Clinging to the Wreckage: A Part of Life

by John Mortimer

"Clinging to the Wreckage" is the first and most celebrated volume of John Mortimer's memoirs. It recounts with great wit and style his peculier childhood in the Chilterns - the only son of a blind, poetry-spouting barrister and his devoted wife - followed by the author's own experiences in the law. A bestseller in its day, the book remains one of Mortimer's greatest achievements.

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, Autobiography, British Literature, Humor, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

John Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.

Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in the library on a whim, informed by vague memories of Rumpole Of The Bailey on the television as a kid. I'm very glad I did. It's very readable, honest, amusing and original.

In this volume he writes of his solitary childhood, his remote parents (his father was an unconventional barrister father, whose blindness must never be mentioned), battling earwigs in the mutinous garden, and a vague and endlessly patient mother.

It's a great example of simple economical writing - rather than chronologically work through his life he simply follows an approximate chronology and picks out interesting aspects from his life - or drops in an amusing fact or anecdote.

It's wonderfully entertaining stuff from the late, great John Mortimer. Clinging to the Wreckage' - it transpires - is the first part of John Mortimer's autobiography. Looks like I should be reading them all

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done autobio by the author of, most notably, the Rumpole of the Bailey courtroom dramedy series. Mortimer was a heck of a writer and it doesn't seem to matter what format he worked in. This autobio will be a hit for fans of his. I enjoyed this look at his life from childhood, through his early years in the entertainment industry, up until he began work as a barrister and eventually turned his focus towards criminal law. Some might be disappointed at the lack of Rumpole-related stories, meaning Mortimer doesn't speak much about the court cases and situations he found himself which inspired his most popular writing. However, when you step back and analyze the development of him as a person, you get a fairly clear picture of how the character of Rumpole was developed. For me, that alone would have been worth reading Clinging to the Wreckage, however, Mortimer's wit was what boosted my rating to the full 5 stars. Like most Englishmen, if he's not busy poking fun at life, it means he's probably dead.

[Asaf Bartov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most people, I came to know John Mortimer's works through his Rumpole series (the books, not the TV series). I came to appreciate his comic genius, his profoundly humanistic and unsanctimonious attitude to life, and was intrigued by the title of this slim autobiographical volume.

Mortimer tells of his lonely but privileged childhood, his domineering, odd, and immensely influential father, his awkward relationship with his mother, and his gradual, late development into a grown-up.

We are treated to brief but effective depictions of life in Harrow, then Oxford, then the law courts, then the theater, Paris, Hollywood and Italy, and while the descriptions are certainly subjective and do not mean to encompass the entire era, they do in fact double as capsules of bygone days, of the UK in the middle decades of the 20th century.

Mortimer tells it like it was, admitting weakness and failure alongside triumph and elation, and manages to be candid, amusing, touching, and brief. I look forward to reading more of his nonfiction, alongside his excellent fiction and plays.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Mortimer the creator of "Rumpole of the Bailey" books which later were broadcast as a TV series has had a most interesting life. His autobiography is full and honest. He came from a privileged background and his father, also a solicitor, played a large part in his life. Brought up in the 1920's and 1930's, and transiting through major social changes allowed the author to experiment with writing plays for the radio and theatre, scripts for films, and later his work as a divorce lawyer. Many humorous incidents are related, plus the mix of life from early school days, his father's blindness in later years, the reluctance to become a solicitor, adult responsibilities and then he himself divorces and later re-marries, For those interested in his plays I thoroughly recommend it.

[Maggi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I love JM. Because he created Rumpole, my solid companion through thick and thin. I do also like his daughter Emily. So, I am sad he has passed on, but glad I can re-read all these books.

He tells a very entertaining and honest (well, not completely, there was that other son...) history of his life in post-war Britain which gives insights into British culture and his generation. He writes in marvelous, evocative language at times: ""...that went back a long way into my life, to days when a punt seemed the height of pleasure and the summer was hotter and lasted longer than it ever has since."

[Bonnie Jean Feldkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. I probably would have enjoyed it even more if I'd read this one rather than listened to the audiobook. The narrator's old british portrayal was a bit distracting at times.
However, Mortimer's unlikely combination of writer and barrister was entertaining. At the end of the book the combined experiences culminated into quite an interesting outlook on life. Everything pulled together well for me and I also extracted a few great quotes from his story.

Mortimer Quotes Alexander Hurtsen as saying, "You can waken men only by dreaming their dreams more clearly than they can dream them themselves, not by demonstrating their lives by geometrical theorems are demonstrated."

These insights on humanity that came to him in writing and his work as a barrister, I greatly appreciate. From Chapter 22 on, I was hooked, touched and realized all of the lessons from the previous chapters.

On writing about his father he says, "In giving him to other people I came after a time to lose him for myself." That quote sums up the great dilemma of memoir. I preserving the story you lose its intimacy.

Thanks for the surprising and funny look into your existence, Mr. Mortimer. It's a pleasure knowing your story.

[Mark McTague · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Mortimer describes his life at home with his blind barrister father, a man who comes across as domineering and, in a way that perhaps only the infirm can achieve, horribly selfish, and his quiet, patient mother, who served him in so many ways, perhaps sacrificing herself for the sake of her son, he recounts episodes from the different periods of his life (Harrow and Oxford, the bar, and the theatre) as well as his first marriage. He does so with great bemusement and detachment, the "lucid indifference" of Camus' Myth of Sisyphus, but underneath I felt a tone of deep sadness, not self-pity but pained wonder at the caprice and brutality that blows through all our lives. If I had to face a judge at my life's end who would pass sentence on my deeds and misdeeds, I would want Mortimer. I think he would understand. Highly recommended for fans of Rumpole or anyone over 40 who wonders about life.

[Rose Auburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining, very wry and amusing in places. Obviously, the majority of the book is enshrouded in an England that no longer fully exists and that, in itself, is very interesting.

The one theme that began at times to grate a little was Mortimer's constant self-effacing deprecation; especially as it is abundantly clear from very early on that he is an incredibly intelligent character with a sparkling wit and also, a ruthless streak, which he definitely cloaks. But then, this is his autobiography and, therefore, his prerogative to tailor the perspective as he sees fit. I would have also liked a bit more information/emotion surrounding the first wife, Penelope; but then maybe she in common with his second wife did not want anything in the way of their personal lives in the book, which is understandable. However it would have been nice to know Mortimer's feelings in relation to both women as he neatly sidesteps those.

[Robyn Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read any of John Mortimer's work, I was drawn to this because the title and the cover portrait photo are both so good. (I have the penguin vintage edition). Have to say I have no regrets, probably one of the best memoir i've read that doesn't have a central theme/significant event or characteristics that motivated the memoir. I just follows his life from childhood too later in life. It's a very gentle book, written immaculately. Mortimer knows how to write about people and places, manages to pick out the most brilliant characteristics or phrase that someone has and it perfectly summarises them to perhaps knowable without reams of description. Likewise his social commentary is perfectly littered with humour and seriousness. It contains some of the most beautiful sentences and metaphors.

[TomF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, wide-roaming, touching, amusing autobiography by the writer of Rumpole of the Bailey (and divorce advocate, nay Freedom of Speech activist). Never realised he bumbled around so many of the great and the good (taking over from Laurie Lee to scribble WWII propoganda flicks, for example). A richly-lead life means the gold-nugget anecdotes come pretty thick and fast (a studio that turns into a fruit wholesaler in the time it takes him to write a film precise springs to mind). There's a lot of self-examination and some genuine tragedy explored as well, but done with such flourish that you feel as edified sharing these moments with him as you do when you're being skillfully amused.

4.5

[Jim B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mortimer, the author of Rumpole at the Bailey, writes a memoir that is entertaining and beautifully written. Incidents in his life are stranger than fiction. Clearly Rumpole is based on real life!

Near the end of the memoir, Mortimer gives his view of God (he is an atheist) and how he came to atheism and an interesting discussion on freedom of the press (as a lawyer he defended sexual books from censors). He also includes interesting discussions of how a defense attorney can defend a criminal, and the importance of criminal law as a practice.

Worth reading more than once.

[Damian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informed by vague memories of Rumpole I picked up this autobiography while on holiday. In many ways this was a promising environment for such a memoir as the book is essentially a patchwork of anecdotes and thus easy to dip into to. Also coming from a place of knowing nothing about John Mortimer I certainly warmed to him while reading of his trials and tribulations. That said I wouldn't describe this as a knock-out read at all; it's interesting and very clearly written, witty and entertaining, but for all of that it's not going to change your life.

[P. W. Lapwing · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb on the book's cover raises one's expectations. Although an interesting and humourous read, I didn't feel the book matched the hyperbole, and was left feeling a little bit disappointed.

[Sherry Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of his sentences can be convoluted but they are bright and insightful. He made me laugh. He made me cry. I keep going back to revel in the construction of his stories, his delivery, his impact.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been a fan of the Horace Rumpole stories, I was interested to read this autobiographical work by John Mortimer. Reading it felt like a favorite uncle who shares his steamer trunk full of random personal articles and memories. He focuses on his youth, years at Harrow and Oxford, and work as a barrister, dramatist, and writer. There is very little about his marital life, divorce, or his children as if his legal side strongly advised his writerly side to remain judiciously silent on those subjects. Surprisingly there is also little mention of Horace Rumpole. His anecdotes of his youth and of his detached, odd parents in the first half are often hilarious. The following is a reminiscence of his father who was also a barrister: “There was nothing he enjoyed more than a good old-fashioned battle as to whether or not adultery had taken place. I must have been very young when he said, ‘Remarkable win today, old boy. Only evidence of adultery we had was a pair of footprints upside down on the dashboard of an Austin Seven parked in Hampstead Garden Suburb.’” 😁

