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An Amiable Charlatan
Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - The thing happened so suddenly that I really had very little time to make up my mind what course to adopt under somewhat singular circumstances. I was seated at my favorite table against the wall on the right-hand side in Stephano's restaurant, with a newspaper propped up before me, a glass of hock by my side, and a portion of the plat du jour, which happened to be chicken en casserole, on the plate in front of me. I was, in fact, halfway through dinner when, without a word of warning, a man who seemed to enter with a lightfooted speed that, considering his size, was almost incredible, drew a chair toward him and took the vacant place at my table. My glass of wine and my plate were moved with smooth and marvelous haste to his vicinity. Under cover of the tablecloth a packet - I could not tell what it contained - was thrust into my hand.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1916
About the author
E. Phillips Oppenheim
590 books80 followersEdward Phillips Oppenheim was an English novelist, primarily known for his suspense fiction.
He was born in Leicester, the son of a leather merchant, and after attending Wyggeston Grammar School he worked in his father's business for almost 20 years, beginning there at a young age. He continued working in the business, even though he was a successful novelist, until he was 40 at which point he sold the business.
He wrote his first book 'Expiation' in 1887 and in 1898 he published 'The Mysterious Mr Sabin', which he described as "The first of my long series of stories dealing with that shadowy and mysterious world of diplomacy." Thereafter he became a prolific writer and by 1900 he had had 14 novels published.
While on a business trip to the United States in 1890 he met and married Elise Clara Hopkins of Boston and, on return to England, they lived in Evington, Leicestershire until the First World War,and had one daughter. His wife remained faithful to him throughout his life despite his frequent and highly publicised affairs, which often took place abroad and aboard his luxury yacht.
During World War I Oppenheim worked for the Ministry of Information while continuing to write his suspenseful novels.
He featured on the cover of 'Time' magazine on 12 September 1927 and he was the self-styled 'Prince of Storytellers', a title used by Robert standish for his biography of the author.
His literary success enabled him to buy a villa in France and a yacht, spending his winters in France where he regularly entertained more than 250 people at his lavish parties and where he was a well-known figure in high society.
He later purchased a house, Le Vanquiédor in St. Peter Port, in Guernsey. He lost access to the house during the Second World War when Germany occupied the Channel Islands but later regained it.
He wrote 116 novels, mainly of the suspense and international intrigue type, but including romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life, and 39 volumes of short stories, all of which earned him vast sums of money. He also wrote five novels under the pseudonymn Anthony Partridge and a volume of autobiography, 'The Pool of Memory' in 1939.
He is generally regarded as the earliest writer of spy fiction as we know it today, and invented the 'Rogue Male' school of adventure thrillers that was later exploited by John Buchan and Geoffrey Household.
Undoubtedly his most renowned work was 'The Great Impersonation' (1920), which was filmed three times, the last time as a strong piece of wartime propaganda in 1942. In that novel the plot hinges around two very similar looking gentlemen, one from Britain and the other from Germany, in the early part of the 20th century. Overall more than 30 of his works were made into films.
Perhaps his most enduring creation is the character of General Besserley, the protagonist of 'General Besserley's Puzzle Box' and 'General Besserley's New Puzzle Box'.
Much of his work possesses a unique escapist charm, featuring protagonists who delight in Epicurean meals, surroundings of intense luxury, and the relaxed pursuit of criminal practice, on either side of the law.
Gerry Wolstenholme
He was born in Leicester, the son of a leather merchant, and after attending Wyggeston Grammar School he worked in his father's business for almost 20 years, beginning there at a young age. He continued working in the business, even though he was a successful novelist, until he was 40 at which point he sold the business.
He wrote his first book 'Expiation' in 1887 and in 1898 he published 'The Mysterious Mr Sabin', which he described as "The first of my long series of stories dealing with that shadowy and mysterious world of diplomacy." Thereafter he became a prolific writer and by 1900 he had had 14 novels published.
While on a business trip to the United States in 1890 he met and married Elise Clara Hopkins of Boston and, on return to England, they lived in Evington, Leicestershire until the First World War,and had one daughter. His wife remained faithful to him throughout his life despite his frequent and highly publicised affairs, which often took place abroad and aboard his luxury yacht.
During World War I Oppenheim worked for the Ministry of Information while continuing to write his suspenseful novels.
He featured on the cover of 'Time' magazine on 12 September 1927 and he was the self-styled 'Prince of Storytellers', a title used by Robert standish for his biography of the author.
His literary success enabled him to buy a villa in France and a yacht, spending his winters in France where he regularly entertained more than 250 people at his lavish parties and where he was a well-known figure in high society.
He later purchased a house, Le Vanquiédor in St. Peter Port, in Guernsey. He lost access to the house during the Second World War when Germany occupied the Channel Islands but later regained it.
