Berry and Co.

Dornford YatesProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 521K words
Chapters: 53

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Berry and Co. by Dornford YatesAuthor: Yates, Dornford, 1885-1960,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 5, 2006

Editor's review

Berry and Co. is one of Dornford Yates's "Berry" books, belonging to the light adventure and humor tradition popular in Britain between the wars. Such works are marked by brisk scenes, witty dialogue, and plots driven by a string of small escapades among respectable characters—it reads like listening to old friends take turns telling anecdotes. Its value lies not in deep social analysis but in a relaxed, restrainedly humorous reading experience, while preserving the speech habits and social details of early twentieth-century upper-middle-class English life. For readers curious about popular fiction of that period or fond of British humor, it is a useful sample. The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain plain text without illustrations; readers must adjust to early typography. Best read in installments on the commute or before bed, without straining to keep the plot continuous.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Adult readers who enjoy British humor and light adventure stories
Literature enthusiasts studying early twentieth-century British popular fiction
Learners building early modern English expression through original fiction
Organizers seeking public-domain texts for audiobooks or book-club selections

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer serious literature, social critique, or tightly plotted suspense
Readers who need modern typography, annotations, or illustrations
Beginners with weak English who struggle with early colloquial dialogue

Reading tips

Read it as a linked series of short pieces, a chapter or two at a time, without forcing yourself to memorize relationships.
Note the rhythm of the humor and period phrasing in dialogue; excerpt them for language notes.
If it feels hard going, first look up summaries of other books in the series to learn the characters' backgrounds, then return.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

I haven't read other books in the series—can I start with this one?

Yes. Such works usually move through an ensemble cast and standalone small incidents, so a single volume won't leave you entirely lost, though some relationships and jokes depend on earlier books. If time allows, learn roughly who the main characters are first; you'll enter the context more easily. Reading it directly won't stop you enjoying the humorous passages.

Does this book's humor suit contemporary readers?

Its humor is restrained, relying on dialogue and situational contrast rather than a dense stream of punchlines. Readers used to fast-paced comedy may find it slow to warm up, but those who enjoy dry British wit and old-fashioned escapades of respectable characters will feel at home. Try a chapter or two first, then decide whether to continue.

What is the reading experience of the Project Gutenberg edition like?

It is a public-domain plain-text ebook with no illustrations and plain typography, suited to e-readers or computers. The advantages are that it is free and searchable; the drawbacks are the lack of original binding information, and paragraph breaks in long dialogue may be less clear than in modern typesetting. Increase line spacing and use your reader's chapter functions to improve the experience.

Comments

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About the author

Dornford Yates Author · English · 1885–1960

Dornford Yates (1885–1960) was the pen name of the British writer Cecil William Mercer, formed by combining the surnames of his two grandmothers. He initially practised as a barrister, served in the military during the First World War, and devoted himself to writing after the war. Between the two world wars he was widely popular for his humorous "Berry" series and his adventurous "Chandos" thrillers; representative works include Anthony Lyveden, Berry and Co., The Brother of Daphne and Jonah and Co. His books combine light-hearted domestic comedy with tense, exciting adventure plots, reflecting the reading tastes of popular British fiction of the period. In later life he moved to Southern Rhodesia. Public information on his early life and the details of his writing is limited.