This is my seventh and final book of the Reading the Seasons 'challenge' for spring -( and now we are in Summer and the weather is still dull.) The book got delayed in going from the library it was at to the shelves in the mobile library depot so I only got it last week. However the grotty weather and staying at home meant I finished it in record time, two hours before the end of Spring!
The Spring Madness of Mr Sermon by R.F Delderfield was published in 1963. Delderfield wrote 23 books between 1947 and 1973. Several were family sagas and others set in WWI and WWII and the Napoleonic War and in private boarding schools. Several of the books were turned into TV series. I read many of his books when I first started working in libraries in the early 70's.
Nowadays it would be called a 'Mid Life Crisis' when 49 year old Mr Sermon walks out of his job at a second-rate prep school, throws some clothes into a rucksack and leaves his wife and two children, who don't seem to need him anymore.
Hoping on a bus and then a train he ends up at a small but perfect seaside town in the west country. In the seventeen weeks that follow he finds himself learning all about auctions and second hand furniture, rescuing a child from the sea, saving a coach load of tourists from being stranded overnight, becoming a beach superintendent, saving the animals from a small zoo, finding friends and a new job as a teacher in a first rate boarding school and most surprising of all he discovers that some women find him very attractive.
Without the Reading The Seasons 'challenge' I would never have read this book. That would have been a shame as I enjoyed it immensely.
Click on the Reading The Seasons label HERE to see all seven books that had Spring in their title.
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Sue
What a blast from the past. I had forgotten about this author but remember reading his Avenue series years ago and loved them. Mr.Sermon is £1.70 at Abebooks so might treat myself, thanks for the lovely review. Sarah Browne.
ReplyDeleteI've read To Serve Them All Our Days. It has elements of Goodbye Mr Chips about it.
ReplyDeleteLovely review - makes me want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI have just downloaded Mr Sermon-thanks for inspiring me to try something new as my reading mojo has been missing lately. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation of a new to me author. My library has several of his works.
ReplyDeleteI love the Delderfield books and my copy of Spring Madness fell apart as I'd read it so much, so ordered myself a hardback copy from Abe Books.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding me about a once favourite author - I don't think I've read this one so definitely going to order it from the library.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
That sounds like a really good book, not one that I would have even heard of if you hadn't been doing this challenge. I do like a good story about someone upping sticks and starting a new chapter.
ReplyDeleteA well-written review, Sue. Not available at my library. Sounds like a good story, tho.
ReplyDeleteA fascinating story of the twists and turns of the life of one man. He certainly lived to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteI love this book and periodically reread it. Marguerite
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone for comments - if you read it I hope you enjoy it, I always worry that people will think a book I've written about is a load of rubbish!!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very interesting read. Must look and see if I can find it or order it at my library.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.