There's always been the casual classism and sexism (RCB is her hero, after all), but the rampant homophobia seems especially stepped up this time around (predatory "faggot" bingo, anyone?) and there are a couple of unnecessarily PC-baiting trans comments. I get that Cooper has her style and her brand - and, fuck me, I love that as much as the next die hard fangirl - but it's disappointing that her editor wasn't able to coax her into something a little more, for the want of a better word, woke. She's always walked a fine line between funny and glib, and she fails here more often than not.
Also, I haaated Gala. The white Zimbabweans suffering as an ethnic minority subplot is a worthy topic, which is presented unfortunately sans any racial or cultural history, and with a heavy focus on the cruelty of "the blacks".
That said, it's still peak daft Cooper: superlatives and bad puns galore, animals better characterized than half the humans, horses, parties, and everyone gets a new polo neck sweater that's just the right shade to set off their eyes. All the characters from the old books pop up at some point, culminating a big set piece party for Rupert's 60th. The race stuff is fun, although reading the thank you acknowledgements indicates that half of this book was conceived whilst jet-setting around the world on a jolly. (Which I'm fine with; after losing Leo, Jilly deserves every fucking happiness.) It's all tissue thin and basically made me want to dive back into the older books.
September 20, 2016
Best left to nostalgia of teenage years.
My hopes weren't high but for nostalgia (and having heard JC on Desert Island Discs & loved her) I got this for a long haul flight.
It's tedious at best, embarrassingly out of touch with nods of sexism, racism & homophobia throughout. The sex is mostly equine (each to their own but not my bag), the gags are clunky & shoe-horned into unworkable conversations, the plot sketchy & the weight of racing detail dull.
Filled a 10 hour flight but left me wishing I'd left Rupert Campbell-Black back in the 90s
My hopes weren't high but for nostalgia (and having heard JC on Desert Island Discs & loved her) I got this for a long haul flight.
It's tedious at best, embarrassingly out of touch with nods of sexism, racism & homophobia throughout. The sex is mostly equine (each to their own but not my bag), the gags are clunky & shoe-horned into unworkable conversations, the plot sketchy & the weight of racing detail dull.
Filled a 10 hour flight but left me wishing I'd left Rupert Campbell-Black back in the 90s
September 19, 2016
I first remember meeting the great stallion that is Rupert Campbell-Black as an impressionable eleven-year-old and indulging in the delights of Riders and Rivals and living every moment of Taggie capturing his heart. Some thirty years later and back in rutting Rutshire, Mount! is another innuendo laden romp. Introducing a wealth of characters and a menagerie of animals, some old and some new, this is a splendid waltz down memory lane. Rupert still struts around like he is cock of the walk, but heir apparent is his downright filthy grandson, Young Eddie, and my sights are firmly set of the "well rode and will read" shy trainer, Gavin Tatton!
More importantly, Jilly Cooper actually weaves a very strong central plot throughout Mount! with plenty of sub-plots as a sideshow to make the six-hundred-pages fully justifiable. If you remember the heyday of this series then Mount! is another glorious read and whilst I wasn't expecting much from an author who could have just cashed in on the notoriety of the series, I was impressed.
I did suspect that there had been so gentle age massaging with regards to Rupert approaching sixty and his grandson, Young Eddie, aged twenty-three, but who cares if a few years have been lost along the way?
In the final words of Jilly:
Bring on Tackle!
More importantly, Jilly Cooper actually weaves a very strong central plot throughout Mount! with plenty of sub-plots as a sideshow to make the six-hundred-pages fully justifiable. If you remember the heyday of this series then Mount! is another glorious read and whilst I wasn't expecting much from an author who could have just cashed in on the notoriety of the series, I was impressed.
I did suspect that there had been so gentle age massaging with regards to Rupert approaching sixty and his grandson, Young Eddie, aged twenty-three, but who cares if a few years have been lost along the way?
In the final words of Jilly:
"They always said the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else."
