The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

Lee, Mackenzi. THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE. 2017. New York: Katherine Teagan Books. ISBN 9780062382818

Plot Summary

Monty has been dismissed from school for his disorderly behavior: drinking, chasing after lads and ladies, and not showing interest in settling down.  His father is fed up with the wild behavior and he allows Monty to go on a tour with a few conditions: ease off drinking heavily (stop), do not have affairs with boys, and come back with a clear mind and be ready to assume a role in the family business.  Monty will have traveling companions: his best friend, Percy; Felicity, Monty's sister; and Mr. Lockwood, the right-hand to Monty's father.  Monty will enjoy the arts of Europe as well as getting caught in some perilous situations.

Critical Analysis

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is an interesting mix of early European history, class stereotypes and expectations, strict family expectations of young adults (who rebel). Mackenzi Lee writes a story that is filled with details that require a strong knowledge of European history but also how people lived in 18th century Europe. Ms. Lee begins the story introducing Monty whose birth name is Henry Montague in a percarious position: he is lying in bed wasted with his best friend next to him. This opening can capture a reader's attention. However, as the story progresses, you can get bored. Since Ms. Lee has taken care to make the setting(s) well known European cities, the reader may spend a good amount of time looking up and learning about the cities menitoned in the book. Yes, Paris and Venice are familiar but Sarotini is not familiar to those outside of Europe. Another detail that Ms. Lee does a good job of using are allusions. For example, at the beginning of chapter four, Monty refers to violent biblical deaths seen in paintings to be better than his days he has spent in Paris. In other words, Monty would rather be tortured to death than have to be told what to do, how to dress, and where to go by an old man. There are other moments throughout the story that Ms. Lee uses allusions and it helps the story along. Ms. Lee also does a fine job of writing the story from a first person point of view. She takes care in making sure the reader understands who Monty is as a person. She also allows for Percy and Felicity to stand out and not just be a part of the background.  Overall, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is a good read for the many literary facets that Ms. Lee uses to make it an enjoyable book.

Review Excerpt(s)

Kirkus Reviews-"The book’s exquisite, bygone meter and vernacular sit comfortably on a contemporary shelf. And the friction of racism, tyrannical entitled politicians, and misguided disapproval of homosexuality also have a relevance rooted in current culture’s xeno- and homophobia."

"This wonderful historical romp is a fast paced ride through 18th Century Europe that examines the social mores surrounding racism, gender expectations and sexuality – all topics that fit right in with our 21st Century society.  And this is all viewed through the lens of Monty’s charismatic personality which at times will poke fun at society while it illustrates with each new plot point his totally lack of perception and understanding of those closest to him." (Downtown Branch. August 5, 2017. Dallas Public Library. Accessed 10.29.22)

Connections

Locate pictures of people dressed in traditional 18th century European clothing (find kings, queens, prince, princesses) and create a prompt that will begin discussion about the book.

Display a poster of Monty's grand tour and have students in groups pick a country or city and create an infographic; have them do a presentation talking about why they chose their particular location. (this can be done as a wrap-up after reading the book)

Have students create a character map: list traits, lines from the story, observations on the characters growth.

Have students create their own grand tour: pick 5-10 cities they would want to visit. Use PowerPoint or Google Slides to create the visual. Display the maps around the classroom.

The words of this review are my own and written for the purpose and participation in a graduate studies class at Sam Houston State University.