Scene - Blogs - And now John Mortimer

And now John Mortimer
Published: 1/17/2009 3:24 PM
Last Modified: 1/17/2009 3:24 PM

Most of the tributes that have come upon the news of John Mortimer's death emphasize -- quite rightly -- the fact that he was the creator of Horace Rumpole, the poetry-quoting, plonk-swilling, self-described "Old Bailey hack" of a lawyer who only handled defense cases.

I am one of the millions who enjoyed the Rumpole tales, whether in the many volumes of stories that Mortimer wrote about the character, or in the adaptations that starred Leo McKern, an actor so identified with the role that, after McKern died, Mortimer suspended the TV series, believing that anyone else playing Horace Rumpole would have been only a pale imitator.

But Mortimer's other novels are equally commendable. His "Paradise Postponed" and its sequel "Titmuss Regained" are marvelous portraits of 20th century English society and politics in the days of Margaret Thatcher, and great fun to read. The same is true of "Summer's Lease," "Dunster," "Felix in the Underworld" -- they all brim with something that's become a little hard to find in today's literature: serious fun. Mortimer may write about serious subjects, but his prose always sparkled with a marvelously dry wit. His writing can be addictive -- so sad to think that now the supply has been once and forever cut off.

Reader Comments

Show: Newest First

Learn About Our Comment Policy

To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.

To sign in to your account, go to tulsaworld.com/signin.
To activate your print subscription for unlimited digital access and to post comments, go to tulsaworld.com/activate.
To purchase a subscription, go to tulsaworld.com/subscribe.

ARTS

James D. Watts Jr. has lived in Oklahoma for most his life, even though he still has people saying to him, "Don't sound like you're from around these parts." A University of Oklahoma Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Watts has received the Governor Arts Award, Harwelden Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Beth Macklin Award for his writing. Before coming to the Tulsa World, Watts worked for the Tulsa Tribune.

Contact him at (918) 581-8478.

Subscribe to this blog

Archive

Past Articles By James D. Watts Jr

2/15/2013		'Concept/OK' exhibit ends Saturday
2/14/2013		Symphony to host piano soloist
2/14/2013		Broadway tours bring 'Shrek,' improv musical to Tulsa area this weekend
2/14/2013		Arts roundup: Improv reigns at several upcoming theater events
2/14/2013		'Lion King' returns to Tulsa PAC June 4
2/12/2013		Review: Signature Symphony reprises '100 Years of Oklahoma Music'
2/11/2013		Tulsa Symphony's concert salutes diverse American music
2/10/2013		Cherokee artist weaves messages into baskets
2/10/2013		Tesla Quartet set for Tulsa residency next week with variety of activities
2/10/2013		Jim Murphy wins 2013 Anne Zarrow Award
2/10/2013		LBJ chronicler Robert Caro to speak at TU on Tuesday
2/9/2013		Theater review: Playhouse makes "Barefoot in the Park" believable

James D. Watts Jr's Blog Archive:

2/2013	1/2013	12/2012	11/2012	10/2012	9/2012
8/2012	7/2012	6/2012	5/2012	4/2012	3/2012
2/2012	1/2012	12/2011	11/2011	10/2011	9/2011
8/2011	7/2011	6/2011	5/2011	4/2011	3/2011
2/2011	1/2011	12/2010	11/2010	10/2010	9/2010
8/2010	7/2010	6/2010	5/2010	4/2010	3/2010
2/2010	1/2010	12/2009	11/2009	10/2009	9/2009
8/2009	7/2009	6/2009	5/2009	4/2009	3/2009
2/2009	1/2009	12/2008	11/2008	10/2008	9/2008
8/2008	7/2008	6/2008	5/2008	4/2008

Your bookmark will appear on your Profile page. Please give it a title, and short description so that visitors to your page will understand where the bookmark leads.
Bookmark Title :

Bookmark Text :