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Rumpole of the Bailey #15
Rumpole Misbehaves
Beloved and bestselling Rumpole is back to solve a new and peculiar mystery
Anti-Social Behavior Orders, commonly known as ASBOs, are the New Labour government’s pride and joy. A child who plays or even loiters in an unfriendly street can, on the complaint of neighbors, have an ASBO slapped on him. If he offends again he’ll be found in breach of his ASBO and thrown in jail without a trial. All this, of course, raises the wrath of everyone’s favorite barrister Horace Rumpole when he is called upon to defend a Timson child who has earned an ASBO for playing soccer on a posh street.
As Rumpole tries to get to the bottom of it all, his fellow barristers in chambers decide to highlight the ridiculousness of ASBOs by citing Rumpole for bringing food and his beloved wine into his room, and for causing global warming by lighting small cigars. Another witty tale sure to please the legions of Rumpole fans who eagerly await each new installment.
Anti-Social Behavior Orders, commonly known as ASBOs, are the New Labour government’s pride and joy. A child who plays or even loiters in an unfriendly street can, on the complaint of neighbors, have an ASBO slapped on him. If he offends again he’ll be found in breach of his ASBO and thrown in jail without a trial. All this, of course, raises the wrath of everyone’s favorite barrister Horace Rumpole when he is called upon to defend a Timson child who has earned an ASBO for playing soccer on a posh street.
As Rumpole tries to get to the bottom of it all, his fellow barristers in chambers decide to highlight the ridiculousness of ASBOs by citing Rumpole for bringing food and his beloved wine into his room, and for causing global warming by lighting small cigars. Another witty tale sure to please the legions of Rumpole fans who eagerly await each new installment.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2007
30 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
John Mortimer
245 books227 followersJohn Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
May 28, 2015
The song remains the same, but there's something so likable about Rumpole, that old curmudgeon of a London barrister, that it doesn't matter if each book feels a little like a repeat.
On the surface, this story is just another Rumpole petty crime court case with the Timsons in-tow, however, sex slave trafficking turns out to be the seedy underbelly.
On the home front, Rumpole's wife Hilda is intrigued by the advances of a judge into studying for the bar, as well as participating in her usual pastime of pushing Rumpole towards a silk robe, the garment of a judge. This time around even Rumpole himself seems interested in seeing that become a reality, but longtime readers know the likelihood of it happening is slim indeed.
Why? Well, look at it this way. Rumpole is very much like The Highlander in that he never ages. He is perpetually on the verge of retirement for decade upon decade. The series started in the late 1970s and ran for 30 years. Rumpole's age is hard to pinpoint exactly, but he always appears to be in his late 50s to early 60s irregardless of the hippies, discos, punks, Johnny Depp movies, iPods or the post 9/11 world whirling about him. Fashions came and went, events befell humanity, but Rumpole motored on, never changing right up to the end.
Rumpole Misbehaves was one of, if not, the last book in the series that John Mortimer published before his death (I only know of one collection of Christmas stories that came after this and that was published posthumously,) so I found myself actually investing some real hope that Rumpole might finally succeed in getting silk for himself and rising from lawyer to judge. I thought, heck, maybe Mortimer sensed the end was nigh and threw the old boy a bone. Not likely?
I don't feel I'm spoiling anything terribly important here. No, because the real moral of Mortimer's stories is morality. Rumpole maybe be rough around the edges, but what we like about him is his willingness to put right before wrong regardless of the consequences to himself. This fat, cigar-puffing grouch is as close as a white knight as you'll get these days.
On the surface, this story is just another Rumpole petty crime court case with the Timsons in-tow, however, sex slave trafficking turns out to be the seedy underbelly.
On the home front, Rumpole's wife Hilda is intrigued by the advances of a judge into studying for the bar, as well as participating in her usual pastime of pushing Rumpole towards a silk robe, the garment of a judge. This time around even Rumpole himself seems interested in seeing that become a reality, but longtime readers know the likelihood of it happening is slim indeed.
