And Berry Came Too

And Berry Came Too is a 1936 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters.

And Berry Came Too
1936 first edition cover
AuthorDornford Yates
SeriesBerry books
GenreComic novel
PublisherWard Lock & Co[1]
Publication date
1936[1]
Media typePrint
Pages320[1]
Preceded byAdèle and Co. 
Followed byThe House That Berry Built 

Plot

The book consists of eight short stories, mostly set in Hampshire. According to an introductory note by the author, the action of the book may be presumed to have taken place during the summer between the events of chapters 1 and 2 of Berry and Co.,[2] ie some 16 years earlier. In addition to the regular "Berry & Co" characters this book also features the family's two-year-old Alsatian "The Knave", and a visiting American, Perdita Boyte.

Background

All of the stories in And Berry Came Too had originally appeared in The Windsor Magazine between May and December 1935. They were written while Mercer was settled at Pau with his second wife, Elizabeth (whom he thought of as 'Jill', and to whom the book was dedicated).[3]

Chapters
Chapter Book Title Windsor Title Date Volume Issue Pages Illustrator
I How The Knave set out for Cock Feathers, and Berry made an acquaintance he did not desire Enter The Knave May 1935 LXXXI 485 715-734 E G Oakdale
II How Berry perceived the obvious, and Daphne and I put spokes in each other's wheels Period Stuff June 1935 LXXXII 486 34-49 E G Oakdale
III How Berry prophesied evil, and The Knave purged his contempt The Law And The Prophet July 1935 LXXXII 487 173-183 E G Oakdale
IV How Daphne was given a present, and Jonah took off his coat Black Magic August 1935 LXXXII 488 274-288 E G Oakdale
V How Perdita bought a staircase, and Berry put on a raiment that was not his A Roman Holiday September 1935 LXXXII 489 423-438 E G Oakdale
VI How Berry met his match, and a mule lay down with The Knave Spade Work October 1935 LXXXII 490 649-665 E G Oakdale
VII How Jill enjoyed herself, and Len and Winnie were made to waste valuable time Big Business November 1935 LXXXII 491 775-791 E G Oakdale
VIII How Perdita left White Ladies, and Berry sat down with a lady who knew no law Lady Friends December 1935 LXXXIII 492 41-54 E G Oakdale

Four of the stories were serialised in Woman's Home Companion during 1935, illustrated by Frederick Chapman - chapter 1 in March, chapter 2 in May, chapter 4 in July and chapter 5 in September, under the same titles as The Windsor.

Illustrations

The illustrations from the Windsor stories by E G Oakdale (presumed to be Edmund Oakdale, known for his railway travel posters) were not included in the book version.

Critical reception

Punch reviewed the book on 29 January 1936. The reviewer welcomed the return of Berry after an absence of five years and suggested that the publication would be met with "a loud and general cheer". There was, however, some criticism of the author's "curious blind spot" in his portrayal of women, and in particular the way in which the narrator, Boy, maintains a commentary on the beauty, sweetness and virtue of the female characters, and the way in which he enthusiastically and repeatedly likens his girlfriend to a child. AJ Smithers in his 1982 biography considered this criticism to be 'entirely fair'.[4]

References
  1. "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. Yates, Dornford (1936). And Berry Came Too. Ward Lock & Co. Note before chapter 1.
  3. Smithers 1982, pp. 158, 167.
  4. Smithers 1982, pp. 167–168.

Bibliography
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