Ruggles, Bunker & Merton; three masterpieces of humor

Harry Leon Wilson wrote during the first few decades of the 20th century. Unfortunately, it seems he is now largely forgotten, though he appears to have a good-sized body of work. This collection contains three of his most popular novels.

1. 'Ruggles of Red Gap': A spoiled Englishman loses his valet, Ruggles (a Jeeves-esque character, although a bit more of a snob) to an American family in a high-stakes game of poker. Ruggles reluctantly travels with the family to Washington state, where he causes a stir in their small hometown.

2. 'Bunker Bean': A meek office clerk visits a pair of greedy fortune-tellers and learns he lived previous lives as an Egyptian pharaoh and Napoleon Bonaparte, among others. Empowered by this impressive history, show more he adjusts his love life, work life, and finances to better fit his regal background.

3. 'Merton of the Movies': Merton Gill's only dream is to act on the big screen. After saving his pennies and taking an acting class he leaves his job in Illinois for Hollywood. There, he struggles to find work as an extra and eventually get his big break.

All three of these novels were highly entertaining. I wasn't surprised to discover that "Merton of the Movies" had been adapted as a screenplay by George S. Kaufman, as Wilson's humor immediately reminded me of the Algonquin Round Table group. There were moments of slapstick but also witty dialogue and scenarios. Each title character also had odd bits of misfortune, so, although each story was overall a comedy, there were elements of pathos as well. Of the three, Bunker Bean was probably my personal favorite although it took the longest for me to get into. The storyline was just the most original of the bunch. It really is a shame that Wilson isn't better remembered today. show less