Bring on Tackle!
September 11, 2019
Fingers brushing over well-thumbed covers. Gaze lingering on tight white jodhpurs partially obscured by wandering hands. Furtive glances through the pages to find some saucy tidbits (which I never did).
I mean we all did this… …right?
That was always the attraction of Jilly Cooper (to me at least), virtual tomes of books with covers that told you everything without needing to read a sentence.
Well now I’ve read a sentence, many sentences, many pages… a whole book even, and… …well…
…I find myself quite un-titillated.
Mount is the tenth in the series of books involving the ravishing Rupert Campbell-Black in some capacity. Gold medal winner at the Los Angeles Olympics for something involving riding horses, he now breeds them. Really breeds them. The blurb describes Mount as Cooper’s “raciest novel” but, drawing on my imaginary romantic writing expertise, I would suggest not opening with a prolonged horse mating scene, even if you think it would be enlivened by the presence of a former porn star. Phrases such as “Unless he really fancies a mare, he’s a bit inclined to leave it in and let it soak” kind of spoiled the mood, leaving me desperately searching for the nearest bucket to vomit into.
Despite this, is fair to describe Cooper as an accomplished writer, using the plot as a conveyor belt to roll in and out characters as necessary. I did not struggle to follow the story or comprehend motivations. Cooper also understands the key aspect of horse-racing: Write about the actual racing as little as possible. Characterisation is also, generally, a strong point for Cooper. I hate nearly all of them, but she gives me good reasons to hate them.
There is a feminist argument for Jilly Cooper, and it’s been made by better writers than me. As suggested above, major female characters are well-developed and more interesting than the 100 or so pages of Anastasia Steele that I troubled to read. In Mount sex is not a shameful act and a woman does not become “fallen” for having the temerity to enjoy herself. Rupert’s incandescent sexiness is presumed, with women going goggle eyed in his mere presence. Yet such responses are not miles off book after book of men falling over themselves when faced with an otherworldly female whose grace tends only to be matched by their silence.
There is a problem with the Jilly Cooper as feminism argument though. It requires you to have not read this book.
Pat had an eye for the ladies and a slick line in repartee:
"That's the second biggest thing I've had in my hand today" he told her as he washed down Love Rat's cock.
There are innuendos and outright sexual comments that sprint across the line of acceptable conduct, circuit the planet to cross the line again, then draw penis emojis on that line. Using this book as a guide to British humour would leave one with the impression that a good joke is something crude mixed with something racist, barely advanced from Fawlty Towers. An incendiary speech is one that muses over how one might say the words “Far Canal.” Shaking breasts is just as good a form of greeting as shaking hands. As for the actual sex, it’s fine, I guess, though one situation made me wonder about Cooper’s knowledge of the mechanics of it. While there is relatively limited shaming, there is unnecessary reveling in excess, with anything involving into alcohol devolving into orgiastic celebrations or, in one case, an actual orgy. Cooper appears to strongly favour characters having children in their late teens or early twenties, leading to a sub-plot of Rupert at risk of being a great grandfather at 60. Racism and homophobia are also run riot through the book, with the homophobic f word used repeatedly and with another f word in front of it on one occasion. There's also some weird phrasing:
Glancing up into Jan's film-star face, marvellously strong features, lifted by a huge smile, dark red hair visible in the V of an open-neck check shirt, Gav suddenly felt raped.
The biggest problem is Rupert Campbell-Black who, in this book at least, is a toxic waste dump. His jawline may look superb but it's made of glass, being quick with a (generally mediocre) line but completely unable to take any cheek in return. For him the epitome of coolness is throw a used cigar into someone's cleavage. He bets wildly on his own horses while complaining about the tyranny of bookies. He flies into a rage if his wife fails to pack his "lucky" shirt. He is generally abusive in tone to the women he is sleeping with, has slept with, or wants to sleep with, but is willing to say "I love you" post coitus with one such fling. He threatens anyone who abuses his animals, then gives those animals a kick. He offers an employee a new "exciting" job that coincides with a drastic cut in her pay. He loses his temper at his grandson when the latter wins on a rival's horse, having earlier fired his grandson for having sex on the job. He then goes and has sex on the job. He flies away from his own surprise birthday party, returning when someone punches him in the face, because without violence he is unable to process any form of empathy. He cries and self pities himself for situations he has put himself in, and never has to apologise.
