Rumpole Misbehaves

"Rumpole Misbehaves" (2007), the last of John Mortimer's novels about veteran British barrister Horace Rumpole, gives us more of what we expect (and desire) from these stories, as well as something new. What's new? Well, Hilda, She Who Must Be Obeyed in Rumpole parlance, decides to study law herself. Why should her husband have all the fun? Meanwhile, Rumpole, who for years has ridiculed the initial QC after the names of higher-ranking lawyers as meaning "Queer Customer," decides to try to become an elite Queen's Counsel himself. And thanks to Hilda's intervention, Judge Bullingham, Rumpole's longtime adversary in the courtroom, someone who can always be counted on to take the prosecution side, intervenes on his behalf.

Meanwhile, show more Rumpole gets the chance to defend, "alone and without a leader," a man accused of murdering a prostitute. He has other cases, too, all of which seem to conveniently aid him in defending the man being tried for murder.

As for the misbehavior mentioned in the title, Rumpole ignores a workplace directive prohibiting food, drink and smoking in chambers. The barrister manages to defend himself as ably as he defends his clients.

This is hardly one of the late John Mortimer's best Rumpole stories, yet it is great fun and not to be missed by fans of the series. show less

John Mortimer has reached an age (84 in 2007) where he could be excused if he set down his pen. In fact, I had rather assumed that no more Rumpole books would be forthcoming from this master of British wit. When I came across 'Rumpole Misbehaves' while browsing for Christmas presents, I immediately decided I needed to give it as a present - to me!

In 'Rumpole Misbehaves', Mortimer gives us Horace Rumpole, barrister, but no QC, battling injustice, prejudice, hypocrisy, and stupid government policies, not to mention social and career climbing. Mortimer introduces the reader to an abomination called an "Anti Social Behaviour Order" (ASBO) whereby the UK government attempts to punish persons under the vague charge of being 'anti-social' and show more without the full panoply of due process.

Rumpole not only defends a client against an ASBO charge, but even finds himself hauled to the dock. Mortimer neatly ties these cases into the murder charge that lies at the heart of the story. The Mad Bull, AKA Judge Leonard Bullingham, also occupies a central, if surprising, role in the story.

In 'Rumpole Misbehaves' we see egos deflated, pretensions to moral righteousness revealed as in fact being just pretensions, and justice served all with Rumpole's wit tweaking those in need of tweaking. 'Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, but make it funny' could be Rumpole's epitaph. However, Mortimer implies that yet more Rumpole tales are in the offing. Let's hope so and thank you John Mortimer! show less

Horace Rumpole is a dry-witted, curmudgeonly English barrister who specializes in defending (and winning) hopeless cases, often earning the wrath of the British legal system in the process. This book is the latest in a delicious series that inspired the PBS series, "Rumpole of the Bailey", which I may have to check out. Here, Rumpole is dealing with an Anti-Social Behavior Order which has been served upon him for eating, imbibing and smoking his small cigars in his chambers, and another ASBO which has been served upon a 12-year-old boy for playing football in a gated community, and also defending yet another hopeless murder case. Rumpole himself is a grumpy delight, and there is an intriguing cast of supporting characters that I hope to show more encounter again, for I've been hooked and plan to take in this series (and possibly the PBS series) from the beginning. show less

Good and entertaining - but Mortimer was reaching the end of his tether. Either the characters were played out or he was - but the novel seemed artificial and contrived. Interesting in the context of the ASBO - which in a younger Mortimer would have surely yielded more vitriol and ire. The ASBOs are an insult to the English legal system or any other civilized nation. It is a scandal and deserved more anger than this novel could bring to bear.

I don't know what it would be like to read this without having seen Leo McKern play Rumpole on television, but having done so the book came alive for me and was highly entertaining.

This short novel finds the cantankerous Rumpole at his best, defending criminals, the innocent, and the British Constitution with equal vigor. The reason I gave it only three stars was that I read a lot of British police procedurals. There is a situation in the book, which I won't detail for fear of spoilers, but which seems impossible to me in light of what other authors have described as standard Scene of Crime procedure for any suspicious death. I gather it's been a long time since Mr. Mortimer actually practiced law.

Unlike most of the Rumpole books, this is a novel and not a collection of stories. In this next-to-last Rumpole book, the great Old Bailey Hack's cases run from the sublime (murder) to the ridiculous (an ASBO--Anti-Social Behavior Order--for playing football in the streets.) Rumpole wins them all and manages to uncover a ring in human trafficking along the way. Rumpole also, for the first time in his career, tries to pursue judicial advancement; following on his heels is She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, who has decided to read for the law. This is a fun story, but thinner than most of the Rumpole books. The supporting cast, always loveable in its foibles, has begun to recede a bit. Rumpole talks a lot about his "philosophy" of law practice, show more giving this book the air of a valediction. show less