Why? Well, look at it this way. Rumpole is very much like The Highlander in that he never ages. He is perpetually on the verge of retirement for decade upon decade. The series started in the late 1970s and ran for 30 years. Rumpole's age is hard to pinpoint exactly, but he always appears to be in his late 50s to early 60s irregardless of the hippies, discos, punks, Johnny Depp movies, iPods or the post 9/11 world whirling about him. Fashions came and went, events befell humanity, but Rumpole motored on, never changing right up to the end.
Rumpole Misbehaves was one of, if not, the last book in the series that John Mortimer published before his death (I only know of one collection of Christmas stories that came after this and that was published posthumously,) so I found myself actually investing some real hope that Rumpole might finally succeed in getting silk for himself and rising from lawyer to judge. I thought, heck, maybe Mortimer sensed the end was nigh and threw the old boy a bone. Not likely?
I don't feel I'm spoiling anything terribly important here. No, because the real moral of Mortimer's stories is morality. Rumpole maybe be rough around the edges, but what we like about him is his willingness to put right before wrong regardless of the consequences to himself. This fat, cigar-puffing grouch is as close as a white knight as you'll get these days.
April 7, 2022
Imagine that you are accused of murder.
Your defense lawyer eats steak/kidney pies, smokes small cigars and declaims poetry to the judge.
Will anyone believe that you are innocent?
Rumpole quotes from poetry
‘Then wonder on,’ I told her, ‘till truth make all things plain.
The mindset of the accused
‘I’d just feel satisfied in my mind if I could have a Queen's Counsel there for this occasion.’
He had kissed a dead girl, he was up on a charge of murder with a defense which was not yet entirely clear, and his only worry seemed to be the quality of my gown and whether or not I might be seated in the front or second row.
The "Nanny" State as parent
‘She said she was a “state nanny” and she had been selected to advise me on parenting, seeing that young Peter had an ASBO.’
‘Well, she asked if I read to him in bed. And I told her I didn’t. So she left me a book. Something about a bear that kept taking honey. Not very exciting reading, I didn’t think. But she said if I read to Peter in bed regular, it’d keep him from going into the nick.’
‘Did you try it?’ Dennis seemed unable to get enough of this story.
‘When he was in bed. Yes. I sat down and started to read out about this bear liking honey. Oh, and there was a boy in it with a picture of him wearing shorts.’
‘How did your Peter take it?’
‘He said, “Shut up, Dad. I’m listening to my iPod.”
To add a wider view this story is narrated by Rumpole and alternately by his wife. So we get two completely different points of view.
Enjoy!
Your defense lawyer eats steak/kidney pies, smokes small cigars and declaims poetry to the judge.
Will anyone believe that you are innocent?
Rumpole quotes from poetry
‘Then wonder on,’ I told her, ‘till truth make all things plain.
The mindset of the accused
‘I’d just feel satisfied in my mind if I could have a Queen's Counsel there for this occasion.’
He had kissed a dead girl, he was up on a charge of murder with a defense which was not yet entirely clear, and his only worry seemed to be the quality of my gown and whether or not I might be seated in the front or second row.
The "Nanny" State as parent
‘She said she was a “state nanny” and she had been selected to advise me on parenting, seeing that young Peter had an ASBO.’
‘Well, she asked if I read to him in bed. And I told her I didn’t. So she left me a book. Something about a bear that kept taking honey. Not very exciting reading, I didn’t think. But she said if I read to Peter in bed regular, it’d keep him from going into the nick.’
‘Did you try it?’ Dennis seemed unable to get enough of this story.
‘When he was in bed. Yes. I sat down and started to read out about this bear liking honey. Oh, and there was a boy in it with a picture of him wearing shorts.’
‘How did your Peter take it?’
‘He said, “Shut up, Dad. I’m listening to my iPod.”
To add a wider view this story is narrated by Rumpole and alternately by his wife. So we get two completely different points of view.
Enjoy!
March 7, 2023
A bit like P.G. Wodehouse, John Mortimer's Rumpole series is a comfort read. Predictable in a good way. A familiar cast of characters and tropes aligned to clever storytelling and with plenty of humour.
The Anti Social Behaviour Of Horace Rumpole (2007) was, so far as I can tell, the final Rumpole book. John Mortimer died in early 2009.
