quippe | Entries tagged with john mortimer

The Blurb On The Back:

Horace Rumpole is supposedly enjoying his well-earned retirement, basking in the Florida sunshine. But a colleague’s casual request for advice on a difficult case sends him hurriedly back across the Atlantic. Leaving retirement far behind, the irreverent and claret-swilling Rumpole soon finds himself facing a fanatical religious cult, a mysterious letter written in blood, and the Pornographer-in-Chief to the fair town of Grimble.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

John Mortimer’s third Rumpole book (published in 1980 and based on a one-off TV special) sees a more insecure, downcast Rumpole who’s doubting his abilities after a string of failed cases. It’s interesting to see him failing to adjust to retired life in Miami and the saddest parts are when he fails to understand Nick’s desire to try and get closer to him. I didn’t believe in his idealism during the pornography case, especially when he’s given such an obvious way to win and the religious cult is overegged, but I loved his boyish glee at wanting to get stuck into the Simpson case and the Machiavellian way he manipulates the ego of his colleagues in Chambers. Ultimately, this was another entertaining read and I will definitely be checking out the other books.

The Blurb On The Back:

Horace Rumpole – a man who never prosecutes, whose fame rests on his knowledge, whose court scenes are proverbial and whose home is ruled by Mrs Rumpole is back in this collection of stories.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

John Mortimer’s second collection of Rumpole short stories (published in 1979) continues the barrister’s memoirs but sees the action move on to the (then) present day. There’s more of an edge to this collection with Rumpole being confronted more with the consequences of his actions and being forced to face the unpleasant flip side of his ideals. Once again, although it is in many respects a product of its time (e.g. the depiction of right wing politics and left wing tendencies) there remains a bittersweet element that runs throughout all of the stories, particularly towards the end where Rumpole has to deal with the machinations of his colleagues in chambers who are keen to push him into retirement. All in all, it’s an entertaining, breezy read and I’ll definitely check out the other Rumpole books.

The Blurb On The Back:

Horace Rumpole is the lovable, irreverent, claret-swigging, poetry-spouting criminal lawyer immortalized on TV.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

John Mortimer’s first collection of Rumpole short stories (published in 1978) immediately sets the tone for this highly successful comedy/crime series with Mortimer expertly combining the humorous with the bitter sweet. Although in some respects it’s very much a product of its time (e.g. the depiction of hippy counter culture is quite clichéd), the attitudes displayed – notably Rumpole’s approach to cross-examining a rape witness – remain topical today.

The Blurb On The Back:

John Mortimer’s Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders sees our eponymous hero tackle his first-ever case. It is just after the way and two RAF heroes are found shot dead. Simon Jerold, the son of one of the victims, is the only suspect and young Rumpole is given the hopeless task of defending him. But Rumpole is determined to save his client from the gallows and make a name for himself. His bid to do so opens the first chapter in the story of the law’s finest comic creation.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

John Mortimer’s last Rumpole novel tells the tale of the barrister’s most famous case and also how he came to become involved with the notorious Timson family. Although I’ve watched the TV series, this is the first Rumpole novel that I’ve ever read and I found it delightful. It’s almost impossible to read it without hearing the wonderful Leo McKern’s voice and I thoroughly enjoyed the little asides and the barbed comments that go unsaid as well as the young Rumpole’s hapless love life. The mystery element works well too as Rumpole struggles to conjure a strategy to clear Jerold while clashing with Mr Wystan who sees a proper defence as unbecoming of the bar. It’s a short novel but that’s only because Mortimer recognised that brevity is the soul of wit and I will definitely be reading the other Rumpole books.