I do not have a problem that Rupert is an awful human being. I do not have a problem that he gets everything he wishes for in the end: success, the love of his wife, and a bit of fun with another woman who conveniently moves on. You could even applaud Cooper for writing someone that is not that far from reality. What I do have a problem with is that we are supposed to consider this a happy ending, with a literal tribute to Rupert at the end. We are meant to be worried about the (negligible) risks he took, boo and hiss at the evilness of his enemies, and shout "hoorah for Rupert" when he wins at life. Even if he suffers no consequences, there are consequences for those whom work with him, socialise with him, and are rivaled by him. Yet at the end, everything is tied up in a nice little bow and we marvel at what a fantastic man Rupert is. I just can't buy it.
My final issue is that Cooper’s afterword, while graceful in its own way, reveals that she was overly credulous in her research. She tended to hear one side’s view of situations such as the state of horse-racing or farm expropriations in Zimbabwe, and then cack-handingly parroted those views in this book. Commenting on the lack of government investment in horse-racing jars with scenes of gigantic individual bets, the sums of prize money involved in racing, and private helicopters dotting down on birthday parties. Lines such as “Hong Kong however, which offered vast prize money, made more in tax in the day of the Hong Kong Cup that the country did in an entire year – money which paid for all the hospitals,” defy concepts of either plausibility or coherency.
So I think I will stick to looking at covers and leave the delving to others. Maybe it's not Cooper's intended fantasy, but it can be mine.
I mean we all did this… …right?
That was always the attraction of Jilly Cooper (to me at least), virtual tomes of books with covers that told you everything without needing to read a sentence.
Well now I’ve read a sentence, many sentences, many pages… a whole book even, and… …well…
…I find myself quite un-titillated.
Mount is the tenth in the series of books involving the ravishing Rupert Campbell-Black in some capacity. Gold medal winner at the Los Angeles Olympics for something involving riding horses, he now breeds them. Really breeds them. The blurb describes Mount as Cooper’s “raciest novel” but, drawing on my imaginary romantic writing expertise, I would suggest not opening with a prolonged horse mating scene, even if you think it would be enlivened by the presence of a former porn star. Phrases such as “Unless he really fancies a mare, he’s a bit inclined to leave it in and let it soak” kind of spoiled the mood, leaving me desperately searching for the nearest bucket to vomit into.
Despite this, is fair to describe Cooper as an accomplished writer, using the plot as a conveyor belt to roll in and out characters as necessary. I did not struggle to follow the story or comprehend motivations. Cooper also understands the key aspect of horse-racing: Write about the actual racing as little as possible. Characterisation is also, generally, a strong point for Cooper. I hate nearly all of them, but she gives me good reasons to hate them.
There is a feminist argument for Jilly Cooper, and it’s been made by better writers than me. As suggested above, major female characters are well-developed and more interesting than the 100 or so pages of Anastasia Steele that I troubled to read. In Mount sex is not a shameful act and a woman does not become “fallen” for having the temerity to enjoy herself. Rupert’s incandescent sexiness is presumed, with women going goggle eyed in his mere presence. Yet such responses are not miles off book after book of men falling over themselves when faced with an otherworldly female whose grace tends only to be matched by their silence.
There is a problem with the Jilly Cooper as feminism argument though. It requires you to have not read this book.
Pat had an eye for the ladies and a slick line in repartee:
"That's the second biggest thing I've had in my hand today" he told her as he washed down Love Rat's cock.
