The Quincunx: Difference between revisions

| image = The Quincunx (The Inheritance of John Huffam).jpg

| cover_artist = [[Benjamin Haydon]] (first edition), Volker Strater (UK Paperback), James Hutcheson (US editions)

| country = EnglandUK

| genre = historicalHistorical fiction

| publisher = [[Canongate Books|Canongate Publishing]]

| pages = 1221 pp.

'''''The Quincunx (The Inheritance of John Huffam)''''' is the epic first novel of [[Charles Palliser]]. It takes the form of a [[Dickensian]] mystery set in early 19th century England, but Palliser has added the modern attributes of an ambiguous endingplot and [[unreliable narrator]]s. Many of the puzzles that are apparently solved in the story have an alternative solution in the [[subtext]].<ref name="afterword">The Quincunx, Second edition (1993), Author's Afterword</ref>

The novel begins in London with a secret meeting between two legal men. A bribe reveals the confidential details of a correspondent who is the link to a vital hidden document. Meanwhile, young John Mellamphy is growing up in the remote countryside with his mother Mary, ignorant of the name of Huffam. Gradually it becomes clear that they are threatened by the search for the document.

#An attempted burglary tempts Mary to show her hand. She possesses a [[Codicil (will)|codicil]] to a [[Will (law)|will]] which controlsis valuable to the inheritanceMompesson family, owners of thea nearby Mompessonestate. HallMeanwhile, John begins to suspect he is descended from the '''Huffam'''s, the original owners of the estate. SheMary is put under further pressure by the death of her protector in London, Mr Fortisquince, and by subsequent treacherous advice which persuades her into a loss-making property speculation. She reluctantly visits Sir Perceval Mompesson, who wishes to bybuy the codicil. At the Hall, John encounters Henrietta Palphramond and her [[governess]], Miss Quilliam. The codicil is not sold, but later an attempt is made to abduct John; it is possible that his death would alter the legacyinheritance of the estate. To escape, John and his mother travel to London.

#With dwindling savings, John and his mother are forced into successively poorer lodgings and are pursued by [[bailiffs]]. They find refuge with the Isbister family, but flee when they discover they are amongst the [[London Burkers|body-snatchers of Bethnal Green]]. They discover Miss Quilliam, who takes them in, but they are caught by the bailiffs. Mary is forceddecides to sell the codicil andto isthe persuaded'''Mompesson'''s, tobut sendthen Johnfears tobetrayal aand schoolthey inflee Yorkshireto forFortisquince's safetywidow. ButThe thecodicil excessiveis crueltiespurchased ofon thecondition school putthat John ingoes furtherto dangera andschool hein escapesthe backnorth. toMore London.debts There,wipe furtherout debtsMary's havegains forcedand force Mary into a [[Fleet Prison|debtors' prison]]. whichJohn shemeets haswith onlycruelty beenand abledanger at the school and escapes back to escapeLondon. byHe enteringfinds intoMary awho formhas gotten out of prostitutionprison only by becoming a prostitute. On reencountering John she leaves that life but, still penniless, she ultimately dies of [[Tuberculosis#Other namesNames|consumption]].

#John seeks out Henry Bellringer, who is a relation of a school friend. But instead he finds himself among a gang of thieves, living in a part-built mansion. There he reads his mother's journal, which gives tantalisingly incomplete details of his parentage and his chance, of attaining the inheritance.death Mary'sof family, thehis Huffamsgrandfather, were the original ownersand of the estatelegacy. ButIf theJohn legacy could pass to any of five families – the Huffamsdies, theothers Mompessons,could the Clothiers, the Palphramonds or the Maliphantsinherit. Eventually John escapes from the gang and isa takenkindly inhousehold bytakes thehim Porteous familyin. But their act is not as generous aswhat it first appearsseems, for they tooare standpart toof benefitthe from'''Clothier''' family, to whom the legacycodicil was unwittingly sold. OnceWith John learnsas thistheir [[ward (law)|ward]], they haveaim to inherit by having him sent to an [[insane asylum]]. It is there John meets Peter Clothier, whom he now knows as his father.

