The French Letter
Viewing comments for Chapter 43 "What's in a Name?"A Novel
23 total reviews
Comment from Debbie Pope
You are creating a great deal of suspense with your Sir David. The fact that he misrepresents his membership in the RAF Club is puzzling. I look forward to your detailed description of the Willows. It sounds beautiful. In the meantime, I must look up the meaning of "cove" as it relates to an individual.
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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You are creating a great deal of suspense with your Sir David. The fact that he misrepresents his membership in the RAF Club is puzzling. I look forward to your detailed description of the Willows. It sounds beautiful. In the meantime, I must look up the meaning of "cove" as it relates to an individual.
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Debbie. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and affirmation. I think that 'cove' is a particularly British term! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from lyenochka
Such interesting conversations - and very different with the different people. Well done! We have lots of reasons to suspect Brockenhurst - not only for being arrogant but also deceptive.
Enjoyed the pun of "(a small boring tool)." He was boring in another way.
" familiar with P. G. Woodhouse " (Wodehouse?)
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Such interesting conversations - and very different with the different people. Well done! We have lots of reasons to suspect Brockenhurst - not only for being arrogant but also deceptive.
Enjoyed the pun of "(a small boring tool)." He was boring in another way.
" familiar with P. G. Woodhouse " (Wodehouse?)
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Helen. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and affirmation. I can't believe that I wrote Woodhouse! LOL
Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Mrs. KT
Hello Tony,
As I read your exceptionally well-crafted chapter, I made a note to share with you that the ease with which you present your plot and characters is incredibly appealing. Your writing is engaging yet embracing...Does that make sense? It is also very humorous. I smiled when I read: "But once you get a moniker, it sticks."
My first thought was of my husband, who, at 6'6" is called "Legs" by many - even after all these years. I've a few as well, none of which need to be discussed here. :)
A very enjoyable read!
Thank you!
diane
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Hello Tony,
As I read your exceptionally well-crafted chapter, I made a note to share with you that the ease with which you present your plot and characters is incredibly appealing. Your writing is engaging yet embracing...Does that make sense? It is also very humorous. I smiled when I read: "But once you get a moniker, it sticks."
My first thought was of my husband, who, at 6'6" is called "Legs" by many - even after all these years. I've a few as well, none of which need to be discussed here. :)
A very enjoyable read!
Thank you!
diane
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Diane. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your most encouraging comments and the affirmation of the sixth star. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from royowen
So, it's turning out that "Sir David Brockenhusrt" might be something of a conman, or at least a frauds, not a member of the RAF cluck as it transpires, as is Charles, but a "mystery" peer, who may not be what he appears to be. Well done Tony, good episode, blessings, Roy
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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So, it's turning out that "Sir David Brockenhusrt" might be something of a conman, or at least a frauds, not a member of the RAF cluck as it transpires, as is Charles, but a "mystery" peer, who may not be what he appears to be. Well done Tony, good episode, blessings, Roy
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Roy. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and affirmation. Best wishes, Tony
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Well done
Comment from Ulla
Oh my God, Tony, you put a smile on my face. Not only is the story wonderful and well written, and the dialogue is superb as ever. And then you have the audacity to take me to Henley-on-Thames where I lived for almost ten years. I love it. All the best. Ulla:))
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Oh my God, Tony, you put a smile on my face. Not only is the story wonderful and well written, and the dialogue is superb as ever. And then you have the audacity to take me to Henley-on-Thames where I lived for almost ten years. I love it. All the best. Ulla:))
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Ulla. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and the affirmation of a sixth star. I shall have to be careful what I write about Henley-on-Thames! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Treischel
You convey Brockenhurst's boorishness well. His secretive behavior is circumspect at best.
Lots of Musical and Literary references add depth and color.
Yes, a good simile. HaH! Gimlet metaphor.
Puzzling that they couldn't find a membership for Brockenhurst. Curious, and curiouser.
Not familiar with Debrett, must be a British lineage book.
I love MGB's, a buddy of mine owned one, and we loved finding roads with lots of twists and turns at high speeds. Pleasant chapter.
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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You convey Brockenhurst's boorishness well. His secretive behavior is circumspect at best.
Lots of Musical and Literary references add depth and color.
Yes, a good simile. HaH! Gimlet metaphor.
Puzzling that they couldn't find a membership for Brockenhurst. Curious, and curiouser.
Not familiar with Debrett, must be a British lineage book.
I love MGB's, a buddy of mine owned one, and we loved finding roads with lots of twists and turns at high speeds. Pleasant chapter.
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Tom. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and affirmation. Yes, Debrett lists the peerage of Great Britain in exhaustive detail! I had an MGB years ago, but sadly wrote it off cornering too fast on a wet patch of road. A bitter blow, as I had only just finished restoring it! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from damommy
You're a Bertie Wooster fan? Me, too.
