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Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse
Ralph Gorse appears to be a charmer in every way--he is handsome, suave, and full of style--but his true nature is that of a con man and sexual adventurer, and no one is safe from his machinations
Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
57 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Hamilton
89 books289 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He was born Anthony Walter Patrick Hamilton in the Sussex village of Hassocks, near Brighton, to writer parents. Due to his father's alcoholism and financial ineptitude, the family spent much of Hamilton's childhood living in boarding houses in Chiswick and Hove. His education was patchy, and ended just after his fifteenth birthday when his mother withdrew him from Westminster School.
After a brief career as an actor, he became a novelist in his early twenties with the publication of Monday Morning (1925), written when he was nineteen. Craven House (1926) and Twopence Coloured (1928) followed, but his first real success was the play Rope (1929, known as Rope's End in America).
The Midnight Bell (1929) is based upon Hamilton's falling in love with a prostitute, and was later published along with The Siege of Pleasure (1932) and The Plains of Cement (1934) as the semi-autobiographical trilogy 20,000 Streets Under the Sky (1935).
Hamilton disliked many aspects of modern life. He was disfigured badly when he was run over by a car in the late 1920s: the end of his novel Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse (1953), with its vision of England smothered in metal beetles, reflects his loathing of the motor car. However, despite some distaste for the culture in which he operated, he was a popular contributor to it. His two most successful plays, Rope and Gas Light (1938, known as Angel Street in the US), made Hamilton wealthy and were also successful as films: the British-made Gaslight (1940) and the 1944 American remake, and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948).
Hangover Square (1941) is often judged his most accomplished work and still sells well in paperback, and is regarded by contemporary authors such as Iain Sinclair and Peter Ackroyd as an important part of the tradition of London novels. Set in Earls Court where Hamilton himself lived, it deals with both alcohol-drinking practices of the time and the underlying political context, such as the rise of fascism and responses to it. Hamilton became an avowed Marxist, though not a publicly declared member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. During the 1930s, like many other authors, Hamilton grew increasingly angry with capitalism and, again like others, felt that the violence and fascism of Europe during the period indicated that capitalism was reaching its end: this encouraged his Marxism and his novel Impromptu in Moribundia (1939) was a satirical attack of capitalist culture.
During his later life, Hamilton developed in his writing a misanthropic authorial voice which became more disillusioned, cynical and bleak as time passed. The Slaves of Solitude (1947), was his only work to deal directly with the Second World War, and he preferred to look back to the pre-war years. His Gorse Trilogy—three novels about a devious sexual predator and conman—are not generally well thought of critically, although Graham Greene said that the first was 'the best book written about Brighton' and the second (Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse) is regarded increasingly as a comic masterpiece. The hostility and negativity of the novels is also attributed to Hamilton's disenchantment with the utopianism of Marxism and depression. The trilogy comprises The West Pier (1952); Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse (1953), dramatized as The Charmer in 1987; and in 1955 Hamilton's last published work, Unknown Assailant, a short novel much of which was dictated while Hamilton was drunk. The Gorse Trilogy was first published in a single volume in 1992.
Hamilton had begun to consume alcohol excessively while still a relatively young man. After a declining career and melancholia, he died in 1962 of cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, in Sheringham, Norfolk.
He was born Anthony Walter Patrick Hamilton in the Sussex village of Hassocks, near Brighton, to writer parents. Due to his father's alcoholism and financial ineptitude, the family spent much of Hamilton's childhood living in boarding houses in Chiswick and Hove. His education was patchy, and ended just after his fifteenth birthday when his mother withdrew him from Westminster School.
After a brief career as an actor, he became a novelist in his early twenties with the publication of Monday Morning (1925), written when he was nineteen. Craven House (1926) and Twopence Coloured (1928) followed, but his first real success was the play Rope (1929, known as Rope's End in America).
The Midnight Bell (1929) is based upon Hamilton's falling in love with a prostitute, and was later published along with The Siege of Pleasure (1932) and The Plains of Cement (1934) as the semi-autobiographical trilogy 20,000 Streets Under the Sky (1935).
