Horace Rumpole, the irreverent, iconoclastic, claret-swilling, poetry-spouting barrister-at-law, is among the most beloved characters of English crime literature. He is not a particularly gifted attorney, nor is he particularly fond of the law by courts if it comes to that, but he'd rather be swinging at a case than bowing to his wife, Hilda, "She Who Must Be Obeyed." In this first title of the popular series featuring Rumpole, all of the major characters who occupy the Rumpole stories make their introductions.
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Horace Rumpole, the irreverent, iconoclastic, claret-swilling, poetry-spouting barrister-at-law, is among the most beloved characters of English crime literature. He is not a particularly gifted attorney, nor is he particularly fond of the law by courts if it comes to that, but he'd rather be swinging at a case than bowing to his wife, Hilda, "She Who Must Be Obeyed." In this first title of the popular series featuring Rumpole, all of the major characters who occupy the Rumpole stories make their introductions.
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Add this copy of Rumpole of the Bailey to cart. $53.29, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Blackstone Audiobooks.
Add this copy of Rumpole of the Bailey to cart. $85.20, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Blackstone Audiobooks.
John Mortimer, a retired barrister (lawyer), offers to take us into the mysterious world of British law. He spoofs the silly, pompous and ego-inflated lawyers he knows while trying to save his defendant from the gallows.
He makes fun of ?She Who Must Be Obeyed? and adores his son Nicholas. When in the presence of ?She Who..,? Horace Rumpole feigns obedience while sharing with the reader what he REALLY thinks.
If you are looking for some short stories that have flash and/or somber drama, look elsewhere. However, readers who give Rumpole time to spin out his tale will be rewarded with wry wit and a fun look at the British legal system from the inside.
I would much rather read a single story vs. several short stories because there, by necessity, is little character development. However, in Mortimer?s 21 Rumpole books, he keeps his cadre of cronies. Thus, over the course of a few short stories, we learn the ?modus operandi? of the secondary characters ? warts and all.
What I love about Rumpole is that he is so irreverent ? he?s willing to lampoon anyone, including himself. He likes to come across as a foolish oaf; however, watch him harpoon the opposition with clever tactics and a sharp mind. He brings the ?Old Bailey? to life.
Ferg
Feb 6, 2009
First collection of Rumpole stories...
Rumpole of the Bailey is the first (1978) collection of Rumpole stories by John Mortimer, including 'Rumpole and the Younger Generation,' 'Rumpole and the Alternative Society,' 'Rumpole and the Honorable Member,' 'Rumpole and the Married Lady,' 'Rumpole and the Learned Friends,' and 'Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade,' all classics. It was first published in paperback by Penguin, but I was lucky enough to obtain through Alibris a copy of the 1991 hardcover trade edition published by the Armchair Detective Library, who also put out a collector's edition and a limited edition. All are out-of-print as of this writing (2009); however the stories are also collected in The First Rumpole Omnibus (Penguin, 1984), which is still in print in paperback. Begin at the beginning with 'Rumpole and the Younger Generation,' which introduces the characters in the series. Americans may face a bit of a learning curve brought about by the British legal system and the street argot of Rumpole and his clients, but trust me, it's worth it. Delightful!
