Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll

work by Monette

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July 16, 2026

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Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll is a 1978 novel by American author Paul Monette. It is described as a comedy that centers on a homosexual couple's scheme to inherit the estate of a deceased woman. While Monette later characterized his early novels, including this one, as "glib and silly," they were recognized for their compelling characters and well-constructed plots. The novel predates Monette's more widely acclaimed works that addressed themes of homosexual relationships and the impact of the AIDS epidemic.1

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Paul Monette
…later by his debut novel, Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll, a comedy involving a homosexual couple’s attempt to claim a dead woman’s estate. His other prose works include The Gold Diggers (1979), the murder mystery The Long Shot (1981), and Lightfall (1982). Though Monette later described the novels as “glib…
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…later by his debut novel, Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll, a comedy involving a homosexual couple’s attempt to claim a dead woman’s estate. His other prose works include The Gold Diggers (1979), the murder mystery The Long Shot (1981), and Lightfall (1982). Though Monette later described the novels as “glib…
Read More