Hamilton disliked many aspects of modern life. He was disfigured badly when he was run over by a car in the late 1920s: the end of his novel Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse (1953), with its vision of England smothered in metal beetles, reflects his loathing of the motor car. However, despite some distaste for the culture in which he operated, he was a popular contributor to it. His two most successful plays, Rope and Gas Light (1938, known as Angel Street in the US), made Hamilton wealthy and were also successful as films: the British-made Gaslight (1940) and the 1944 American remake, and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948).
Hangover Square (1941) is often judged his most accomplished work and still sells well in paperback, and is regarded by contemporary authors such as Iain Sinclair and Peter Ackroyd as an important part of the tradition of London novels. Set in Earls Court where Hamilton himself lived, it deals with both alcohol-drinking practices of the time and the underlying political context, such as the rise of fascism and responses to it. Hamilton became an avowed Marxist, though not a publicly declared member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. During the 1930s, like many other authors, Hamilton grew increasingly angry with capitalism and, again like others, felt that the violence and fascism of Europe during the period indicated that capitalism was reaching its end: this encouraged his Marxism and his novel Impromptu in Moribundia (1939) was a satirical attack of capitalist culture.
During his later life, Hamilton developed in his writing a misanthropic authorial voice which became more disillusioned, cynical and bleak as time passed. The Slaves of Solitude (1947), was his only work to deal directly with the Second World War, and he preferred to look back to the pre-war years. His Gorse Trilogy—three novels about a devious sexual predator and conman—are not generally well thought of critically, although Graham Greene said that the first was 'the best book written about Brighton' and the second (Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse) is regarded increasingly as a comic masterpiece. The hostility and negativity of the novels is also attributed to Hamilton's disenchantment with the utopianism of Marxism and depression. The trilogy comprises The West Pier (1952); Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse (1953), dramatized as The Charmer in 1987; and in 1955 Hamilton's last published work, Unknown Assailant, a short novel much of which was dictated while Hamilton was drunk. The Gorse Trilogy was first published in a single volume in 1992.
Hamilton had begun to consume alcohol excessively while still a relatively young man. After a declining career and melancholia, he died in 1962 of cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, in Sheringham, Norfolk.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 25, 2023
When first published in 1953 this had the title Mr Simpson and Mr Gorse, but taking advantage of the Masterpiece Theatre TV adaptation this was retitled and reissued in 1989.
Its a difficult book to like as its lead characters are so unplesant; beginning with its protagonist, a psychopath named Ralph Gorse who courts a much older woman named Plumleigh-Bruce, who is foolishly taken in by his charm. He uses a narrator, who knows much more than his characters, or than he reveals in this story (the second of a trilogy), which he tells from the vantage point of knowing the rest of Gorse’s life. But it isn't a prerequisite to have read the first book, The West Pier. I hadn't.
It is set in the 1930s and a lot of the action takes place in The Friar pub, where there are introductions to other characters, Mr Simpson and Major Parry, the other two rivals for Plumleigh-Bruce (or rather, her money and her plump figure).
Its a rather ordinary plot, resembling a daytime TV soap opera, but in Hamilton's hands it reads well, and certainly holds the interest, with his documentary style at times, almost journalistic, and always contemptuous narration of the group.
Its not Hamilton at his best, but it is nonetheless entertaining.
Its a difficult book to like as its lead characters are so unplesant; beginning with its protagonist, a psychopath named Ralph Gorse who courts a much older woman named Plumleigh-Bruce, who is foolishly taken in by his charm. He uses a narrator, who knows much more than his characters, or than he reveals in this story (the second of a trilogy), which he tells from the vantage point of knowing the rest of Gorse’s life. But it isn't a prerequisite to have read the first book, The West Pier. I hadn't.
It is set in the 1930s and a lot of the action takes place in The Friar pub, where there are introductions to other characters, Mr Simpson and Major Parry, the other two rivals for Plumleigh-Bruce (or rather, her money and her plump figure).
Its a rather ordinary plot, resembling a daytime TV soap opera, but in Hamilton's hands it reads well, and certainly holds the interest, with his documentary style at times, almost journalistic, and always contemptuous narration of the group.
Its not Hamilton at his best, but it is nonetheless entertaining.
