Collection: Rumpole and the Age of Miracles

Overview

"Rumpole and the Age of Miracles" gathers a set of John Mortimer's sharp, humane short stories about Horace Rumpole, the wry London barrister who defends the underdog with equal parts legal savvy and moral clarity. Set against a Britain undergoing social and legal change, the stories pair courtroom maneuvering with domestic and social scenes that reveal how tradition and modernity collide. Rumpole remains at the center: argumentative, fond of a pipe and a glass of claret, and always ready to turn a seeming disadvantage into a surprising victory.

Mortimer's prose moves briskly between comic set pieces and more sobering observations. The collection explores the limits of advocacy when law, reputation, and shifting public expectations threaten to swamp the simple humanity of clients and counsel alike. Readers familiar with Rumpole's previous appearances find familiar rhythms, while newcomers meet a narrator who delights in language, irony, and the small injustices of everyday life.

Themes

A persistent theme is the tension between legal formality and human reality: procedures and precedent are shown to be useful tools but often inadequate when confronting personal misfortune or institutional hypocrisy. Mortimer examines how changes in policing, media attention, and courtroom decorum reshape the practice of law, yet he privileges character and rhetorical skill as the decisive forces in many cases. The "miracles" of the title are often ironic, unexpected exonerations, improbable reversals, and the tiny moral reckonings that count for more than headline-grabbing reforms.

Class, authority, and the theatre of court are recurring concerns. Rumpole's sympathy for the socially marginal sits in contrast to the self-regard of some senior judges, prosecutors, and the influential clients who expect immunity. Mortimer uses wit to puncture pomposity while also making room for genuine empathy, showing how legal advocacy can sometimes function as a last defense against institutional brutality.

Character and Tone

Horace Rumpole is as mordant and observant as ever: a man who quotes poetry when convenient, cherishes the traditions of the Bar, and resists the blandishments of careerism. His interactions with his long-suffering wife, Hilda, affectionately dubbed "She Who Must Be Obeyed", and with the clerks and colleagues who populate the chambers, add warmth and domestic comedy. Rumpole's courtroom performances blend theatricality with forensic precision, revealing Mortimer's deep familiarity with barristers' craft.

The tone alternates between jaunty satire and quiet dignity. Mortimer's ear for legal jargon and social nuance lets him stage scenes that are both entertaining and revealing. Humor is never merely frivolous; it often exposes the moral absurdities that propel each plot, allowing pathos to emerge without losing comic momentum.

Structure and Highlights

Stories typically unfold by introducing a puzzling or melodramatic situation, following Rumpole's idiosyncratic investigation, and climaxing in a courtroom turn that upends expectations. The narratives reward attention to small details, offhand remarks, courtroom tactics, and character testimonies, that Mortimer arranges into satisfying resolutions. Several pieces probe moments when Rumpole's own values are tested, whether by changing professional norms, the temptations of success, or the frailty of clients he cannot easily save.

Scenes outside court, pub conversations, chambers gossip, and home banter, provide counterpoints to legal argument, revealing the social textures that shape verdicts. These interludes enrich the moral stakes of the trials and remind readers that law is practiced by fallible people in an imperfect world.

Significance

This collection reaffirms Rumpole's status as one of modern British fiction's most beloved legal creations. Mortimer brings the insider knowledge of a barrister and the humane sensibility of a novelist to stories that entertain while reflecting on justice, reputation, and societal change. The blend of comic mastery and ethical concern makes the book appealing to readers who enjoy character-driven legal drama and to anyone interested in how institutions adapt, or fail to adapt, to modern pressures.

Ultimately, the stories celebrate the insistence on decency and reasoned advocacy in an era inclined toward spectacle. Rumpole's victories are often modest and moral rather than monumental, and that restraint is precisely what gives the collection its warmth and lasting appeal.