Berry and Co.

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Berry and Co.
Berry and Co, Yates, 1935 reprint.jpg
c1935 printing
Author Dornford Yates
SeriesBerry books
GenreShort stories
Publisher Ward Lock & Co [1]
Publication date
1921 [1]
Media typePrint
Pages308 [1]
Preceded by The Courts of Idleness  
Followed by Jonah and Co.  

Berry and Co. is a 1921 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), his third book, featuring his recurring characters Bertram ('Berry') Pleydell, his wife and cousin Daphne Pleydell, Daphne's brother Boy Pleydell, another cousin Jonathan ('Jonah') Mansel, and Jonah's younger sister Jill Mansel. The group of five - Berry, Daphne, Boy, Jonah and Jill - are collectively 'Berry and Co.' [2]

Contents

Plot

The book consists of short stories featuring Berry, Daphne, Boy, Jonah and Jill, set at 'White Ladies', Hampshire and at 'Cholmondeley Street', Mayfair in London in 1919 and 1920. In chapter 4, a Sealyham Terrier called Nobby joins the family. In the final story, Boy and Adèle (who had first appeared in The Courts of Idleness ) become engaged.

Background

All of the stories in Berry and Co. had originally appeared in The Windsor Magazine between December 1919 and December 1920. It was with the publication of Berry and Co. that Mercer finally made his mark as an author: the book proved to be extremely popular and was reprinted almost annually until the outbreak of the Second World War. [3]

Chapters

ChapterBook TitleWindsor TitleDateVolumeIssuePagesIllustrator
IHow Will Noggin was fooled, and Berry rode forth against his willA Blue Letter DayDecember 1919LI30020-31Norah Schlegel
IIHow Daphne wrote for assistance, and Mr Holly was outbidThe Unknown QualityMarch 1920LI303335-346Norah Schlegel
IIIHow a man may follow his own hat, and Berry took a lamp in his handIn This ConnectionApril 1920LI304357-368Norah Schlegel
IVHow Nobby came to sleep upon my bed, and Berry fell among thievesThe Accusative CaseMay 1920LI305457-470Norah Schlegel
VHow Jill's education was improved, and Daphne gave her husband the slipWe Are SevenJune 1920LII3063-15Norah Schlegel
VIHow Nobby attended a wedding, and Berry spoke nothing but the truthA Friend At CourtJuly 1920LII307103-117Norah Schlegel
VIIHow Jonah obeyed his orders, and Daphne and Katharine Festival backed the same horseToo Many CooksAugust 1920LII308209-222Norah Schlegel
VIIIHow Jill slept undisturbed, and Nobby attended church paradeA Trick Of MemorySeptember 1920LII309317-330Norah Schlegel
IXHow Adèle Feste arrived, and Mr Dunkelsbaum supped with the DevilA Bootless EnterpriseOctober 1920LII310424-437Norah Schlegel
XHow Adèle broke her dream, and Vandy Pleydell took exerciseA Lesson In LatinNovember 1920LII311527-541Norah Schlegel
XIHow Nobby met Blue Bandala, and Adèle gave Jonah a kissA Double EventDecember 1920LIII3123-17Norah Schlegel

Illustrations

The illustrations from the Windsor stories were not included in the book version, although one of the illustrations by Norah Schlegel (1879-1963) from "A Double Event" was used to illustrate the dustjacket of the first edition. Her illustration for "A Trick Of Memory" was used as the basis for the cover illustration by Bill Dare of The Best of Berry (1989) in the Classic Thrillers series of paperbacks issued by J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd.

Critical reception

In his 1982 biography of the author, AJ Smithers noted that the stories in Berry and Co. are longer and much funnier than the earlier tales, and he called the book "as fresh as the day it left the printers." His view was that "the reading public of the time revelled in it; their grandchildren still do; very probably the same will be said by their own." [4]

Richard Usborne in Clubland Heroes (1974) summarised a typical story: "Argument, persiflage, Berry over-ridden, plot, plot thickens, car chase, Berry goes off on sleeveless errand, Berry's long, 'priceless' Messenger's Speech ... Family tottering with laughter. Berry discomfited .. last word ... with Berry. End." [5]

Related Research Articles

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<i>The Brother of Daphne</i> 1914 short story collection by Dornford Yates

The Brother of Daphne is a 1914 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, the first book published under the pen name he had been using for magazine pieces since 1910. This was also the first book to feature the group of characters that featured in many of his future works: Bertram ('Berry') Pleydell, his wife and cousin Daphne Pleydell, Daphne's brother Boy Pleydell, another cousin Jonathan ('Jonah') Mansel, and Jonah's younger sister Jill Mansel. The group of five - Berry, Daphne, Boy, Jonah and Jill - later came to be known collectively as 'Berry and Co'.

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<i>And Berry Came Too</i> 1936 short story collection by Dornford Yates

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<i>As Berry and I Were Saying</i> 1952 fictionalised memoirs of Dornford Yates

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B-Berry and I Look Back is the second volume of fictionalised memoirs of the English author Dornford Yates, published in 1958 and featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters - Berry, Daphne, Boy, Jill and Jonah. The first volume, As Berry and I Were Saying, had been published in 1952. It was his last book.

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Blind Corner is a 1927 novel by the English author Dornford Yates. The book was the first in his Chandos thriller series and is narrated in the first person by Richard Chandos. In addition to Chandos and his servant Bell, the novel features a cast of characters who recur in many of the later books: George Hanbury and Jonathan Mansel; their respective servants Rowley and Carson; and Tester the Sealyham terrier. Mansel's character also appears as Jonah Mansel in the author's 'Berry' series of comic books and short stories, though he is not written for comic effect in this nor the later 'Chandos' books.

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<i>Blood Royal</i> 1929 adventure novel by Dornford Yates

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<i>Fire Below</i> 1930 adventure novel by Dornford Yates

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<i>Red in the Morning</i> 1946 adventure novel by Dornford Yates

Red in the Morning is a 1946 adventure novel by the English author Dornford Yates, the seventh in his 'Chandos' thriller series. The events of the story immediately follow those of his 1939 novel Gale Warning in which Richard Chandos and Jonathan Mansel appear as characters.
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<i>Cost Price</i> 1949 adventure novel by Dornford Yates

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<i>Valerie French</i> (novel) 1923 adventure novel by Dornford Yates

Valerie French is a 1923 adventure novel by the English author Dornford Yates.
It was first published in monthly instalments in The Windsor Magazine.
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<i>Maiden Stakes</i> 1928 short story collection by Dornford Yates

Maiden Stakes is a 1928 collection of short stories by the English author Dornford Yates, first published in The Windsor Magazine.

<i>The Stolen March</i> 1926 fantasy novel by Dornford Yates

The Stolen March is a 1926 fantasy novel by the English author Dornford Yates, first serialised in The Windsor Magazine.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Usborne 1974, pp. 28-29.
  3. ↑ Smithers 1982, p. 101.
  4. ↑ Smithers 1982, p. 98.
  5. ↑ Usborne 1974, pp. 49—50.

Bibliography

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