Harton (Under the Hammer, 1991) expands on his adventures as auctioneer of antique art objects and portrayer of English music- hall comic characters. Whether in an auction room visited by the likes of Bertie Wooster or out in the field to do insurance appraisals, our hapless hero, echt Briton that he is, encounters all sorts of chappies- -including a rock star, an Inspector from the Yard, blackguards, and coarse Yanks, as well as several quaint old ladies and a clever female friend. Most are met with Apollonian aplomb, naturally. Harton's is a Waugh-like repertory of colorful characters and, generally, while faux Waugh is hell, the result here is a bit of a lark—sometimes. The antics in Belgravia, the Channel Islands, and the countryside run along plots seemingly devised to gain the attention of Sir Lew Grade's organization for use as a sitcom that will eventually wind up on public TV. Along with the monkeyshines, we learn of the origin (and pronunciation) of ``netsukes''; visit a London gambling casino; and watch the auctioneer recognize nonexistent bids at a second-tier auction house. It's all pleasant enough, especially for readers who dig such stuff as ``Madeleine De Courcy paced up and down extremely elegantly in front of the fireplace,'' or `` `Would you like to see the sweet trolley?' the young waitress enquired.'' At the end of the day, we're amused, though not a lot. Not for Anglophobes, then, but the antique humor provides a harmless pastime for others.
Pub Date: Jan. 14, 1994
ISBN: 0-312-09939-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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