Forever Rumpole: The Best of the Rumpole Stories

( 2 )

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$14.99

NOOK Book

——

$14.99

Forever Rumpole: The Best of the Rumpole Stories (eBook) Pub. Date: 11/10/2011 Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
$3.12

$22.05

Hardcover

$3.12

$22.05

Forever Rumpole: The Best of the Rumpole Stories Pub. Date: 11/10/2011 Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

John Mortimer—novelist, playwright, memoirist, and the author of more than eighty Rumpole short stories—will never be forgotten. While still a practicing barrister, Mortimer took up the pen, and the rest is literary history. His stories featuring the cigar-chomping, cheap-wine-tippling Rumpole and his wife, Hilda (aka “She Who Must Be Obeyed”), have justly earned their place in the pantheon of mystery fiction legends, becoming the basis for the very successful television series Rumpole of the Bailey. Bringing fourteen of Rumpole’s most entertaining adventures (seven of which were collected in The Best of Rumpole) together with a fragment of a new story, Forever Rumpole proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Rumpole is never less than delightful.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

"Of course, I've been drinking at all. You don't think I come out with these blinding flashes of deduction when I'm completely sober, do you?" Since the mid-seventies, viewers and readers have been delighting to the eccentric insights and wry, literate cross-examinations and observations of Harold Rumpole of the Old Bailey. While not imbibing cheap wine, eating fried food, or quoting Wordsworth, this aged barrister is pouncing on prosecution inconsistencies and solving crimes. If you haven't previously sampled the Rumpole stories of the much-mourned John Mortimer (1923-2009), this posthumous collection is a fine place to start. If you have, you will enjoy the reminiscences of Anna Mallaliev, a fellow barrister who worked closely with the legendary author.

Publishers Weekly

At the start of “Rumpole and the Younger Generation,” the first story in this posthumous “best of” collection, Mortimer’s curmudgeonly, Wordsworth-quoting barrister, Horace Rumpole, mentions that he’ll be “sixty-eight next birthday.” The case at hand involves a younger member of South London’s nonviolently criminal Timson clan, and a key point in the accused lad’s trial hinges on the date of a Rolling Stones concert that year, 1965. In the penultimate, post-9/11 entry, “Rumpole and the Christmas Break,” Rumpole defends a Pakistani student accused of murdering a history professor, Honoria Glossup (a name borrowed from Mortimer’s literary mentor, P.G. Wodehouse), who wrote a book critical of “the cruelties committed by Islamic fundamentalists.” In the decades in between, in a number of witty, ingeniously plotted adventures that often deal with issues of the day (the women’s movement, animal rights, euthanasia), the ageless, principled barrister must contend with colleagues who scheme to bring about his retirement (when they aren’t hoping for his demise); judges who blatantly favor the prosecution; and his disapproving wife, Hilda (aka “She Who Must Be Obeyed”). A glass or two of Chateau Thames Embankment at Pommeroy’s Wine Bar offers consolation. Ann Mallalieu, a barrister who worked with the, alas, mortal Mortimer (1923–2009) and made the selections, provides an illuminating introduction. A fragment of an uncompleted novel rounds out a volume sure to be treasured by both old fans and new.

More Reviews (6) Fewer Reviews

Library Journal

Horace Rumpole, the claret-quaffing barrister who never quite makes the grade but always makes a point, stars in a new collection of his most outrageous exploits. Created by British barrister Mortimer, Rumpole's courtroom antics and politically incorrect gaffes have made him a perennial favorite among mystery fans for decades. The book begins with an excellent and insightful introduction by barrister Ann Mallalieu who had the pleasure of assisting Mortimer on some of his cases. Collected here are 14 stories total; seven that were previously published in 1993 under the title The Best of Rumpole, and an additional seven from Mortimer's later works. There is also a sliver of a novel, Rumpole and the Brave New World, which Mortimer began shortly before his death in 2009. VERDICT Alas, Rumpole devotees will find nothing new. However, those uninitiated to the irascible barrister's charm and wit will have much to relish. The collection is an excellent primer to all things Rumpole: the Timson clan (his favorite thieving family), his penchant for Chateau Fleet Street, and the indomitable Hilda, long-suffering wife and appropriately titled "She Who Must Be Obeyed."—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

American Spectator

“Horace Rumpole. A character Dickens would have been proud to have created…Mortimer’s character came as a revelation to those of us who despaired of ever encountering a lawyer we could love. Who knew courtroom drama could be this much fun? The stories are intelligent, witty, and finely crafted…So long as there is sympathy for the sinful and muddled mankind, a delight in humor, an interest in justice, and any love of freedom, Horace Rumpole will indeed be forever.”

Bookpage (December Top Pick in Mystery)

“Fourteen of the best of Rumpole’s cases have been gathered for this compilation…the disheveled lawyer fielded cases ranging from petty larceny to Islamic terrorism, all with his characteristic tilting at windmills and his biting tongue-in-cheek wit.”

Christian Science Monitor

“John Mortimer’s stories combine a Wodehousian wit with a generous humanism of which the world could use another dollop…it is always a pure pleasure to sit down the the Old Bailey hack.”

The Wall Street Journal

“Once detective-fiction heroes enter your mental landscape, they can seem as real as your own friends and family. For a lot of people, Horace Rumpole is just such a vivid and familiar figure…Rumpole fans can savor a bailiff’s dozen of Rumpole’s seriocomic adventures in Forever Rumpole.”

The Washington Times

“Delightful…[Rumpole’s] distinctive voice – crusty, orotund, pointed – is key to what makes these tales such a pleasure to read…This excellent sampling will encourage most readers to go on and read more of the many still available.”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780670023066
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Publication date: 11/10/2011
Pages: 528
Sales rank: 103,584
Series: Rumpole Series
Product dimensions: 6.32 (w) x 9.20 (h) x 1.66 (d)

Meet the Author

John Mortimer was the author of fourteen other Rumpole books, many of which formed the basis for the PBS-TV series Rumpole of the Bailey. The first book featuring his most famous character, Horace Rumpole, was published by Penguin in 1980. His work also includes many novels and plays and three acclaimed volumes of autobiography. A former barrister, Mortimer, who was knighted in 1998, lived in Oxfordshire, England. He died in January of 2009.

Ann Mallalieu was the first woman president of the Cambridge Union. She has practiced at the Criminal Bar since 1970 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1988. After becoming a Labour Life Peer, she was elected Peer of the Year by parliamentarians in 2004 and in the same year was named Peer of the Year by the Spectator. She lives near John Mortimer’s old house in the Chilterns.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5

( 2 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

cbisct

Posted May 21, 2012

vintage Rumpole

The usaual fun, no surprises.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted November 10, 2011

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble