Mr. Facey Romford's hounds

by Robert Smith Surtees

Red leather with gold horse on front and spine. Facsimile of the illustrations in the 1865 (1st ed.) and the text of a later edition with additional Black and white illustrations., No DJ, No slip case. 1982

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1865

About the author

Robert Smith Surtees (1805–1864) was an English editor, novelist and sporting writer, widely known as R.S. Surtees.

Reviews

[Catfantastic]

Ye gods, this thing nearly killed me. I've wanted to read it ever since I saw the title in my first year of undergrad, so finding it online felt like a gift, but then I actually opened it. And I'm no stranger to standard Victorian diction, but this made so very much use of idiom and specialized language and slang that for entire chapters I had no idea what was going on. Moreover, I got the feeling that I was supposed to be sneering at these characters on the basis of whatever was being said, on the basis of their being cock-throppled bag foxes a bit on the down end of their Lumfords or something, but as I had no idea what anyone meant by anything, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the folks I was supposed to sneer at, and angry at an author who would heap scorn on them for such obscure reasons.

[S. L.]

This is the story of the misadventures of a penniless pretender who enters country society as a master of hounds - along with his 'sister', formerly keeper of a cigar store and eager to pass as a fine lady. If you don't enjoy cynicism, you won't enjoy the story; there are no innocents and no heroes - but it is excellent if you're a writer or student gathering information about English country life or hunting.

[Philip Baumbach]

Facey Romfords hounds.
This took me a while to finish but it is a vision into the past that is much lighter hearted than Dickens but still appears realistic.
There is not a lot of story to this but there is a lot of description of the various characters that Facey Romford and Lucy Sponge encounter during their hunts. Fox hunting is described in detail as are the peculiarities of several horses that they ride. Few of the characters are entirely honest and Facey (Frank) Romford takes full advantage of having the same name as a wealthy Romford.
Surtees also comments about how the new railways have changed various towns and how people travel. The coloured illustrations set the various scenes beautifully, although they don't always appear in the right part of the story.

[Dan Allen]

My favourite of Surtees's books. I prefer Facey even over Jorrocks. The scenes are beautifully described and the whole book is fun. It can be a hard read if you are unfamiliar with English slang (and 19th century slang in particular) and the rudiments of fox hunting. None of the characters (except Independent Jimmy the bus driver) are 100% honest or decent, each is flawed in some way. Surtees loves to attack the pretension, folly, snobbery and all round awfulness of the monied Victorian classes. He's not Dickens, but he's great fun!

[Roy Hollinshead]

A Rousing Romford Yarn

Real Literature, a treat to immerse yourself in. Superior to modern 'page turner' efforts that, like yesterday's Porridge, are soon forgotten. You won't forget Mr. Facey Romford in a hurry!