There are innuendos and outright sexual comments that sprint across the line of acceptable conduct, circuit the planet to cross the line again, then draw penis emojis on that line. Using this book as a guide to British humour would leave one with the impression that a good joke is something crude mixed with something racist, barely advanced from Fawlty Towers. An incendiary speech is one that muses over how one might say the words “Far Canal.” Shaking breasts is just as good a form of greeting as shaking hands. As for the actual sex, it’s fine, I guess, though one situation made me wonder about Cooper’s knowledge of the mechanics of it. While there is relatively limited shaming, there is unnecessary reveling in excess, with anything involving into alcohol devolving into orgiastic celebrations or, in one case, an actual orgy. Cooper appears to strongly favour characters having children in their late teens or early twenties, leading to a sub-plot of Rupert at risk of being a great grandfather at 60. Racism and homophobia are also run riot through the book, with the homophobic f word used repeatedly and with another f word in front of it on one occasion. There's also some weird phrasing:
Glancing up into Jan's film-star face, marvellously strong features, lifted by a huge smile, dark red hair visible in the V of an open-neck check shirt, Gav suddenly felt raped.
The biggest problem is Rupert Campbell-Black who, in this book at least, is a toxic waste dump. His jawline may look superb but it's made of glass, being quick with a (generally mediocre) line but completely unable to take any cheek in return. For him the epitome of coolness is throw a used cigar into someone's cleavage. He bets wildly on his own horses while complaining about the tyranny of bookies. He flies into a rage if his wife fails to pack his "lucky" shirt. He is generally abusive in tone to the women he is sleeping with, has slept with, or wants to sleep with, but is willing to say "I love you" post coitus with one such fling. He threatens anyone who abuses his animals, then gives those animals a kick. He offers an employee a new "exciting" job that coincides with a drastic cut in her pay. He loses his temper at his grandson when the latter wins on a rival's horse, having earlier fired his grandson for having sex on the job. He then goes and has sex on the job. He flies away from his own surprise birthday party, returning when someone punches him in the face, because without violence he is unable to process any form of empathy. He cries and self pities himself for situations he has put himself in, and never has to apologise.
I do not have a problem that Rupert is an awful human being. I do not have a problem that he gets everything he wishes for in the end: success, the love of his wife, and a bit of fun with another woman who conveniently moves on. You could even applaud Cooper for writing someone that is not that far from reality. What I do have a problem with is that we are supposed to consider this a happy ending, with a literal tribute to Rupert at the end. We are meant to be worried about the (negligible) risks he took, boo and hiss at the evilness of his enemies, and shout "hoorah for Rupert" when he wins at life. Even if he suffers no consequences, there are consequences for those whom work with him, socialise with him, and are rivaled by him. Yet at the end, everything is tied up in a nice little bow and we marvel at what a fantastic man Rupert is. I just can't buy it.
My final issue is that Cooper’s afterword, while graceful in its own way, reveals that she was overly credulous in her research. She tended to hear one side’s view of situations such as the state of horse-racing or farm expropriations in Zimbabwe, and then cack-handingly parroted those views in this book. Commenting on the lack of government investment in horse-racing jars with scenes of gigantic individual bets, the sums of prize money involved in racing, and private helicopters dotting down on birthday parties. Lines such as “Hong Kong however, which offered vast prize money, made more in tax in the day of the Hong Kong Cup that the country did in an entire year – money which paid for all the hospitals,” defy concepts of either plausibility or coherency.
So I think I will stick to looking at covers and leave the delving to others. Maybe it's not Cooper's intended fantasy, but it can be mine.
January 3, 2018
How absolutely glorious to spend a few days in Rutshire with Rupert, Taggie and a host of familiar and unfamiliar people, rogues, lovers, horses and dogs. Deliciously scandalous with an incredible onslaught of puns, this book is a fabulous delight. All the stars.
