I
received a paperback edition of this book through a LibraryThing giveaway from
the author and the following is my honest opinion.
The
back cover of the book proclaims it’s the best since P. G. Wodehouse. Since
there’s no mention of this British humorist’s name, I’ve got to assume he had
been the biggest influence in Clifford J. Hearn’s wanting to write in this
genre. However, I don’t think it had been the actual stories which had been the
actual influence, but the televised stories on British television; that along
with the British television Ripping Yarns [Michael Palin/Terry Jones from Monty
Python’s Flying Circus], the author had watched as a child in London.
That
said, this author’s short stories share an almost identical look at life
itself, poking fun at society and those in it, with what P. G. Wodehouse had
written. Each of Hearn’s stories, like
Wodehouse, are a snippet, although somewhat disjointed, of the lives of his
characters.
If
you’ve watched the British comedy series Wodehouse Playing or the Ripping Yarns
series written by Michael Pallin and Terry Jones [Monty Python] on PBS
television [which I have when I’d been considerably younger] or the BBC, then
you’ll know what to expect in this book. My laughter ranged from a mere groan
to a belly laugh.
If
you’re not into the British sense of humor, reading the stories in this book
might take a little getting used to; but once you do, you’ll find this book
quite an enjoyable reading experience. Please be aware the author uses British
terminology and spelling of words at times.
As
a whole I totally enjoyed reading this book, which is the reason I’ve given
this book 5 STARS.
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