December 12, 2025
This is a reread for me, and on a second reading I have to say the writing feels less impressive. Hamilton, a playwright and screenwriter, excels in dialogue, capturing the cadences of speech with uncanny precision, but the prose itself does not reach the same heights. What the novel lacks in stylistic polish, however, it more than makes up for in its forensic attention to the minutiae of suburban life.
Hamilton’s own life informs the text in compelling ways. A regular of pubs and a long-time alcoholic, he also professed Marxist sympathies for much of his life. Understanding this biographical context illuminates the book’s preoccupations: class, money, and the hypocrisies of bourgeois society. Hamilton’s personal experience of nearly being killed in a car accident seeps into the narrative as well. The car in Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse becomes almost a character in its own right, emblematic of societal corruption and the darker impulses of the world he observes.
The novel is essentially a character study rather than a plot-driven story. This focus on character and social environment over narrative tension means that, for some, it can feel meandering. Its depiction of suburban life is painstaking and precise, but the pace is slow. Interestingly, the book was adapted into the TV series The Charmer—one of those rare occasions where the screen version arguably surpasses its source.
Ultimately, Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse is best approached as a study of social manners and moral decay, a window into the world Hamilton knew intimately, rather than as a conventional thriller or plot-driven novel. Its value lies in its insight into the petty cruelties, ambitions, and vanities of ordinary life, captured by a writer who knew them all too well.
None of the characters in the novel are particularly sympathetic—perhaps only Mary, the maid, elicits a flicker of warmth. Hamilton writes as though he were an entomologist examining some unpleasant species of insect, with the narrator himself adopting a tone of detached, sneering disdain. It’s clear that the people he portrays likely existed in real life, and that their pettiness and cruelty were genuine. Yet Hamilton offers no compensating humanity. There is no attempt to soften or empathise with them. Instead, we are given a meticulously observed, unsparing study of social nastiness, filtered through the author’s cold, contemptuous gaze.
Hamilton’s own life informs the text in compelling ways. A regular of pubs and a long-time alcoholic, he also professed Marxist sympathies for much of his life. Understanding this biographical context illuminates the book’s preoccupations: class, money, and the hypocrisies of bourgeois society. Hamilton’s personal experience of nearly being killed in a car accident seeps into the narrative as well. The car in Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse becomes almost a character in its own right, emblematic of societal corruption and the darker impulses of the world he observes.
The novel is essentially a character study rather than a plot-driven story. This focus on character and social environment over narrative tension means that, for some, it can feel meandering. Its depiction of suburban life is painstaking and precise, but the pace is slow. Interestingly, the book was adapted into the TV series The Charmer—one of those rare occasions where the screen version arguably surpasses its source.
Ultimately, Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse is best approached as a study of social manners and moral decay, a window into the world Hamilton knew intimately, rather than as a conventional thriller or plot-driven novel. Its value lies in its insight into the petty cruelties, ambitions, and vanities of ordinary life, captured by a writer who knew them all too well.
None of the characters in the novel are particularly sympathetic—perhaps only Mary, the maid, elicits a flicker of warmth. Hamilton writes as though he were an entomologist examining some unpleasant species of insect, with the narrator himself adopting a tone of detached, sneering disdain. It’s clear that the people he portrays likely existed in real life, and that their pettiness and cruelty were genuine. Yet Hamilton offers no compensating humanity. There is no attempt to soften or empathise with them. Instead, we are given a meticulously observed, unsparing study of social nastiness, filtered through the author’s cold, contemptuous gaze.
July 29, 2008
i have become a major Patrick Hamilton fan. Thank god (or whoever you chose to thank) for the great New York Review of Books for re-printing some of his masterpieces. But meanwhile if you can track down this beauty of a book - it will be worth your while.
Hamilton focuses on London low-life characters during the War. Heavy drinking losers just trying to connect to each other. The twist in Hamilton's narratives is that there is usually a psychopath lurking in this twilight world. Both creepy and also serves a documentary of sorts on Londoners in very harsh times. He's an essential and important writer!
Hamilton focuses on London low-life characters during the War. Heavy drinking losers just trying to connect to each other. The twist in Hamilton's narratives is that there is usually a psychopath lurking in this twilight world. Both creepy and also serves a documentary of sorts on Londoners in very harsh times. He's an essential and important writer!
September 26, 2020
Truly brilliant. Loved the characters, so humorously described. A great portrayal of human nature in fine detail - we recognise ourselves, but somehow don’t take offence. Thanks to my friend John for discovering the author - worth waiting for.
August 16, 2015
Pretty charming. Except I so thought he would kill someone, c'mon Hamilton. Damn tease.
But: I learned of pink gin.
But: I learned of pink gin.
September 7, 2020
I become more of a fan of Patrick Hamilton with each book. This is the second of the Gorse Trilogy and there are similarities to The West Pier but with an older Gorse and a different cast of characters. I loved the new cast, the social etiquette and the feel it gave of the 1920's and I look forward to volume three.
July 10, 2014
Ernest Ralph Gorse is a few years older in this book than in the first, "The West Pier", and has become more accomplished as a con man.
Here his victim is the unsympathetic widow, Mrs. Plumleigh-Bruce. I did not feel in the least sorry for her and thought she got off quite lightly from her brush with the manipulative Gorse. This does undermine the book to some extent.
There are a few beautifully observed highlights, such as Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse's night out in London, which show Hamilton's skill. There is also a rather odd non-sequitur at the end, when he has a rant about cars as beetles enslaving their human owners.
Here his victim is the unsympathetic widow, Mrs. Plumleigh-Bruce. I did not feel in the least sorry for her and thought she got off quite lightly from her brush with the manipulative Gorse. This does undermine the book to some extent.
There are a few beautifully observed highlights, such as Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse's night out in London, which show Hamilton's skill. There is also a rather odd non-sequitur at the end, when he has a rant about cars as beetles enslaving their human owners.
April 13, 2016
The "TV Tie-In Edition" is notable because the original title, "Mr. Stimpson and Mr. Gorse, " was changed to "The Charmer" following a BBC adaptation.
The second of Patrick Hamilton's final trilogy about a rather loathsome con man, it is either intentionally more comic than "The West Pier", or I have just adjusted to the premise. Set in the provincial English city of Reading in the mid-1920s, it has a wealth of satirical social commentary, in addition to the mechanics of a fairly fast-moving plot.
The second of Patrick Hamilton's final trilogy about a rather loathsome con man, it is either intentionally more comic than "The West Pier", or I have just adjusted to the premise. Set in the provincial English city of Reading in the mid-1920s, it has a wealth of satirical social commentary, in addition to the mechanics of a fairly fast-moving plot.
October 16, 2018
Another novel and Gorse is back at it again. His plan is to seduce and manipulate a woman with flattery, a few simple con tricks and headed note paper - just like the first book. He even uses the switcheroo with the car. For a person of criminal genius, Gorse does have a very limited playbook.
This time the victim is a plummy, socially conscious and silly woman called Mrs Plumbleigh-Bruce. She’s a lot less likeable than Esther, the victim of the first book and so the book tries to win the reader over more towards Gorse’s side. It does this by laughing at Plumbleigh-Bruce’s snobbery but in reality appeals to the snobbery of the reader. We are supposed to scorn the pebble-dashed semi-detached with the gnomes outside and the shiny brass ships inside. We are meant to laugh at her silken boudoir of pink silk and her daft diary, We are meant to pity Plumbleigh-Bruce her pretensions, her misuse of words and her outrageous ‘posh’ accent - and we do but it doesn’t leave us feeling very good about ourselves.
Hamilton is at his most nasty, but he is funny. Whether he’s getting in the head of a businessman who fancies himself a poet going through his frequently absurd rhymes, or the other businessman trying in vain to solve a crossword, there is much to laugh at Plumbleigh-Bruce and her suburban ‘top-drawer’ set. They are inflated and ridiculous and we quite like Gorse manipulating them. Or we would, if there was more to Gorse.
Part of the point of the series is an explanation of the banality of evil, part of the trouble with this is that the main character is, well, banal. We discover, and are interested in, how his mind works and his schemes are carried out but we never find out why. He just does it because he enjoys messing with people, testing his skills and getting a little extra money into the bargain.
This is supposed to be Gorse at his pinnacle. After this, he is said to become more self-conscious and less natural in the conning arts and if this is his top, there are surely some bottoms to com because the Plumbleigh-Bruce affair is not one of the greats in criminal history.