[Scott Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has to be the most impersonal memoir I have ever read. In his apparent zealousness to protect the privacy of those around him, Mortimer comes close to saying nothing about his personal life at all. Children and step-children are only glancingly mentioned, while his first wife of 3=22 years flits through the book like a phantom -- he says nothing of their courtship and their divorce is only obliquely mentioned. And his second, whom he married 10 years before the book came out, gets mentioned only once. Only his father gets a thorough treatment (perhaps since because he was dead, he could not object -- or sue), so much so that at times the book seems more about him than Mortimer.

So why read this book at all? Because, despite everything, Mortimer is such a good writer that he can make even an insignificant anecdote (and there are a lot of them here) entertaining. So, while you may not find not what you are looking for here (for goodness sake, he doesn't even discuss the creation or filming of his Rumpole stories), if you keep an open mind, you will at least have a good time.

[Kurishin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I would classify this work as a memoir rather than an autobiography. It certainly glosses over some parts of his life that would've potentially made for interesting reading, specifically his marriage to Penelope. She writes about their marriage and he lets her voice stand out. I suppose that's probably the right thing to do by her and their children, so he deserves some credit on a human level. There are many passages where one can feel some license being taken with regards to his past and for that I would rather put this into the memoir category. I'm marking down the rating because the ending was rather flat. A return to bachelorhood was glossed over in favor of show business. Most of the show business passages I found to be lesser in this work.

[Neal Fandek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The wit wears thin after a while, and a chap longs for something beyond wry, self-effacing episodes. I mean, the guy was a successful lawyer, novelist, playwright, scriptwriter, with affairs, two marriages, living abroad -- where's the drama? The pathos? Maybe I'm just too American, but page after page of souffle wittiness is just not satisfying. All in all rather a sticky wicket, I'm afraid, old boy.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining memoir of his unusual family, his life at Oxford, and then his career in London as a barrister who's more interested in theater than barristering. The first of a trilogy that it might be fun to continue with. Bought this at a used bookstore in Chicago and passed on to a friend.

[Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It said a lot more about his family, and his time as a playwright, than any comment on his time in the legal profession or his writing and reception of the Rumpole series of novels for which he is best known.

Had a lot of extraneous material about meetings with Hollywood producers and so on on, I don't think any reader of Rumpole cares about that stuff.

[Matthew Bieniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't perhaps a typical autobiography, although it generally moves in chronological order. The stories of Mortimer's life as child,student, barrister and author are often laugh out loud funny. It helps to have an understanding of modern British history, or interest in the legal system to fully appreciate this book, but the book stands alone.
Rumpole's creator was a brilliant barrister in his own right and gained a growing reputation as a criminal defense and free speech lawyer in the 1950s and 60s. His description of encounters with magistrates and judges are insightful and often funny. Mortimer also tells stories on himself, his failures and foibles, which I always find refreshing in an autobiography. For much of his career, Mortimer was becoming more interested in writing than practicing law, which becomes pretty clear throughout the book.
Clinging to the Wreckage is a quick read and worth your time, especially if you want to know more about Rumpole's creator or have any interest in post-World War II Britain.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable autobiography that avoids mentioning Rumple--except briefly near the end. Mortimer's writing is humorous and smooth. If we believe Mortimer, things just happen to him. This is a joy to read, but probably a bit disappointing to mystery fans.

[Gary Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit long, which perhaps is not something one should say about a biography. Nevertheless, it seemed to drag on at the end. I was perhaps hoping for a bit more "Rumpole" and a bit less Mortimer, so my slight disappointment may be self-inflicted. Anyway, it was terribly well written.

[CQM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't an autobiography for people who want dates and details, rather this is a string of memories and anecdotes from a likeable, witty and intelligent author. Mortimer is always honest but never emotional or overwrought despite touching on very personal issues.

[John Burgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Humourous and interesting but it is impossible to wring a funny line out of every incident so it reads like a hilly landscape with laughter on the peaks and dullness in the troughs

[Elka]

The creator of Rumpole has a wonderful, Wodehousian voice. Alas, the deflection and lack of self awareness that make for good fiction don't work as well in memoir.

[Greg Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the best autobiographies; funny and enchanting look at growing up in stolid England mid-20th century

[Derek Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some amusing anecdotes. Otherwise a bit anodyne.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant enough read with some amusing anecdotes.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly entertaining. Mortimer drifts through bits and pieces of his life with a great deal of humor and social commentary. I think I'd have enjoyed it less if he'd focused more on the facts.