#In the asylum John meets Peter Clothier, whom he now knows as his father. John escapes from the asylum with the help of the Digweed family, whom he once encountered in the countryside. He starts a new life with them, surviving by scavenging the [[London sewerage system|sewers of London]]. He visits Jeoffrey Escreet, who tells the story of the murder of Mary's father. John resolves to take the name of Huffam. His salvation may lie in a second will, hidden in the MompessonMompessons's London house. After a failed burglary he gets a job as a servant at the house, where he reencounters Henrietta '''Palphramond'''. He learns more of the codicil, and isthat eventuallythe ablesecond will may mean the legacy goes to stealher. Eventually John steals the will and flees.

#John again seeks out Henry Bellringer to help him take advantage of the will. But Bellringer betrays him to another potential legatee, Silas Clothier. Clothier burns the will and attempts to murder John, but John escapes and Clothier dies. ItA '''Maliphant''' claimant comes forward anonymously. But it emerges that the burnt will was only a copy and that Bellringer has the original. With that, it is possible for himBellringer to win the inheritance by marrying Henrietta. During a storm, John interrupts a secret marriage ceremony between them in a derelict chapel at Mompesson hall. Bellringer is killed by David Mompesson, who flees the country. As the book draws to a close John finally comes within reach of the inheritance. As he does so he loses his original heroic character, becoming cynical and dismissive of his past friends. At the last moment it is revealed that the inheritance is still being determined in [[Court of Chancery|Chancery]] and may be worth nothing because of debts. With the outcome unresolved the story ends.

''The Quincunx'' was a surprise bestseller.<ref>[httphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19900603&id=lLYrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y-UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6917,678758 "The Quincunx" Twists Its Way To Success] Jessica Baldwin, [[Associated Press]], ''[[Lawrence Journal-World]]'', 3 June 1990</ref> It is notable for its portrayal of 19th century England, covering the breadth of society from the gentry to the poor and from provincial villages to metropolitan [[19th century London|London]], and its dealing with the eccentricities of English land law. In a review citing parallels with ''[[Great Expectations]]'', ''[[Little Dorrit]]'', ''[[Our Mutual Friend]]'', ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit]]'', ''[[The Pickwick Papers]]'', ''[[Oliver Twist]]'' and ''[[Nicholas Nickleby]]'', [[Michael Malone (author)|Michael Malone]] has written that,

"Mr. Palliser appears to have set out not merely to write a Dickens novel but to write all Dickens novels".<ref>[httphttps://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/04/books/the-spirit-of-dickens-present.html The Spirit Of Dickens Present], [[Michael Malone (author)|Michael Malone]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 4 March 1990</ref> But Palliser looked beyond Dickens for his depiction of the social conditions, drawing on Mayhew's ''[[London Labour and the London Poor]]''.<ref name="afterword">< /ref>

[[J. Hillis Miller]]<ref>[http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rodopi/pms/2004/00000035/00000001/art00008 Parody as Revisionary Critique: Charles Palliser’s The Quincunx], [[J. Hillis Miller]]</ref> points out that,

The novel has a fivefold structure. ItEach isof divided intothe five "Parts", eachparts takingtakes the name of one of the families linked to the inheritance. Each Partpart is then divided into five "Books" books, and each Bookbook is divided into five chapters.

At the beginning of each Partpart, a [[quincunx]] of [[quatrefoil]] roses from the relevant family's [[Coat of arms|arms]] are displayed. These then reappear as a count of one to five roses at the start of each Book. At the end of the novel all five families' devices are combined in a larger design, a quincunx of quincunxes. The pattern of narration of the 125 chapters - John Huffam, an omniscient narrator and a third person - exactly matches the colour pattern - white, black and red - of the 125 elements of the design.<ref name="afterword"/><ref>[http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/6199/1/RAEI_06_12.pdf The Symbol Made Text: Charles Palliser's Postmodernist Re-Writing of Dickens in The Quincunx], Susana Onega, University of Zaragoza, ''Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses'' 6 (1993): 131-41</ref>

[[Category:1989 British novels]]

[[Category:HistoricalBritish historical novels]]

[[Category:MysteryBritish mystery novels]]