The book is well written and amusing, the plot a little repetitive but still engaging and it is an enjoyable read but there’s something faintly poisonous about it that lingers on. It’s also odd how, at the end of the book, Patrick Hamilton has a huge rant about cars and how we are slaves to them. He was nearly killed by a car once, presumably he holds a grudge. We can also presume that Gorse having cars as one of his only interests is meant to reflect badly on him.
The series never having been completed, we won’t see the true downfall of Gorse but I am intrigued to read the next book and see him in his decline. Unfortunately, by all accounts we shall also be seeing Hamilton in his decline also, apparently the next novel reeks of booze. I still look forward to it though.
This time the victim is a plummy, socially conscious and silly woman called Mrs Plumbleigh-Bruce. She’s a lot less likeable than Esther, the victim of the first book and so the book tries to win the reader over more towards Gorse’s side. It does this by laughing at Plumbleigh-Bruce’s snobbery but in reality appeals to the snobbery of the reader. We are supposed to scorn the pebble-dashed semi-detached with the gnomes outside and the shiny brass ships inside. We are meant to laugh at her silken boudoir of pink silk and her daft diary, We are meant to pity Plumbleigh-Bruce her pretensions, her misuse of words and her outrageous ‘posh’ accent - and we do but it doesn’t leave us feeling very good about ourselves.
Hamilton is at his most nasty, but he is funny. Whether he’s getting in the head of a businessman who fancies himself a poet going through his frequently absurd rhymes, or the other businessman trying in vain to solve a crossword, there is much to laugh at Plumbleigh-Bruce and her suburban ‘top-drawer’ set. They are inflated and ridiculous and we quite like Gorse manipulating them. Or we would, if there was more to Gorse.
Part of the point of the series is an explanation of the banality of evil, part of the trouble with this is that the main character is, well, banal. We discover, and are interested in, how his mind works and his schemes are carried out but we never find out why. He just does it because he enjoys messing with people, testing his skills and getting a little extra money into the bargain.
This is supposed to be Gorse at his pinnacle. After this, he is said to become more self-conscious and less natural in the conning arts and if this is his top, there are surely some bottoms to com because the Plumbleigh-Bruce affair is not one of the greats in criminal history.
The book is well written and amusing, the plot a little repetitive but still engaging and it is an enjoyable read but there’s something faintly poisonous about it that lingers on. It’s also odd how, at the end of the book, Patrick Hamilton has a huge rant about cars and how we are slaves to them. He was nearly killed by a car once, presumably he holds a grudge. We can also presume that Gorse having cars as one of his only interests is meant to reflect badly on him.
The series never having been completed, we won’t see the true downfall of Gorse but I am intrigued to read the next book and see him in his decline. Unfortunately, by all accounts we shall also be seeing Hamilton in his decline also, apparently the next novel reeks of booze. I still look forward to it though.
June 10, 2023
What a delightfully cynical story, a real antidote to the saccharine love stories which top best seller lists these days. I can't remember reading another novel where the author makes it clear that they disapprove of the central characters. The coolest thing is that Hamilton's criticism of his characters seems fair and appropriate. This is a very competent literary work in a psychological sense.
Actually, only the house servant Mary McGinnis escapes Hamilton's scathing judgment. The two main figures in this novel are Ralph Gorse, an amoral con man "incapable of real anger or real humor" and Joan Plumleigh-Bruce, whom Hamilton describes as "vain, foolish and greedy." Donald Stimpson is a passive loser of an estate agent. Major Parry is an alcoholic lecher with a wife who doesn't appear in the story often but seems likely to be pretty snobbish and nasty. And the story opens with a hilarious destruction of the image of British military colonels.
As in the earlier trilogy, there are ample laugh out loud moments, most often conveyed through dialogue. Also effectively funny is Joan P-B's diary, from which ample extracts appear, as well as Major Parry's hopeless attempt to write a memorial poem concerning battle deaths in World War I. And the plot itself is consistently amusing, even with Hamilton telling you how things are going to end up.