October 9, 2016
Oh man, that was a nostalgic little romp down memory lane! After Score, I stopped loving Jilly's books because there wasn't enough of RCB - But, as the cover promised, Mount is! "Rupert Campbell Black is BACK!" And I don't care if he's 60 -he's still dead sexy ;P
August 2, 2018
This was a delightful guilty pleasure! Gossipy and grand, great characters and some truly vile ones. This is my third encounter with Rupert Campbell-Black, God’s gift to women and horses. He is still an impressive asshole. In this book his main aim is to have his stallion Love Rat become leading sire, but the competition is stiff and his enemies are out to thwart him. Delicious! Perfect beach read.
March 17, 2017
I'll stick with my fond teenage memories of Riders. An absolute disaster of a book, I think Jilly Cooper should stop writing now and retire gracefully.
I flounced this at 10% read and have neither the inclination or desire to read more!
I flounced this at 10% read and have neither the inclination or desire to read more!
September 22, 2016
Great guilty-pleasure stuff! There are many wannabes who try to pinch her throne, but there will only ever be one Jilly Cooper ;)
September 9, 2016
Rupert Campbell-Black is determined to win the title of Leading Sire for his champion racing stallion Love Rat. But in Rupert's obsession with winning he is putting more important things at risk - including his relationship with his loving wife Taggie.
Meanwhile among Rupert's loyal stable staff there is enough drama to keep the whole cast of Neighbours busy for at least a year, with sex, make-ups, break-ups, sex, blackmail, affairs and unrequited loves. Oh, and did I mention sex? A string of bad luck ruins Love Rat's chances one year but the next year suspicions mount that darker things are happening. As the action builds lives hang in the balance and Leading Sire suddenly isn't so important after all.
This is the first time I have read Jilly Cooper - I have been aware of her books but just never got around to reading any, which is surprising because she has a massive back catalogue.
I was slightly intimidated by the 17 (yes, you did read that right - 17!) pages of characters that inhabit this book. I need not have worried; once I got stuck into the story I only referred to this list once.
For regular readers of Cooper's novels I am sure that many characters played major roles in previous books in the series.
I am not usually a fan drama - this reads like a soapie - but this is so fast paced that I absolutely flew through the nearly 600 pages in only a few days. When I got to the end I actually re-read the last couple of chapters as I wasn't ready to let the story go yet. The human characters are very realistic with all their flaws and strengths, and the animals in the story are almost human in their personalities. As an animal lover I really appreciated that Cooper spends almost as much time developing the horses and dogs as she does the people. After all this is a book about racing and horses are an essential part of the industry.
If, like me, you have never read Cooper before I am sure you will finish this one wanting more - I certainly did!
If you have read Cooper then this will be a long awaited reunion with old friends.
Meanwhile among Rupert's loyal stable staff there is enough drama to keep the whole cast of Neighbours busy for at least a year, with sex, make-ups, break-ups, sex, blackmail, affairs and unrequited loves. Oh, and did I mention sex? A string of bad luck ruins Love Rat's chances one year but the next year suspicions mount that darker things are happening. As the action builds lives hang in the balance and Leading Sire suddenly isn't so important after all.
This is the first time I have read Jilly Cooper - I have been aware of her books but just never got around to reading any, which is surprising because she has a massive back catalogue.
I was slightly intimidated by the 17 (yes, you did read that right - 17!) pages of characters that inhabit this book. I need not have worried; once I got stuck into the story I only referred to this list once.
For regular readers of Cooper's novels I am sure that many characters played major roles in previous books in the series.
I am not usually a fan drama - this reads like a soapie - but this is so fast paced that I absolutely flew through the nearly 600 pages in only a few days. When I got to the end I actually re-read the last couple of chapters as I wasn't ready to let the story go yet. The human characters are very realistic with all their flaws and strengths, and the animals in the story are almost human in their personalities. As an animal lover I really appreciated that Cooper spends almost as much time developing the horses and dogs as she does the people. After all this is a book about racing and horses are an essential part of the industry.
If, like me, you have never read Cooper before I am sure you will finish this one wanting more - I certainly did!
