The Berry Scene

The Berry Scene is a 1947 collection of comic short stories by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), featuring his recurring 'Berry' characters.

The Berry Scene
First edition cover
AuthorDornford Yates
SeriesBerry books
GenreComic novel
PublisherWard Lock & Co[1]
Publication date
1947[1]
Media typePrint
Pages286[1]
Preceded byThe House That Berry Built 
Followed byAs Berry and I Were Saying 

Plot

The book consistes of ten short stories, filling in some of the gaps in the earlier books, with a brief prologue recounting an episode of Berry's schooldays. Other characters from Yates's novels, including the Lyvedens (Anthony Lyveden), the Beaulieus (The Stolen March) and Jenny Chandos (She Fell Among Thieves), appear briefly.

Chapters
Chapter Title Setting
Prologue Harrow School
I In Which I Drive Daphne To Brooch on Midsummer Day, and Berry Gives Evidence Hampshire, 1907
II In Which Withyham Pays The Piper, But Berry Calls The Tune Hampshire, 1907
III In Which We Talk With Big James, and Daphne Has Eyes To See Hampshire, 1907
IV In Which We Play For The Village, And I Consider A Conversation Piece Hampshire, 1914
V In Which I Make Daphne A Present, And Berry Favours The Bold London and Hampshire, 1924
VI In Which Berry Is Attacked By Lumbago, And Jill Is Escorted To France Hampshire and France, 1924
VII In Which Berry Meets Mr. Wireworm, And I Keep The Truth To Myself Hampshire and London, 1924
VIII In Which We Fight For Our Rights, And An Old Acquaintance Does Us A Very Good Turn Hampshire and London, 1934
IX In Which Berry Keeps A Diary, And Tells Us A Fairy-Tale Hampshire, Portugal and London, 1935
X In Which Berry Dispenses Justice, And I Attend Fallow Hill Fair Hampshire, 1936
Epilogue Portugal, 1946

Critical reception

In his 1982 biography of Dornford Yates, AJ Smithers described the writing as 'elegant' while noting that certain chronological inconsistencies had by this time crept in to the narrative: "the reader must accept the fact without argument that Jonah bought his first Rolls at the age of sixteen. Readers are not expected to be too clever by half. If they are, they must suffer the consequences."[2] "Mercer had reached a point where such things could not be helped."[3]

References
  1. "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. Smithers 1982, p. 77.
  3. Smithers 1982, p. 203.

Bibliography
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