So, Brockenhurst isn't a member. Hmmm. I felt there was something phony about him from the first. Too 'hale fellow well met' for my taste. I do wish Charles would stay home. But I want to know what this toady fellow is up to.
Great imagery all the way through. Conversations are very natural.
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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You're a Bertie Wooster fan? Me, too.
So, Brockenhurst isn't a member. Hmmm. I felt there was something phony about him from the first. Too 'hale fellow well met' for my taste. I do wish Charles would stay home. But I want to know what this toady fellow is up to.
Great imagery all the way through. Conversations are very natural.
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Yvonne. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and affirmation. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Well, Sir David Brockenhurst is a very interesting person. I wonder what his story REALLY is. I'm sure we'll find out. I hope soon. LOL I do enjoy reading this story.
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Well, Sir David Brockenhurst is a very interesting person. I wonder what his story REALLY is. I'm sure we'll find out. I hope soon. LOL I do enjoy reading this story.
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Barbara. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and the affirmation of a sixth star. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell
I think I'd be a bit wary that the so-called, Sir Brockenhurst isn't a villain of the worst kind. Very strange! I was born in East Anglia, Shotely in Ipswich, which was home to the naval training base, The Ganges. I was actually shown around a submarine with my cousin when they were docked up there. Fun times. So, what does Brockenhurst want to see Charles about? I'm wondering if he is, in fact, a Russian spy? Strange how he hung up immediately after Charles told him he was a member of that club. Well done, the plot gets more curious with each chapter. :)) Sandra xx
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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I think I'd be a bit wary that the so-called, Sir Brockenhurst isn't a villain of the worst kind. Very strange! I was born in East Anglia, Shotely in Ipswich, which was home to the naval training base, The Ganges. I was actually shown around a submarine with my cousin when they were docked up there. Fun times. So, what does Brockenhurst want to see Charles about? I'm wondering if he is, in fact, a Russian spy? Strange how he hung up immediately after Charles told him he was a member of that club. Well done, the plot gets more curious with each chapter. :)) Sandra xx
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Very many thanks for this review, Helen. Sorry I'm a bit slow getting back to you. I seem to have had rather a lot on recently. I appreciate your comments and the affirmation of a sixth star. I used to spend quite a bit of time across in East Anglia as I had a much loved older step-sister who was married to a GP in Wymondham. Best wishes, Tony
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It seems you and I have either lived or spent a lot of time in the same parts of England. I now live in the Test Valley, Awbridge. I don't think I'll ever get to live where you are now, though. Oh, I've decided to change my name by deed-pole to Helen! LOL!!!
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Oh, dear! I?ve done it again! My only excuse is that one of my mother/in-law?s closest friends was Helen Mitchell, Keith Mitchell?s sister. I think I need a brain transplant! LOL
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LOL, that is strange, Helen Mitchell is my daughter-in-law, but I doubt they are the same person. :)) Don't worry about it. I know you know it's me. :)) xx
Comment from Pantygynt
An amusing episode as well as one that seems to deepen the mystery.
I liked the ease with which you adopted the Wodehouse mode, appropriately enough where Brockenhurst was concerned but you seemed to find it difficult to shake it off:
'I rang Ian. A funny old cove, but I loved him like a brother. "Hello, Bisto, you old bastard. Fancy a pub lunch at The Old Bell? Or has Jenny got you on a tight leash this afternoon?" Should you still be in Wodehouse mode at this stage?
This is similar to a well known problem amongst actors. It is all too easy to get locked into the pace of another actor's speech patterns, leading to a lack of variety.
As I neared the end I wondered whether you had been caught up in a thirties time warp as we entered Kenneth Graham country.
'It is not really a criticism, more a word to the wise, sir,' as Jeeves might say of one of Bertie Wooster's more unsuitable ties.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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An amusing episode as well as one that seems to deepen the mystery.
I liked the ease with which you adopted the Wodehouse mode, appropriately enough where Brockenhurst was concerned but you seemed to find it difficult to shake it off:
'I rang Ian. A funny old cove, but I loved him like a brother. "Hello, Bisto, you old bastard. Fancy a pub lunch at The Old Bell? Or has Jenny got you on a tight leash this afternoon?" Should you still be in Wodehouse mode at this stage?
This is similar to a well known problem amongst actors. It is all too easy to get locked into the pace of another actor's speech patterns, leading to a lack of variety.
As I neared the end I wondered whether you had been caught up in a thirties time warp as we entered Kenneth Graham country.
'It is not really a criticism, more a word to the wise, sir,' as Jeeves might say of one of Bertie Wooster's more unsuitable ties.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 03-Mar-2019
reply by the author on 09-Mar-2019
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Thanks for this review, Jim. I appreciate the advice about getting locked into a particular speech style and idiosyncrasy. My wife and Jeeves would have differing opinions about what is or what is not a suitable tie. He also has a much more diplomatic way of broaching the subject!