I'm pleased to report there's plenty to enjoy and appreciate. It's set just prior to the UK smoking ban and in the age of the ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order), and needless to say Rumpole is unhappy about both. As usual Rumpole is clever, determined, and resolutely unimpressed by many of those in positions of authority.
If you like Rumpole then rest assured you're in safe hands. The Anti Social Behaviour Of Horace Rumpole is a fine way to bow out
4/5
The Anti Social Behaviour Of Horace Rumpole (2007) was, so far as I can tell, the final Rumpole book. John Mortimer died in early 2009.
I'm pleased to report there's plenty to enjoy and appreciate. It's set just prior to the UK smoking ban and in the age of the ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order), and needless to say Rumpole is unhappy about both. As usual Rumpole is clever, determined, and resolutely unimpressed by many of those in positions of authority.
If you like Rumpole then rest assured you're in safe hands. The Anti Social Behaviour Of Horace Rumpole is a fine way to bow out
4/5
May 22, 2014
This is a short book in the Rumpole series in which Rumpole hopes to be accepted as a QC and take the silk. Of course we know that it will never happen since he has teed off every judge on the bench but She Who Must Be Obeyed uses her relationship with one of the judges to push Rumpole to the forefront. In the meantime, the "Old Bailey hack" is defending one of the infamous Timsons.....this time it is a 12 year old who is accused of anti-social behavior. Not much of a case but it turns out there is more involved than initially appears.
Who doesn't love Rumpole? These books are so delightful and the continuing cast of characters is equally appealing. Another winner from the late John Mortimer and well worth your time.
Who doesn't love Rumpole? These books are so delightful and the continuing cast of characters is equally appealing. Another winner from the late John Mortimer and well worth your time.
Read
August 6, 2011This was always going to be a bittersweet moment for me reading the very last of the late Sir John Mortimer, Q.C.’s Rumpole books. It is no exaggeration to say I grew up reading Rumpole, and eagerly awaited every new book as they were published over the years and, since Sir John’s death in early 2009, I knew that there were not going to be any more. And now, the last has been read. Maybe I’ll read them all over again – it is bound to be an enjoyable experience again, this time from the perspective of 20 years at the Bar, which I certainly did not have with the earlier of the books.
The final instalment does not disappoint. Every nuance and detail of characterisation is there – the recidivist Timson family, the ineffectual cross-examiner Samuel “Bollard” Ballard, Q.C., the womanising Claude Erskine-Browne, the “Mad Bull” Bullingham now having improbably ascended the High Court Bench whilst openly courting the dubious pleasures of the company of She Who Must Be Obeyed … and all of the other favourite characters so lovingly drawn by Sir John over the best part of 40 years.
Always right up-to-date with the idiocies of the time in which the book was written, this one contains the unjustifiable A.S.B.O. as the latest in the Government’s control-state, together with the idiocies of global warming and melting of the Polar ice-caps due to Rumpole’s tobacco emissions, and the supreme irony of an A.S.B.O. being slapped on Rumpole himself, by his very own Chambers!
As with them all, a thoroughly enjoyable read for everyone. But especially so for those of us who will be able to identify, with ease, the exact circumstances written about and matching characters to real people we know at and around the Bar. Sir John’s last incarnation of Rumpole, charming and hilarious to the very end!
Sir John Mortimer, Queer Customer, R.I.P.
Horace Rumpole, Nylon, long may you live!
The final instalment does not disappoint. Every nuance and detail of characterisation is there – the recidivist Timson family, the ineffectual cross-examiner Samuel “Bollard” Ballard, Q.C., the womanising Claude Erskine-Browne, the “Mad Bull” Bullingham now having improbably ascended the High Court Bench whilst openly courting the dubious pleasures of the company of She Who Must Be Obeyed … and all of the other favourite characters so lovingly drawn by Sir John over the best part of 40 years.
Always right up-to-date with the idiocies of the time in which the book was written, this one contains the unjustifiable A.S.B.O. as the latest in the Government’s control-state, together with the idiocies of global warming and melting of the Polar ice-caps due to Rumpole’s tobacco emissions, and the supreme irony of an A.S.B.O. being slapped on Rumpole himself, by his very own Chambers!