He wrote 116 novels, mainly of the suspense and international intrigue type, but including romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life, and 39 volumes of short stories, all of which earned him vast sums of money. He also wrote five novels under the pseudonymn Anthony Partridge and a volume of autobiography, 'The Pool of Memory' in 1939.
He is generally regarded as the earliest writer of spy fiction as we know it today, and invented the 'Rogue Male' school of adventure thrillers that was later exploited by John Buchan and Geoffrey Household.
Undoubtedly his most renowned work was 'The Great Impersonation' (1920), which was filmed three times, the last time as a strong piece of wartime propaganda in 1942. In that novel the plot hinges around two very similar looking gentlemen, one from Britain and the other from Germany, in the early part of the 20th century. Overall more than 30 of his works were made into films.
Perhaps his most enduring creation is the character of General Besserley, the protagonist of 'General Besserley's Puzzle Box' and 'General Besserley's New Puzzle Box'.
Much of his work possesses a unique escapist charm, featuring protagonists who delight in Epicurean meals, surroundings of intense luxury, and the relaxed pursuit of criminal practice, on either side of the law.
Gerry Wolstenholme
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 10, 2015
No mystery, no big adventure, but good story and good characters... I'll recommend it...
June 12, 2020
Pean ütlema, et mulle meeldibad enne II maailmasõda kirjutatud põnevus- ja kriminaalromaanid palju enam, kui viimase aja skandinaavia noir või muud moodsad voolud. Esiteks pole raamatud kuigi sünged, teiseks pole nad ka venitatud, sest 200 lehekülge võiks olla sellise kergema žanri juures raamatu piir. Lisaks on neis veel mingi naiivne romantism, mis tänastest kriminullides on täiesti kadunud.
August 27, 2013
Another book by Oppenheim that has lost some freshness because a plot device has become a bit threadbare. But the characters are charming, it retains much of its humour, and there is definitely a twist I didn't see coming! A nice, light read.
July 8, 2010
A young English aristocrat falls in with a con artist and his lovely daughter. The con artist is a very amusing character and wait until his wife shows up. Recommended.
June 12, 2022
An English gentleman, Paul Walmsley, becomes infatuated with a young American woman that he sees regularly at a restaurant. One evening, her father -- Joseph H. Parker, the amiable charlatan of the title -- abruptly enters the restaurant, suddenly sits at Walmsley's table, begins eating his food, and asks Walmsley to play along. After this unusual introduction, Walmsley meets Miss Eve Parker, and falls deeply in love with her, despite learning that she and her father are "adventurers". When these adventures seem to be only cons, Walmsley's desire to marry Eve allows him to turn a blind eye. When theft becomes an issue, though, Walmsley finds it hard to balance his morals with the apparent amorality of the Parkers.
This is a funny and charming set of stories with likable characters, a good twist, and solid prose. The various plots are amusing, with Walmsley watching (and sometimes helping) his prospective father-in-law get in and out of scrapes with Scotland Yard, professional criminals, and even designing young women. My only complaint is that Eve doesn't figure enough as the book progresses, and is a less dynamic character than the two men. In general, though, An Amiable Charlatan is a truly entertaining experience and I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the light and innocent style of popular Edwardian novels.
This is a funny and charming set of stories with likable characters, a good twist, and solid prose. The various plots are amusing, with Walmsley watching (and sometimes helping) his prospective father-in-law get in and out of scrapes with Scotland Yard, professional criminals, and even designing young women. My only complaint is that Eve doesn't figure enough as the book progresses, and is a less dynamic character than the two men. In general, though, An Amiable Charlatan is a truly entertaining experience and I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the light and innocent style of popular Edwardian novels.
April 8, 2019
Listened to it on Librivox. If you've run out of Wodehouse, Oppenheim does a pretty good job of keeping up the "aristocratic farce" genre. Nobody really gets hurt, no one is severely inconvenienced, and everyone has a good time except the long suffering policemen who have to keep showing up when the upper crusty thrill seekers take things a little too far.
January 10, 2020
While you can guess the plot twists in the story, it is still a nice read, and funny.
May 6, 2020
Great tale.
September 16, 2020
Pleasant stories but not memorable.
January 22, 2026
A young man falls for the daughter of an 'adventurer'. She tends to follow in her father's footsteps. Can her hopeful paramour dissuade her?
April 25, 2012
Great funny forgotten book. Worth the read! Each chapter is about the main character's run in with a father daughter team of charlatans. The book has some good twists.
December 29, 2012
Tells the adventures of an American and his daughter in Edwardian London.
January 20, 2015
Meh. Didn't really hold my attention until the last chapter.
December 7, 2017
Humor, mystery, romance and some fun in the solving of it. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews