Customer Reviews
Dated but Delightful - By: Mrs. K. A. Wheatley, 23 Apr 2008 
Rumpole is a recalcitrant barrister, eccentric, old fashioned & brilliant. He loves being the oldest enfant terrible in his chambers, wearing disgraceful hats & 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 & is as anarchic in his own way as his pet criminals. He has a wonderful take on life & although these stories are dated in the extreme they have a terrific charm which makes them well worth a read.
like the best soothing comfort food! - By: Roman Clodia, 27 May 2007 
Rumpole is one of those perennials that once you've read, you have to keep returning to. An almost Dickensian 'Englishness' & eccentricity informs these marvelous books: this is the first of the series, introducing Rumpole, his wife Hilda (She Who Must Be Obeyed), & 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 & sometimes oddly moving, Mortimer's sheer humanity shines through these stories.