As with them all, a thoroughly enjoyable read for everyone. But especially so for those of us who will be able to identify, with ease, the exact circumstances written about and matching characters to real people we know at and around the Bar. Sir John’s last incarnation of Rumpole, charming and hilarious to the very end!
Sir John Mortimer, Queer Customer, R.I.P.
Horace Rumpole, Nylon, long may you live!
September 29, 2013
"Do you go to the opera, Rumpole?"
"Hardly at all." And I remembered an old saying: 'If a thing's too silly to say, then sing it.'
Rumpole at his best in this book, I think.
"Hardly at all." And I remembered an old saying: 'If a thing's too silly to say, then sing it.'
Rumpole at his best in this book, I think.
June 25, 2014
Excellent read Rumpole bang up to date withAsBOS and other Crimes witty and pithy.Read it in 3 days
September 30, 2019
Once more, aging barrister Horace Rumpole, defiant to the last, takes on hopeless cases (his favorite kind) intent on winning them. What begins as an apparently trivial case of a 12-year-old Timson boy being served with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (or ASBO) soon has ties to the murder of a prostitute and a human trafficking ring.
As he fights the good fight, Rumpole must contend with being served himself with an ASBO by fellow barristers of his own chambers for consuming food and wine and smoking cigars in his room. All the while, the elderly junior barrister is taking on what is perhaps the most hopeless case of all: applying for silk and becoming Queen’s Counsel (or as Rumpole calls it, “Queer Customer”).
As always, John Mortimer’s tales of everyone’s favorite barrister are a treat as he battles for his clients, despite such obstacles as obstinate judges like Sir Leonard “Mad Bull” Bullingham, petty bureaucrats such as his head of chambers, “Soapy” Sam Ballard, and of course, Rumpole’s wife Hilda, otherwise known as She Who Must Be Obeyed. I look forward to reading more books in the series (although at this point, they’re getting scarce; I’ve read a lot of Rumpole this year). Four stars.
As he fights the good fight, Rumpole must contend with being served himself with an ASBO by fellow barristers of his own chambers for consuming food and wine and smoking cigars in his room. All the while, the elderly junior barrister is taking on what is perhaps the most hopeless case of all: applying for silk and becoming Queen’s Counsel (or as Rumpole calls it, “Queer Customer”).
As always, John Mortimer’s tales of everyone’s favorite barrister are a treat as he battles for his clients, despite such obstacles as obstinate judges like Sir Leonard “Mad Bull” Bullingham, petty bureaucrats such as his head of chambers, “Soapy” Sam Ballard, and of course, Rumpole’s wife Hilda, otherwise known as She Who Must Be Obeyed. I look forward to reading more books in the series (although at this point, they’re getting scarce; I’ve read a lot of Rumpole this year). Four stars.
November 6, 2024
A short novel of 3 plots seamlessly blended into one. For anyone who haven't read Rumpole the stories are quintessentially British. They follow a portly, irreverent, yet skilled and tenacious defense barrister who you'd want to be at your side. He belongs to 4 Equity Court under an inefficient and mildly incompetent leader Soapy Sam yet he manages to hold his own against all comers.
In this book he defends a 12 year old from the infamous Timson clan (his bread and butter clients) against a charge of ABSO where he's accused of kicking a football and making a racket in a neighborhood street that's next to his. Rumpole also defends and finds the truth behind the murder of a sex-trafficked Russian woman prostitute who his client is accused of murdering. He also helps a trucker who's accused of trucking Eastern European women into Britain for the purposes of prostitution. Last is the story of his failed attempt of getting QC'd which was tied to all of the above. And included is his wife Hilda's attempt of gaining the bar plus her friendship with the local judge who had the hots for her temporarily.
Lightly humorous and quick read. Fun for fans of Rumpole or new readers.
