Dear Lupin--: Letters To A Wayward Son. Roger Mortimer, Charlie Mortimer (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
I read this on the plane and found it rather sad and not at all funny. It conveys quite well what used to be the life of a certain part of the English upper classes, but it seems to me that these we-inherited-our-money and-don't-know-what-to-do-with-life people have a pretty dreary outlook on life. The attitude seems to be: "I am not going to be as successful as I would like to be (or as those before me), so I will opt out and treat life as a bit of a joke - something rather boring that one foolishly got dragged into and where the best thing is to hit the booze and muck about until the whole thing is over". Life is a drag, but at least it is not serious! There does seem to be some kind of love between the father and the son, but their upbringing means that at most this can be expressed in an off-beat and slightly jokey way - despite the fact that most of the time the son was probably having a lot of difficulty getting by. So sad, sort of insightful in a way, but not very funny. While Roger Mortimer writes in a dead-pan and droll style, I certainly did not find it hilarious and "lol" as some commentators. It reflects some of the awful racism and nationalistic condescension typical of that generation and class. The warmth and affection of Roger for his wayward son is touching. The fact that Charlie,the son, has chosen to publish the book leaves me with mixed emotions. On the one hand it is a tribute to his father, on the other it is another instance of shameless scrounging.
What do You think about Dear Lupin--: Letters To A Wayward Son. Roger Mortimer, Charlie Mortimer (2011)?
Lighthearted and amusing.Not one if my favourites but very easy going .. Would recommend.
—hayhales1098
Few books are laugh out loud funny . This is one !
—salty
