Berry 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]

Berry and Co.
c1935 printing
AuthorDornford Yates
SeriesBerry books
GenreShort stories
PublisherWard Lock & Co[1]
Publication date
1921[1]
Media typePrint
Pages308[1]
Preceded byThe Courts of Idleness 
Followed byJonah and Co. 

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
Chapter Book Title Windsor Title Date Volume Issue Pages Illustrator
I How Will Noggin was fooled, and Berry rode forth against his will A Blue Letter Day December 1919 LI 300 20-31 Norah Schlegel
II How Daphne wrote for assistance, and Mr Holly was outbid The Unknown Quality March 1920 LI 303 335-346 Norah Schlegel
III How a man may follow his own hat, and Berry took a lamp in his hand In This Connection April 1920 LI 304 357-368 Norah Schlegel
IV How Nobby came to sleep upon my bed, and Berry fell among thieves The Accusative Case May 1920 LI 305 457-470 Norah Schlegel
V How Jill's education was improved, and Daphne gave her husband the slip We Are Seven June 1920 LII 306 3-15 Norah Schlegel
VI How Nobby attended a wedding, and Berry spoke nothing but the truth A Friend At Court July 1920 LII 307 103-117 Norah Schlegel
VII How Jonah obeyed his orders, and Daphne and Katharine Festival backed the same horse Too Many Cooks August 1920 LII 308 209-222 Norah Schlegel
VIII How Jill slept undisturbed, and Nobby attended church parade A Trick Of Memory September 1920 LII 309 317-330 Norah Schlegel
IX How Adèle Feste arrived, and Mr Dunkelsbaum supped with the Devil A Bootless Enterprise October 1920 LII 310 424-437 Norah Schlegel
X How Adèle broke her dream, and Vandy Pleydell took exercise A Lesson In Latin November 1920 LII 311 527-541 Norah Schlegel
XI How Nobby met Blue Bandala, and Adèle gave Jonah a kiss A Double Event December 1920 LIII 312 3-17 Norah 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]

References
  1. "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
  • Smithers, AJ (1982). Dornford Yates. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-27547-2.
  • Usborne, Richard (1974). Clubland Heroes. London: Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0-214-20012-4.
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