In this book he defends a 12 year old from the infamous Timson clan (his bread and butter clients) against a charge of ABSO where he's accused of kicking a football and making a racket in a neighborhood street that's next to his. Rumpole also defends and finds the truth behind the murder of a sex-trafficked Russian woman prostitute who his client is accused of murdering. He also helps a trucker who's accused of trucking Eastern European women into Britain for the purposes of prostitution. Last is the story of his failed attempt of getting QC'd which was tied to all of the above. And included is his wife Hilda's attempt of gaining the bar plus her friendship with the local judge who had the hots for her temporarily.
Lightly humorous and quick read. Fun for fans of Rumpole or new readers.
Read
December 30, 2018It's mildly peculiar that this is the first book of the renowned Rumpole series that I have read (and evidently it's the last one). I suppose the Rumpole books are simply always checked out at the library. Anyhow, I enjoyed it--it's short, funny, and a satisfying romp in which the barrister Rumpole wins a round for justice despite colleagues who tend to stand in his way.
June 26, 2019
Loved the show!
And I am glad to be able to add the novels to my collection.
Rumpole RULES!
And I am glad to be able to add the novels to my collection.
Rumpole RULES!
January 24, 2019
RUMPOLE MISBEHAVES (The Anti-Social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole) by John Mortimer
How bittersweet! John Mortimer died soon after writing this last Rumpole story. It begins with Horace receiving a brief from the ever-reliable clients, the Timsons. Twelve-year-old Peter Timson is charged with anti-social behavior – retrieving a football (soccer ball here in the colonies) by a spiritual healer living in a posh town section just adjacent to the seedy Timson neighborhood. Of course, Rumpole saves the day, but this leads into several other threads brought up later in the book, including clients to be defended in the case of a murdered Russian prostitute and a lorry driver accused of human trafficking. Horace also seeks silk – the elevated status of QC (Queen’s Counsel – or to Horace, Queer Customer). Hilda decides to read for the bar – it was so easy for “Daddy” and Horace wins so many cases so it must be a breeze. Horace’s dodgy chamber mates decide his eating, drinking and smoking in chambers are anti-social to the point of charging him for it. And so much more.
Some readers find the recurring formula used by Mortimer in these stories to be tiring. I think it depends on the reader’s mood. After reading several nasty books I sought dear old Horace as a safe humor-filled refuge from nastiness. If feeling adventurous I might have agreed with his more severe critics.
The last sentences in the book are: “The life of an Old Bailey hack, I think to myself, has more ups and downs in it than the roller-coaster on the end of Brighton Pier. This is where it will all begin again.” Alas, not, unless someone with the cynical and astringent spirit of Horace rises like a Phoenix from the ashes of a world now all too serious and puts poison pen to paper.
How bittersweet! John Mortimer died soon after writing this last Rumpole story. It begins with Horace receiving a brief from the ever-reliable clients, the Timsons. Twelve-year-old Peter Timson is charged with anti-social behavior – retrieving a football (soccer ball here in the colonies) by a spiritual healer living in a posh town section just adjacent to the seedy Timson neighborhood. Of course, Rumpole saves the day, but this leads into several other threads brought up later in the book, including clients to be defended in the case of a murdered Russian prostitute and a lorry driver accused of human trafficking. Horace also seeks silk – the elevated status of QC (Queen’s Counsel – or to Horace, Queer Customer). Hilda decides to read for the bar – it was so easy for “Daddy” and Horace wins so many cases so it must be a breeze. Horace’s dodgy chamber mates decide his eating, drinking and smoking in chambers are anti-social to the point of charging him for it. And so much more.
Some readers find the recurring formula used by Mortimer in these stories to be tiring. I think it depends on the reader’s mood. After reading several nasty books I sought dear old Horace as a safe humor-filled refuge from nastiness. If feeling adventurous I might have agreed with his more severe critics.
The last sentences in the book are: “The life of an Old Bailey hack, I think to myself, has more ups and downs in it than the roller-coaster on the end of Brighton Pier. This is where it will all begin again.” Alas, not, unless someone with the cynical and astringent spirit of Horace rises like a Phoenix from the ashes of a world now all too serious and puts poison pen to paper.
March 6, 2014
Rumpole is back for a new adventure, based on the 2007 novel.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2008.
