I just got my hands on another volume by Kyril Bonfiglioli, whom I quoted at length a while back. Nobody beats this guy for sly wit. Here’s an example.
After being violently chased from the scene of a romantic assignation, Karli – the peerless rogue and star of Bonfiglioli’s 1978 All The Tea In China
“Karli,” she murmured as we drew apart after our first frantic embrace, “why does your heart thump so?”
“For love of you,” I lied valiantly. “It always thumps so when you are near, dearest one.”
“I am so happy that you feel so,” she said, still murmuring, “because I have such a wonderful piece of new for us.” My heart missed a thump. I cocked an ear for the baying of [pursuing] hounds but there was only the rustle of magnolia leaves, and two hearts beating as one, though for different reasons.
2 comments:
That guy sounds fantastic. I've never heard of him. I read my first Wodehouse last April, in a very fitting place, Buenos Aires (not fitting at all). The book took the title Aunts Aren't Gentlemen, and I realized after the fact that he had written in around 1972, so it wasn't exactly vintage Wodehouse. (I enjoyed it.)
I'm going to me some Bonfiglioli.
He's a blast, all right - in the case of the book I read first, the plot was paper-thin and geared entirely to displaying B's wit, but I loved it anyway. Not unlike Wodehouse, actually, in that respect. I do recommend vintage Wodehouse - the '70s weren't his best decade.
Post a Comment