If you have read Cooper then this will be a long awaited reunion with old friends.
September 21, 2016
loved it, like rediscovering old friends .
February 5, 2017
Jilly Cooper did not disappoint. Reading Mount! is like joining a reunion of old friends. Heartwarming and jolly good fun.
June 20, 2017
I've been reading Jilly Cooper's novels for pretty much my whole adult life and some of the main characters are almost as familiar as family. Far any fans of Riders and Polo I would certainly recommend this novel as a great read. Although I am not very clued up when it comes to horse racing it is clear that Jilly has done her homework and her attention to detail is fantastic.
Although many of her novels have "spiced up" scenes these do not overshadow a gripping yarn in this novel. It is unlike me to spend half a year reading one of her books but time has been limited for doing anything recently although I have read the final 25% in little more than a week.
I'm waiting with excitement the next development in the Campbell-Black clan.
Although many of her novels have "spiced up" scenes these do not overshadow a gripping yarn in this novel. It is unlike me to spend half a year reading one of her books but time has been limited for doing anything recently although I have read the final 25% in little more than a week.
I'm waiting with excitement the next development in the Campbell-Black clan.
June 21, 2019
This was a very dialled in version of a Jilly Cooper novel. All the usual components were present, but they didn't tie into a particularly cohesive novel, and it felt rather as though Cooper was going through the motions to deliver the novel. There were a number of rather distasteful elements to the novel as well - some casual racism, particularly, that raised my eyebrows. Sure, Cooper is a product of a particular time period, but surely her editor could have remarked on the fact that writing out Chinese use of 'r' instead of 'l' in dialogue isn't poking fun, but is actually racist. Still, enough of the novel was diverting to justify reading to the end and seeing where Rupert Campbell-Black finished off. I'm hoping the old boy is retired now, and will likely only revisit the original trilogy in the future.
October 22, 2016
If I was rating this on quality of writing and storyline....it would have to have been a 1. It's truly dreadful, could have been half the size if Jilly hadn't spent so much time summarising events and relationships from previous RCB novels.
BUT...it's a guilty pleasure reading one of these. I did finish Mount! I did enjoy it. There's time for a little trash now and then?
BUT...it's a guilty pleasure reading one of these. I did finish Mount! I did enjoy it. There's time for a little trash now and then?
December 11, 2016
I've managed to get just over half way through this latest book from Jilly Cooper. I was so looking forward to it after having read all the previous ones over a number of years. But something is either very wrong with this one or I've just grown out of them. Maybe I'll go back and finish it one day. ☹️
March 5, 2017
Holy casual racism! But decent book.
I enjoy the Campbell-Blacks quite a lot, and one of my favourite parts of the previous books have been to peek into Ruperts and Taggies marriage; one of the few very well functioning, faithful relationships in this series. Thus, I really, really disliked Ruperts affaire with Gala, and it felt forced to me.
I enjoy the Campbell-Blacks quite a lot, and one of my favourite parts of the previous books have been to peek into Ruperts and Taggies marriage; one of the few very well functioning, faithful relationships in this series. Thus, I really, really disliked Ruperts affaire with Gala, and it felt forced to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2017
Only for determined Jilly Cooper fans (I am one, and just managed to keep on until the end of the book). The cast of characters will be bewildering if you have not met them in all the previous novels. There are the expected outrageous and enjoyable puns, but, why bother to plough through nearly 600 pages?
December 28, 2017
Jilly Cooper writes my ultimate chill out, indulgence reads and I loved this , bad sex scenes and all! Wonderful to re encounter characters from previous books and fall in love with them again, I was disappointed when I got to the last page. Sheer good fun!
September 24, 2016
Why did it take me so long to finish this? Because it's 6 years between books & I didn't want it to end! Might just have to go back & reread all the others.
July 7, 2019
Found this a bit hard-going actually, though I did enjoy a particularly good description of some soup that was served to Eddie. That led to me recreating it for my lunch...yum.
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