The magician of the Old Bailey is at his implacable best as he defends our ancient freedoms, while remaining uneasy about exactly what Hilda is up to in her continuing friendship with a high court judge. Having avoided an ASBO, Rumpole is hoping to become a QC at last, as he prepares to defend a young man on a charge of murder.
Horace Rumpole ...... Timothy West
Hilda Rumpole ...... Prunella Scales
‘Soapy Sam’ Ballard ...... Michael Cochrane
Bonny Bernard ...... Nicholas Le Prevost
Prosecutor Parkes ...... Roger May
Madam Chair of Magistrates ...... Jillie Mears
Graham Wetherby ...... David Holt
Lars Bergman ...... Matthew Morgan
Judge Bullingham ...... David Shaw-Parker
Fig Newton ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2008.
The magician of the Old Bailey is at his implacable best as he defends our ancient freedoms, while remaining uneasy about exactly what Hilda is up to in her continuing friendship with a high court judge. Having avoided an ASBO, Rumpole is hoping to become a QC at last, as he prepares to defend a young man on a charge of murder.
Horace Rumpole ...... Timothy West
Hilda Rumpole ...... Prunella Scales
‘Soapy Sam’ Ballard ...... Michael Cochrane
Bonny Bernard ...... Nicholas Le Prevost
Prosecutor Parkes ...... Roger May
Madam Chair of Magistrates ...... Jillie Mears
Graham Wetherby ...... David Holt
Lars Bergman ...... Matthew Morgan
Judge Bullingham ...... David Shaw-Parker
Fig Newton ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
August 21, 2014
I've read all the books and seen all the tv episodes dozens of times, so some passages, I could recite almost verbatim - and recitation is not my strongest suit, quite honestly....oops, that's a phrase taken from a Rumpole episode.
I love Rumpole, and I empathise with him too. He is clever, dogged and unafraid of authority figures, who are painted in unflattering shades of hypocrisy, but with a gentle fun that makes it ironic, rather than maddening.
This hardback is printed in very large type and with lots of space, which makes me feel as if it would fit easily into a volume of about a third of the size. If you want to say, with complete conviction, though, that you read a book in four hours, this is the one to choose. And I have to admire hugely any writer who can come up with endless stories which such apparent ease and consistency.
I love Rumpole, and I empathise with him too. He is clever, dogged and unafraid of authority figures, who are painted in unflattering shades of hypocrisy, but with a gentle fun that makes it ironic, rather than maddening.
This hardback is printed in very large type and with lots of space, which makes me feel as if it would fit easily into a volume of about a third of the size. If you want to say, with complete conviction, though, that you read a book in four hours, this is the one to choose. And I have to admire hugely any writer who can come up with endless stories which such apparent ease and consistency.
February 16, 2008
Horace Rumpole is a perpetually 70 year old barrister, comfortably ensconced in his chambers, smoking stogies, drinking Pomeroy's Very Ordinary Claret, and quoting Wordsworth. His low points (he would have you believe) are at home with his wife, She Who Must Be Obeyed. His high points are in court when he "rears up on his hind legs" for a cross-examination, battling against the prosecutor, the judge, and occasionally his partners to protect the presumption of innocence and defend his client.
Reviewing an individual Rumpole book is like reviewing a P.G. Wodehouse - if you've read one you already know what you are getting. Those of us who have already been introduced will greet the faded barrister's wig and the rumpled waistcoat with a pleased smile.
Reviewing an individual Rumpole book is like reviewing a P.G. Wodehouse - if you've read one you already know what you are getting. Those of us who have already been introduced will greet the faded barrister's wig and the rumpled waistcoat with a pleased smile.
March 2, 2011
Rumpole becoming a QC? Hilda reading for the bar? Judge "Mad Bull" Bullingham actually supporting both applications? Has the world gone mad? Not quite, but close enough for it to be yet another delightful outing for my favorite Old Bailey hack. Few things are as delightful as revisiting these magnificent characters and seeing them spar brilliantly in and out of court. Pardon my gushing: I've yet to find a poor Rumpole story, and I'm likely to be a staunchly partisan judge of the books in this series. Mortimer left behind a magnificent collection of delights, for language, for legal sparring, for the sheer cleverness of the eldest junior barrister in London; delve deeply into its treasures -- read 'em all!
