Author
Dornford Yates
1885-1960
Dornford Yates (1885-1960) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
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Books by Dornford Yates
And Five Were Foolish
"And Five Were Foolish" by Dornford Yates is a novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative revolves around Sarah Vulliamy and her complicated relationship with her fiancé Virgil Pardoner, as they find themselves bound by an eccentric will that requires them to marry in order to inherit a significant fortune. This situation leads them into humorous and awkward social dynamics as they navigate love, obligation, and societal expectations in the backdrop of wealth and class. The opening of the book introduces Sarah Vulliamy and Virgil Pardoner having a lively conversation over champagne, which evolves into a discussion about their impending engagement. They discover that their inheritance from the late James Tantamount is contingent on their marriage to each other, despite both harboring feelings for others—Sarah for George Fulke and Virgil for June Townshend. The tone is lighthearted and comedic, with Sarah's determination to resist pressure to marry Virgil mingling with their banter about feelings, societal expectations, and the absurdity of their predicament. As the scene unfolds, we grasp the complexity of their situation and the intriguing dynamics that promise further twists in their unfolding story.
The Brother of Daphne
"The Brother of Daphne" by Dornford Yates is a collection of comic short stories published in 1914. This debut book introduces the beloved "Berry and Co." characters—Bertram 'Berry' Pleydell, his wife Daphne, her brother Boy, and cousins Jonah and Jill Mansel. Through fifteen tales narrated by Boy, readers follow their humorous adventures across Hampshire, Devon, the Cotswolds, and Austria. The stories feature chance encounters, witty banter, and agreeable nonsense that captured readers' imaginations and launched Yates's successful literary career.
Berry and Co.
"Berry and Co." by Dornford Yates is a collection of comic short stories published in 1921. The book follows five upper-class characters—Bertram 'Berry' Pleydell, his wife Daphne, her brother Boy, cousin Jonah Mansel, and Jonah's sister Jill—as they navigate life between their Hampshire estate and London residence in 1919-1920. Through witty banter, domestic mishaps, and comic adventures, the stories captured readers with their humor and charm, becoming enormously popular and reprinted annually until World War II.
As Other Men Are
"As Other Men Are" by Dornford Yates is a collection of short stories published in 1925. These ten tales explore relationships between impoverished former officers of the Great War and wealthy women. Each story bears the name of a significant male character. While all conclude happily, the collection adopts a harsher tone than Yates's earlier work, featuring women who can be greedy and sharp-tongued. The title references the biblical parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.
Jonah and Co.
"Jonah and Co." by Dornford Yates is a collection of comic short stories published in 1922. The beloved Berry characters embark on a motoring adventure through France to spend winter in Pau, with excursions into northern Spain. Along the way, newlyweds Boy and Adèle settle into married life, while Jill encounters her future husband, the Duke of Padua. These lighthearted tales capture the joy of discovering French roads and new experiences, written during a particularly happy period in the author's life.
Anthony Lyveden
"Anthony Lyveden" by Dornford Yates is a novel published in 1921. Anthony Lyveden, a decorated but penniless ex-officer, takes a humbling position as a footman at the Gramarye estate. When the estate's owner descends into madness and grants him power of attorney, Lyveden finds himself thrust into an overwhelming responsibility. The mounting pressures of his new role begin to threaten his own sanity, testing the limits of duty and endurance in post-war England.