Poet's pub
"A literary Cheers--filled with British charm and wit comprised of an entertaining series of vignettes that occur at the Pelican Pub in Downish, England, Poet's Pub is a humor-filled collection of stories by award winner Eric Linklater--one of the original titles commissioned by Penguin Classics founder Allen Lane--and again available to American readers.When an Oxford poet named Saturday Keith assumes control of the Pelican Pub, what he desires most is the peace and freedom to craft his poems without being disturbed. This is the least of what happens, for the local watering hole soon becomes an out-and-out attraction for various eccentric characters ranging from uncouth rogues to members of academia"--
"An Oxford poet named Saturday Keith assumes control of The Pelican pub in Downish. What Keith most desires is the peace and freedom to craft his poems without any disturbance. This is the least of what happens, for The Pelican pub soon becomes an out-and-out attraction for various eccentric characters, ranging from uncouth rogues to members of the academia. POET'S PUB presents an entertaining series of vignettes unified by a central, unconventional literary locale"--
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Somewhere somebody called this book cut-rate Wodehouse. I think that's a little unfair. Finding a copy in a secondhand book shop some time after thoroughly enjoying Linklater's Private Angelo some time ago, I had high hopes which weren't entirely realised, but I will cut a little slack for this being an example of his very early work. There are a few continuity errors, and one or two anachronisms (did anybody else notice that Wesson never mentioned the 1.55pm train when talking to Nelly, but later in the book she recalls his complete nonchalance when apparently doing so?). However it's an enjoyable romp that prompts the odd chuckle. Linklater is an erudite and learned author, and Poet's Pub points towards his later, more polished work.
This is another case of a 3.5 star book to which it is fairer to round up to 4 stars than down to 3.