January 17, 2009
It's very ironic that I just finished reading this 2 days ago, and then heard that the author, John Mortimer, died today. I have read ALL the Rumpole books and adore them. I've also read just about everything John Mortimer wrote. The Rumpole books are wonderful and I've loved every one of them. The reason I gave this only 3 stars is that it was a little fluff of a book -- very short and the story was pretty fluffy too based on the other books. But still...Rumpole will always be one of my favorite characters, along with She Who Must Be Obeyed, Soapy Sam Bollard, The Timson clan, and all the others.
November 5, 2013
This is the first Rumpole book I've read. I found the book easy to read.One minor case and a murder case yet slowly becoming intertwined. The politic intrigue and vying for power among the legal profession staff in chambers and court room made for a very interesting side plot to the main case stories
April 13, 2009
As a long-time Rumpole fan, I enjoyed reading this, one of the last books about the elderly junior barrister written by the great John Mortimer. I didn't think it was quite up to the standard of some of his earlier books, but fun for all that.
January 13, 2016
Rumpole a Q.C? Hilda studying for the Bar? What is happening?
Whew, I'd better have another glass of Chateau Thames Embankment!
Nothing more entertaining than Rumpole stories. Wonderful Leo McKern is Rumpole.
Whew, I'd better have another glass of Chateau Thames Embankment!
Nothing more entertaining than Rumpole stories. Wonderful Leo McKern is Rumpole.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2023
“Rumpole Misbehaves” (The Anti-Social Behaviour of Horace Rumpole) was a delight to read. As I recall (from TV), Horace Rumpole, the cantankerous old barrister who thrives on saying--under his breath of course--all the things we would like to say to pompous lawyers, judges, and various other people that tend to act far more important than they really are. A while ago I was browsing through our library’s annual book sale when I saw several Rumpole books for sale. Although I had watched “Rumpole” on PBS, I have never read one of the books. So, I picked out a few. “Rumpole Misbehaves” was one of them. I am glad I did.
Anti-Social Behavior Orders, commonly known as ASBOs, are the New Labor government’s pride and joy. As Rumpole tries to get to the bottom of it all, his fellow barristers in chambers decide to highlight the ridiculousness of ASBOs by citing Rumpole for bringing food and his beloved wine into his room, and for causing global warming by lighting small cigars.
There is something so likable about Rumpole, that old curmudgeon of a London barrister, that it does not matter if each book feels a little like a repeat. Moritmer’s characterization is delightful from Rumpole himself to obstinate judges like Sir Leonard “Mad Bull” Bullingham, petty bureaucrats such as his head of chambers, “Soapy” Sam Ballard, and of course my favorite, Rumpole’s wife Hilda, otherwise known as “She Who Must Be Obeyed.” This is a delightful series, and “Rumpole Misbehaves” certainly has some moments of absurdity and humor.
Anti-Social Behavior Orders, commonly known as ASBOs, are the New Labor government’s pride and joy. As Rumpole tries to get to the bottom of it all, his fellow barristers in chambers decide to highlight the ridiculousness of ASBOs by citing Rumpole for bringing food and his beloved wine into his room, and for causing global warming by lighting small cigars.
There is something so likable about Rumpole, that old curmudgeon of a London barrister, that it does not matter if each book feels a little like a repeat. Moritmer’s characterization is delightful from Rumpole himself to obstinate judges like Sir Leonard “Mad Bull” Bullingham, petty bureaucrats such as his head of chambers, “Soapy” Sam Ballard, and of course my favorite, Rumpole’s wife Hilda, otherwise known as “She Who Must Be Obeyed.” This is a delightful series, and “Rumpole Misbehaves” certainly has some moments of absurdity and humor.
July 13, 2021
I know Rumpole best from radio play versions. It used to be Leo McKearn, but now Julian Rind-Tutt. Since they are both actors I know, my mental picture gets a bit mixed up. Rind-Tut is probably too young, but I can't mix his voice with McKearn's face. I think I have read some of his stories before, as well as Mortimer's autobiography ('A Journey Around my Father'?).
Something I usually do before coming to Greece is to buy a paperback from a charity shop. I can read it and then pass it on at bookswap. I picked this one up at Oxfam in York and swapped it at Greek Sails. It was a quick read – not many pages and large print, but an entertaining read, as you would expect. It served its purpose well on this holiday.
Something I usually do before coming to Greece is to buy a paperback from a charity shop. I can read it and then pass it on at bookswap. I picked this one up at Oxfam in York and swapped it at Greek Sails. It was a quick read – not many pages and large print, but an entertaining read, as you would expect. It served its purpose well on this holiday.
October 6, 2019
Delightful quick read (2 hours). Rumpole fights the Anti-Social Behaviour Order laws, first for a young client, then for himself. The application of these laws seemed so ridiculous to me that I thought the author was making them up, but Wikipedia says they were actually passed in 1998.
Some of my favorite quotes:
-"Rumpole, you must move with the times."
"If I don't like the way the times are moving I shall refuse to accompany them.
- "I wasn't defending myself... I was defending the British constitution".
- "The test of democracy is the tolerance shown by the majority to minority opinions. Didn't darling John Stuart Mill say something like that?"
Some of my favorite quotes:
-"Rumpole, you must move with the times."
"If I don't like the way the times are moving I shall refuse to accompany them.
- "I wasn't defending myself... I was defending the British constitution".
- "The test of democracy is the tolerance shown by the majority to minority opinions. Didn't darling John Stuart Mill say something like that?"
March 3, 2019
ASBOs are the latest unfair edict against the poor and underprivileged, and Rumpole's not having it.
Anti-Social Behavior Orders are silly, rude, and nasty ways of getting at someone you don't like. Absolutely ridiculous, and yet, legal. I expect one filed against me at any moment, for laughing too loudly.
Of course, there's a more serious case, too, involving sex slaves. Bad stuff, and not conquored, but fought bravely.
John Mortimer's last gasp. Get it now. He went out fighting bad laws. Props.
Anti-Social Behavior Orders are silly, rude, and nasty ways of getting at someone you don't like. Absolutely ridiculous, and yet, legal. I expect one filed against me at any moment, for laughing too loudly.
Of course, there's a more serious case, too, involving sex slaves. Bad stuff, and not conquored, but fought bravely.
John Mortimer's last gasp. Get it now. He went out fighting bad laws. Props.
November 27, 2024
Not Mortimer's best work (though his second best is far ahead of many other writers), this final Rumpole novel, published in 2007, two years before Mortimer died at age 85, had for me a bit of the sadness of the end of the journey. The story seemed more a sketch than a fully detailed picture, yet for Rumpole fans, it has some of the familiar humor and sardonic observations, particularly of those who might appear on the surface to be our social betters, and for that and for all the other Rumpole stories, one feels thankful.
August 14, 2019
I have been going through all of the Rumpole books in order, now only one left. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as some of the earlier books. It appears all the same ingredients are present, with a focus on Rumpole taking on the establishment, but this one didn't hit the spot perfectly. Maybe it is because Rumpole seems to be better suited to a series of short stories than a single longer work with many threads used.
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December 10, 2023I was looking for a short and amusing book, as the end of the year approaches and I still have several books to read to make my Challenge, and this filled the bill perfectly. Good old Rumpole! (No, auto-correct, I don't mean rumple, though rumpled he is.) The social context is rather dated, e.g. women in chambers are still mostly secretaries, not barristers in their own right. But the relationship between Rumpole and his wife Hilda, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed, is as abrasively amusing as ever.
July 18, 2017
A pleasure, as always, to spend some time with Rumpole. This must be one of the last Rumpole stories and the world continues to change round about him while Rumpole doesn't. That is part of the charm though the real attraction is justice being done, and being seen to be done, in court and elsewhere.
November 23, 2019
This is classic Rumpole but not one of the best. It is essentially a sort story stretched to fill the size of a book. The Rumpole elements like poetry, Pomeroy's Chateaux Thames Embankment, She who must be obeyed, never plead guilty, etc are all present and accounted for, but the story is a bit lacking in originality. Nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable read.
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