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embey's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
tcleary98's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
It is perhaps damning with faint praise to note that one of this book’s chief strengths is that, being a short collection of vignettes, it is a quick and easy read. The episodes relate to life in the diplomatic service and range from vaguely to quite humorous. It was notable that, unlike the Wodehouse I had just read, I did not once laugh audibly. The raconteur is Antrobus, a veteran of the Diplomatic Corps. An old man who regales interlocutors with stories from their past must either have some fascinating tales or risks becoming a bore - too many of these skits fall a little shy of the mark. Whilst it may seem harsh to criticise well written lighthearted prose, a comic tale that fails to elicit more than the occasional wry smile has flunked its raison d'être. Throw in the imperial attitudes of the time, replete with a dismissive disdain for non-Western peoples and cultures, bolstering a general superciliousness and it is hard to warm to our yarn spinning host. My recommendation would be to read the final and best sketch, “Call of the Sea”, and to decide from there whether you wish to hear more from Antrobus.
sarahreadsaverylot's review
4.0
What is diplomatic life other than an extended and high stakes round of customer service? These vignettes illustrate beautifully the nail-biting world of people-pleasing and representing the Empire. The humour twinkles and sparkles, though I couldn't help but occasionally be filled with sympathy for the poor privileged prisses in the FO.
nwhyte's review
http://nhw.livejournal.com/725316.html[return][return]Well, one cannot call it Great Literature, and he is rather patronising about the Yugoslavs (though in fairness the British diplomats are equally ludicrous stereotypes); it is, however, laugh-out-loud funny in places. The inside front cover quotes John Betjeman saying in a review, "I have not laughed at a new humorous book so much since the days of Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship" (which is a bit ambiguous as to whether or not he actually found Potter funny, but leaves no doubt about Durrell). The episode of the botched baptism, the butler's wig and the unfortunate confusion around the bishop's crozier is probably the most memorable scene. There are some nice illustrations by V.H. Drummond, whose work I don't think I knew, but I don't think I can scan them without wrecking the binding so you'll have to take my word for it. Apparently there are two sequels, Stiff Upper Lip and Sauve Qui Peut, but I don't feel the need to order them unless I get a positive recommendation (or, of course, unless I see them in a shop when I'm looking for something else).
armaget's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Look at this guy. Doesn't he look just great?
It's Antrobus. : (
Surprisingly good n funny considering I'm not in the diplomatic corps and I wasn't out and about in 1951. My grandpa though was an American diplomat guy and did that quite a bit and even some after he retired. ("You know how Grandpa's always running off to Africa?" "oh yeah.")
So here are the stories in order of appearance:
The Ghost Train- The Serbian train incarnation of a shuttle to hell. Best chapter because of it's ecstatically well-meaningness and purely evil hilarity.
Case History- "Help! The Americans are taking over the English language with their shitty words!" or, Antrobus has a heart attack over some Coca Cola.
Frying the Flag- Two sisters on typewriters writing for a shitty little newspaper warp the world around them. It's great.
Jots and Tittles- Someone eats a moth.
For Immediate Release- A hopelessly useless but enticing diplomat gets run around from post to post since he can't do anything right. He likes the Leaning Tower though.
White Man's Milk- An alluring but harmful dance occurs.
Drage's Divine Discontent- Drage sees the fiery angels of god. He gets baptised but due to a mix up is under the impression that he's about to be assassinated.
Noblesse Oblige- De Mandeville and Dennis walk some Siamese cats around while being gay.
Call of the Sea- A whole party of diplomats gets swept down a river on a raft while having said party. They get shot at quite a bit. Similar energy to the Ghost Train except the ghost train was more joyful and sinister.
Overall a pretty nice weird and outdated little book. The illustrations were smashing of course. Maybe one day I'll learn more about Diplomatic Life and reread it.
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