Dated but Delightful
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Rumpole is a recalcitrant barrister, eccentric, old fashioned and brilliant. He loves being the oldest enfant terrible in his chambers, wearing disgraceful hats and nurturing the criminals he defends in The Old Bailey.
Mortimer writes Rumpole in the first person, as a series of story based reminiscences of his cases. The wonderful thing about Rumpole is that however opinionated he is, he is happy to admit his foibles and is as anarchic in his own way as his pet criminals. He has a wonderful take on life and although these stories are dated in the extreme they have a terrific charm which makes them well worth a read.
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like the best soothing comfort food!
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Rumpole is one of those perennials that once you've read, you have to keep returning to. An almost Dickensian 'Englishness' and eccentricity informs these marvelous books: this is the first of the series, introducing Rumpole, his wife Hilda (She Who Must Be Obeyed), and the collection of oddities that comprise his chamber in Temple.
The TV series was marvellously accurate, but for me the stories just about beat them: warm, witty, funny and sometimes oddly moving, Mortimer's sheer humanity shines through these stories.
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