Just makes the reserve price.
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I chose this book, because I was after something different from village school teachers and school inspector's tales. Not because I was bored of them, but thought it might be interesting to see another take on village life and village characters.
Philip Serrell's novel doesn't quite fit the criteria of this genre of books. These are tales of a country auctioneer, which have been put together throughout the book as `lots', a clever technique by the author. These lots represent stories and anecdotes from Philip's past, and within their own right, I feel they are great. However, strung together as they have been did not quite sit right with me.
The setting of the books, in Worcester and its outlying areas provides us with all the quaint farm owners, little old ladies with strange habits, possessions to sell and the workforce with their idiosyncrasies and out of tune whistling.
But this book has no timeline structure and I felt I was jumping backwards and forwards with stories, from the seventies to eighties to current day. It opens promisingly with the start of Serrrell's venture into the antiques, and in my opinion it should have carried along from that, at the pace that was set by the first chapter/lot. We would have at least seen how Serrells expertise and experience got better, the tales would then have all slotted in nicely.
Nonetheless, this is a heart warming tale and if you can overlook my personal comments, and just feel you want a book to while away a few hours then this is the one for you.
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Just doesn't do it
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I read this as the last book in the pile on a rainy holiday and shouldn't have bothered. Most of the plots were thin and rarely did a chapter reach any logical or, for that matter, amusing conclusion.
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Laughter warning! Proceed with caution!!!
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Tales from a country auctioneer, Philip Serrell. You may recognise him from "Bargain Hunt", "Flog it", or the "Twentieth Century Roadshow". He's been in the auctioneering business for the last 30 odd years and knows the Hereford/Worcester area... well, maybe not as well as he should considering the number of time he seems to have "got lost" in his travels!
He has the same literary style as James Herriot (the "Shouldn't Happen to a Vet" books). Just alter the focus from veterinary to antiques and the content is just as engaging, and in places, hilarious! The book is autobiographical, but although obviously based on actual events, I'm sure some of the names, places, and events have been changed slightly. I was a bit bored in the first few chapters, where the tales are about how Philip got started in the business beginning with livestock sales. However, when the focus turned to antiques I was hooked!
Philip's obvious love for his trade, and his endearing portrayal of human nature in all its' richness and variety, make this an uncomplicated and compulsive read. Enjoy!
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an auctioneers lot
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if you've ever seen an antiques show then you will know Philip Serrel..this book is very funny as he descibes how he started in the antiques business after deciding not to follow his dad into farming....full of stories of the colourful characters he met....a couple of get rich quick schemes he and his mate tried out, some more successful than others....a very funny book....
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