The Best of Rumpole: A Personal Choice - John Mortimer (Author); Product Description: The lovable, irreverent, claret-swigging, Wordsworth-spouting criminal lawyer returns to the fray to fight new battles against injustice. Stories such as "Rumpole and the Younger Generation" and "Rumpole and the Showfolk" are included. Mortimer's considerable skill in characterisation and ability to create surprises and laughs has you drawn into the world of the Old Bailey, and Pommeroy's wine bar in a jiffy. The claret quaffing defence hack is quite content with nice little "arsons" or "thefts", and is quite prepared to defend the clan of rogues, the Timsons, no matter what they're accused of (including devil worship!). However, Mortimer endeavours to place Rumpole well and truly out of his comfort zone, and in one of the tales ends he up defending his career. The Rumpole tales are told as reminiscences, and normally begin with an event which leads Horace on to one of his memories. The stories touch upon regret, morals, true justice, the injustice of the system, drunkeness, and the generation gap. Moreover, they are a reflection of the quirks of the British legal system, of the pretentious sorts and "old darlings" who crowd the corriors of justice. There's also a timelessness about many of the tales because they discuss eternal human themes. This volume provides a fabulous introduction to one of the best fictional characters of recent years. (NR KAT. 5)