There is a continuation of viewpoint here to the "Midnight Bell" trilogy, but this story is better than anything in that previous three-book series. Hamilton skewers English society in all five of these books that I have read so far. All the books have an odd preoccupation with being on time for appointments, with being a couple of minutes early or late having surprising significance. I also noticed in this book (and perhaps this happened in the earlier ones as well) that Hamilton consistently conveys a character's emotions by describing their eyes.
Of course this is not a perfect book. It's a bit overlong, and the final chapter is an unfortunate and somewhat forced conclusion. It was also a bit of a jolt to encounter the discussion of automobiles late in the book, which forces the reader to remember that the story actually takes place in 1928.
Anyway, I had a blast reading this, and am looking forward to book three in the Gorse trilogy.
Actually, only the house servant Mary McGinnis escapes Hamilton's scathing judgment. The two main figures in this novel are Ralph Gorse, an amoral con man "incapable of real anger or real humor" and Joan Plumleigh-Bruce, whom Hamilton describes as "vain, foolish and greedy." Donald Stimpson is a passive loser of an estate agent. Major Parry is an alcoholic lecher with a wife who doesn't appear in the story often but seems likely to be pretty snobbish and nasty. And the story opens with a hilarious destruction of the image of British military colonels.
As in the earlier trilogy, there are ample laugh out loud moments, most often conveyed through dialogue. Also effectively funny is Joan P-B's diary, from which ample extracts appear, as well as Major Parry's hopeless attempt to write a memorial poem concerning battle deaths in World War I. And the plot itself is consistently amusing, even with Hamilton telling you how things are going to end up.
There is a continuation of viewpoint here to the "Midnight Bell" trilogy, but this story is better than anything in that previous three-book series. Hamilton skewers English society in all five of these books that I have read so far. All the books have an odd preoccupation with being on time for appointments, with being a couple of minutes early or late having surprising significance. I also noticed in this book (and perhaps this happened in the earlier ones as well) that Hamilton consistently conveys a character's emotions by describing their eyes.
Of course this is not a perfect book. It's a bit overlong, and the final chapter is an unfortunate and somewhat forced conclusion. It was also a bit of a jolt to encounter the discussion of automobiles late in the book, which forces the reader to remember that the story actually takes place in 1928.
Anyway, I had a blast reading this, and am looking forward to book three in the Gorse trilogy.
April 30, 2024
3.5
Third book in ‘The Gorse Trilogy.’
This time, the scheming, conniving scoundrel that is Ernest Ralph Gorse is not only trying to separate the older Mrs Plumleigh-Bruce from her money, but from her long-time admirer Mr Stimpson.
There is not a lot to be said about the second of the three Gorse novels that is different to the first in the trilogy. Like the first book ('The West Pier'), this second book is enjoyable for what it is, but there’s nothing particularly new. For such a wonderful creator of characters, it’s strange that Hamilton should have chosen to write three books about one of his more two-dimensional characters. Yes, it’s entertaining following Gorse's shenanigans, but unlike Hamilton's earlier books there is little depth, few astute observations, or indeed anything of memorability. But perhaps the most disappointing thing of all is that the major problem of the first novel is repeated here – an unsatisfactory ending. Once the dastardly deed has been done and all involved become aware, Hamilton chooses not to continue the narrative by following the consequences and resulting emotions, but instead tries to wrap it all up as quickly as possible by blandly explaining the final events. This all leads to a lack of emotional impact and resolution that is hugely disappointing.
Patrick Hamilton is probably my second favourite writer after Somerset Maugham – both writers create atmospheric settings and populate them with engaging characters who find themselves in intriguing situations. But if you want to give Hamilton a go, I would urge you towards ‘The Slaves Of Solitude,’ ‘Hangover Square,’ ‘Craven House,’ and the three novels that make up the trilogy ‘Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky’ (‘The Midnight Bell,’ ‘The Siege Of Pleasure,’ and ‘The Plains Of Cement’).
I wouldn’t want to put anyone off from reading this (hence the 4 stars) because it is enjoyable and indeed better than most novels I have read lately. There is still plenty of absorbing characterisation to pull you in and much fun to be had in the sly manipulations that follow; it’s just that when you compare Hamilton with Hamilton – there are better novels.
Third book in ‘The Gorse Trilogy.’
