House of Cards (novel): Difference between revisions

| caption = First edition

| series = House of Cards seriestrilogy

| followed_by = [[To Play Thethe King]]

'''''House of Cards''''' is a political thriller novel by British author [[Michael Dobbs]]. Published in 1989, it tells the story of [[Francis Urquhart]], a fictional [[Chief Whip of the Conservative Party|Chief Whip]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], and his amoral and manipulative scheme to become leader of the governing party and, thus, [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]].

A [[House_of_Cards_House of Cards (UK_TV_seriesBritish TV series)|television adaptation]], written by [[Andrew Davies (writer)|Andrew Davies]] and produced by the [[BBC]] was aired in 1990. A six-part [[Radio drama|radio adaptation]] of the first novel, written by Neville Teller aired on [[BBC Radio 4]] in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0153nnh|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - Michael Dobbs - House of Cards}}</ref> In 2013, the serial and the Dobbs novel were the basis for a [[House of Cards (U.S.American TV series)|US television adaptation]] set in Washington, D.C., commissioned and released by [[Netflix]].

The novel was followed by two sequels -: ''[[To Play Thethe King]]'' and ''[[The Final Cut (TV serial)|The Final Cut]]''. Both were adapted for television by the BBC and aired in 1993 and 1995 respectively.

Michael Dobbs began working for the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in 1977, and from 1986 to 1987, served as Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s [[Chief of Staff]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Henley|first1=Jon|title=The house of Michael Dobbs|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/13/michael-dobbs-house-of-cards|website=the Guardian|accessdate=21 March 2018|language=en|date=13 September 2013}}</ref> Dobbs fell out with Thatcher during a cabinet meeting on 4 June 1987, exactly one week before [[1987 United Kingdom general election|that year's general election]]. Thatcher was concerned she would lose the election, and according to one participant at the meeting, she was "almost hysterical, with her arms sweeping everywhere".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Moore|first1=Charles|title=Margaret Thatcher biography part 14: Wobbly Thursday|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/margaret-thatcher-biography/11908715/margaret-thatcher-biography-general-election-panic.html|website=The Telegraph|accessdate=21 March 2018|date=4 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dobbs|first1=Michael|title=Book Versus Show: 'House of Cards'|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-dobbs/house-of-cards-book_b_4783908.html|website=Huffington Post|accessdate=21 March 2018|date=14 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=From Fletcher to the House of Cards|url=http://now.tufts.edu/articles/fletcher-house-cards|website=Tufts Now|accessdate=21 March 2018|language=en|date=23 October 2017}}</ref> According to Dobbs, "It all started because Maggie Thatcher beat me up and was actually rather cruel to me. She took out all her pain and anger and frustration on me, when in fact I was perhaps the most innocent person in the room at the time."<ref name="NewStatesman">{{cite web|title=House of Cards creator Michael Dobbs: "I must have sold my soul"|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/07/house-cards-creator-michael-dobbs-i-must-have-sold-my-soul|website=New Statesman|date=7 July 2015|accessdate=21 March 2018|language=en}}</ref>

Shortly after leaving his post as Chief of Staff in 1987, Dobbs and his wife visited [[Malta]] on holiday. While sitting beside a swimming pool in Malta, Dobbs scribbled the letters "FU" and a drawing of two raised [[The finger|middle fingers]] on a piece of a paper. The letters would become the initials of ''House of Cards'' protagonist, Francis Urquhart.<ref name="NewStatesman"/> Dobbs stated that he had not planned to write the book saying, "None of this was planned. It was all a bit of a joke, an accident. I had no intention of being a writer, or even finishing the book. It was just a holiday distraction."<ref>{{cite web|title=What "House of Cards" creator, Lord Dobbs, can tell us about realpolitik|url=http://www.afr.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/film-and-tv/michael-dobbs-creator-of-house-of-cards-20160307-gncnmz|website=Financial Review|accessdate=21 March 2018|date=19 March 2016}}</ref> Dobbs insists that it is not a "book of revenge", but "most of the stuff I put into ''House of Cards'' was material from events I'd either seen, or participated in, or done, or watched other people do."<ref name="NewStatesman"/> Dobbs has also stated that the book was not a comment on contemporary politics, and also drew inspiration from the works of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]].<ref>{{cite web|title=House Of Cards creator Michael Dobbs on the dark arts of politics|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/television/house-of-cards-creator-michael-dobbs-on-the-dark-arts-of-politics-1.215307|website=The National|date=27 March 2016|accessdate=21 March 2018|language=en}}</ref>

Following the resignation of Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], the ruling Conservative Party is about to elect a new leader. In the subsequent leadership election, the moderate but indecisive [[Minor characters in the House of Cards trilogy#Henry Collingridge, MP|Henry "Hal" Collingridge]] emerges victorious. Francis Urquhart, an [[Member of Parliament|MP]] and the Government [[Chief Whip]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], is secretly contemptuous of the well-meaning but weak Collingridge, but expects a promotion to a senior position in the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]]. After the general election, which the party wins by a reduced majority, Urquhart submits a memorandum to Collingridge advocating a [[cabinet reshuffle]] that would include a prominent ministerial position for Urquhart himself. However, Collingridge – citingCollingridge—citing [[Harold Macmillan]]'s political demise after the 1962 [[Night of the Long Knives (1962)|Night of the Long Knives]] –- effects—effects no changes at all. Urquhart resolves to oust Collingridge.

Urquhart exploits his position as Chief Whip to leakundermine Collingridge by leaking inside information to the press, toand undermine(using £50,000 given by a party donor) engineering an [[insider trading]] scandal implicating Charles Collingridge, ultimatelythe forcingPrime himMinister's toalcoholic, resignfinancially insolvent brother. Most of his leaks are to [[List of House of Cards trilogy characters#Mattie Storin|Mattie Storin]], a young reporter for a ''[[tabloidThe Daily newspaperTelegraph]] called ''The Chronicle''. After Collingridge is ultimately forced to resign, Urquhart then eliminates his enemies in the resulting leadership contest by means of fabricated scandals that he sets up himself or publicizes. These include threatening to publish photographs of [[Secretary of State for Education|Education Secretary]] Harold Earle in the company of a [[rent boy]]; causing [[Secretary of State for Health|Health Secretary]] Peter MacKenzie to accidentally run over a disabled man; and forcing [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]] Patrick Woolton to withdraw by [[blackmail]]ing him with an audiotape of a [[one-night stand]], who in turn endorses Urquhart in the hope of being appointed [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] as reward and eventually succeeding him. His remaining rival, [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Environment Secretary]] Michael Samuels, is alleged by the press to have supported far-left politics as a university student. Urquhart thereby reaches the brink of victory.

Mattie untangles Urquhart's web and confronts him in the deserted roof garden of the [[Houses of Parliament]]. HeIn commitsresponse, suicideUrquhart bythrows jumpingher off the roof to hisher death, making it look like a suicide.

{{main|*''[[House of Cards (UK TV series)|House]]'', ofa Cards1990 (U.S. TVtelevision series written by [[Andrew Davies (writer)}}|Andrew Davies]], and produced by the [[BBC]].

A television adaptation, written by *''[[AndrewHouse Daviesof Cards (writer)|AndrewU.S. Davies]]TV and produced by the [[BBCseries)]]'', wasa aired2013 inseries 1990.based In 2013,on the televisionBBC series and the novel were the basis for a [[House of Cards (U.S. TV series)|US television adaptation]], set in Washington, D.C., commissioned and released by [[Netflix]].

[[Category:{{House of Cards]]}}

[[Category:SequelBritish political novels]]