Jonah and Co. - Softcover

Dornford Yates

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1494875489 ISBN 13: 9781494875480

Publisher: Createspace

Synopsis

"Shall I massage it?" said Berry. The suggestion was loudly condemned. "Right," replied my brother-in-law. "That reduces us to faith-healing. On the command 'One, ' make your mind a blank-that shouldn't be difficult-realise that the agony you aren't suffering is imaginary, and close both legs. One! On the command 'Two'--" "You can go," I said wearily. "You can go. I'll write to you when I want you. Don't bother to leave your address." "But how vulgar," said Berry. "How very vulgar." He paused to glance at his watch. "Dear me! Half-past ten, and I haven't had my beer yet." He stepped to the door. "Should the pain become excruciating, turn upon the stomach and repeat Kipling's 'If.' Should--" My sister and Jill fairly bundled him out of the doorway. Sitting by my side upon the bed, Adele laid her cheek against mine. "Is it any better, old chap?" "The pain's practically stopped," said I, "thank Heaven. Putting it up's done that. But I'm in for a stiff leg, dear. I know that. Not that that matters really, but it means I can't drive." It was unfortunate that, before I had been upon French soil for half an hour, I should be kicked by a testy cab-horse of whose existence-much less proximity-thanks to the poor lighting of Boulogne, I had been totally unaware. I had been kicked upon the same knee in 1916. On that occasion I had gone with a stiff leg for a fortnight. It seemed unpleasantly probable that history would wholly repeat itself. "I can travel," I continued. "I shall be able to walk with a stick, but I shan't be able to drive. And, as Jonah can't drive more than one car at a time, Berry'll have to take the other." At my words Daphne started, and Jill gave a little cry."

About this title

About the Author:

Born Cecil William Mercer into a middle class Victorian family with many Victorian skeletons in the closet, including the conviction for embezzlement from a law firm and subsequent suicide of his great-uncle, Yates' parents somehow scraped together enough money to send him to Harrow. The son of a solicitor, he qualified as a barrister whilst still finding timeto contribute stories to the Windsor Magazine. After the first world war hegave up legal work in favour of writing, which had become his great passion, and completed somethirty books. These rangedfrom light- hearted farce to adventure thrillers. For the former, he created the 'Berry' books which established Yates' reputation as a writer of witty, upper-crust romances. For the latter, he created ther character Richard Chandos, who recounts the adventures of Jonah Mansel, a classic gentleman sleuth. As a consequence of his education and experience, Yates' books feature the genteel life, a nostalgic glimpse at Edwardian decadence and a number of swindling solicitors. In his hey day, and as testament to hisfine writing, Dornford Yates' work was placed in the bestseller list. Indeed, 'Berry' is one of the great comic creations of twentieth century fiction; the 'Chandos' titles also beingsuccessfully adapted for television. Along with Sapper and John Buchan, Yates dominated the adventure book market of the inter war years. Finding the English climate utterly unbearable, Yates chose to live in the French Pyrenees for eighteen years, before moving on to Rhodesia where he died in 1960. 'Mr Yates can be recommended to anyone who thinks the British take themselves too seriously.' - Punch 'We appreciate fine writing when we come across it, and a wit that is ageless united to a courtesy that is extinct'-Cyril Connolly

About this edition

• Publisher: Createspace
• ISBN 10: 1494875489
• ISBN 13: 9781494875480
• Binding: Paperback