This time, the scheming, conniving scoundrel that is Ernest Ralph Gorse is not only trying to separate the older Mrs Plumleigh-Bruce from her money, but from her long-time admirer Mr Stimpson.
There is not a lot to be said about the second of the three Gorse novels that is different to the first in the trilogy. Like the first book ('The West Pier'), this second book is enjoyable for what it is, but there’s nothing particularly new. For such a wonderful creator of characters, it’s strange that Hamilton should have chosen to write three books about one of his more two-dimensional characters. Yes, it’s entertaining following Gorse's shenanigans, but unlike Hamilton's earlier books there is little depth, few astute observations, or indeed anything of memorability. But perhaps the most disappointing thing of all is that the major problem of the first novel is repeated here – an unsatisfactory ending. Once the dastardly deed has been done and all involved become aware, Hamilton chooses not to continue the narrative by following the consequences and resulting emotions, but instead tries to wrap it all up as quickly as possible by blandly explaining the final events. This all leads to a lack of emotional impact and resolution that is hugely disappointing.
Patrick Hamilton is probably my second favourite writer after Somerset Maugham – both writers create atmospheric settings and populate them with engaging characters who find themselves in intriguing situations. But if you want to give Hamilton a go, I would urge you towards ‘The Slaves Of Solitude,’ ‘Hangover Square,’ ‘Craven House,’ and the three novels that make up the trilogy ‘Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky’ (‘The Midnight Bell,’ ‘The Siege Of Pleasure,’ and ‘The Plains Of Cement’).
I wouldn’t want to put anyone off from reading this (hence the 4 stars) because it is enjoyable and indeed better than most novels I have read lately. There is still plenty of absorbing characterisation to pull you in and much fun to be had in the sly manipulations that follow; it’s just that when you compare Hamilton with Hamilton – there are better novels.
March 4, 2018
Hamilton at his most arch and acidic. Dripping with bitterness like a droplet of Novocain trembling at the tip of a needle. He writes with such callous precision about his detestable characters, an entire species of Home Counties' martinets are culled in a couple of pen strokes. Hamilton's an evil genius: acute, astute and brutal. Incredible that he wrote this soaked up to his ears in scotch - a bleak, brilliant alcoholic who discovered jaundiced wisdom and impeccable comic timing at the bottom of a glass.
December 29, 2021
It's been a while since I read the first book about Gorse, and all I really remember of it was liking it, so I can't compare the two. This story I also enjoyed. The slightly cartoonish (and amusing, if slightly mean) characterization of all the characters involved made what was a fairly simple con story more involved.
November 26, 2023
What fun! The Charmer follows the dastardly exploits of a sociopathic con man as he love bombs a lady victim. The story is a wee bit longer than strictly necessary, but is more than redeemed with acerbic humor and detailed observations of the snobbery and pretensions endemic to the English middle class.
June 10, 2020
Ernest Ralph Gorse picks a snobbish Colonel's widow "of a certain age" as his prey. Older now he plays for higher stakes than in the past but the "sting" proves almost too easy to pull off. On now to his denouement that is foretold.
August 29, 2025
Ralph Gorse, who we met in The West Pier, is now 25, and still looking for ways to part fools from their money. His mark this time is the haplessly ridiculous Colonel's widow Mrs Plumleigh-Bruce, - vain, snobbish, and easy prey for Gorse. We also get the equally absurd estate agent Mr Stimpson and the only slightly less ridiculous Major Parry, whose attempts at stirring war poetry are among the novel's funniest passages.
I enjoyed this one more than The West Pier, perhaps because Gorse is now a fully-formed creation, albeit an unredeemably nasty one. It's undeniably true that in laughing at these characters' snobbery and pretensions we are open to the very same charge of snobbery, but that's perhaps the point. The period detail (it's set in 1928) seems spot on, and if you enjoy black humour this is highly recommended.
I enjoyed this one more than The West Pier, perhaps because Gorse is now a fully-formed creation, albeit an unredeemably nasty one. It's undeniably true that in laughing at these characters' snobbery and pretensions we are open to the very same charge of snobbery, but that's perhaps the point. The period detail (it's set in 1928) seems spot on, and if you enjoy black humour this is highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews