John Innes Mackintosh Stewart Boeken

The final volume in the 'A Staircase in Surrey' quintet. Duncan Pattullo is coming to the end of his term as 'narrator' and is thinking of re-marrying, although his former wife continues to cause difficulties. His intended is also providing gossip for the college, but that is as nothing compared to the scandal caused by Watershute, an eminent nuclear physicist. His misdemeanours range from abandoning his family and conducting an affair in Venice, to being drunk at High Table. However, things get very serious when he appears to be involved in activities that might amount to treason. An interesting and convoluted plot, which is a fitting end to this acclaimed series, is carried forward with J.I.M. Stewart's hallmark skill and wit. Full Term can be read in order, or as a standalone novel.

This is the second of the ‘A Staircase in Surrey’ quintet, and the first in chronological order. Duncan Pattullo arrives in Oxford, destined to be housed off the quadrangle his father has chosen simply for its architectural and visual appeal. On the staircase in Surrey, Duncan meets those who are to become his new friends and companions, and there occurs all of the usual student antics and digressions, described by Stewart with his characteristic wit, to amuse and enthral the reader. After a punting accident, however, the girl who is in love with Duncan suffers as a result of his self-sacrificing actions. His cousin, Anna, is also involved in an affair, but she withholds the name of her lover, despite being pregnant. This particular twist reaches an ironical conclusion towards the end of the novel, in another of Stewart’s favourite locations; Italy. Indeed, Young Pattullo covers all of the writer’s favourite subjects and places; the arts, learning, mystery and intrigue, whilst ranging from his much loved Oxford, through Scotland and the inevitable Italian venue. This second volume of the acclaimed series can be read in order, or as a standalone novel.

Offers a humorous, colorful account of an Oxford academic's coexistence with his alter ego, the author of detective novels, and provides an intimate look at his circle of Oxford-bred literary figures and friends

In the fourth of J.I.M. Stewart’s acclaimed ‘Staircase in Surrey’ quintet the gravity of a surveyor's report given to the Governing Body is the initial focus. The document is alarming. The Governing Body, an assembly of which Pattullo was in awe, was equally awed by the dimensions of the crisis revealed. It would seem that the consideration was whether there would literally be a roof over their heads for much longer. The first rumblings from the college tower brings the thought well and truly home to Pattullo. 'Professor Sanctuary,' the Provost said evenly, 'favours the immediate launching of an appeal . . .' And so it begins . . . In J.I.M. Stewart’s superbly melding of wit, mystery, observation and literary prowess a gripping novel develops that will enthral the reader from cover to cover. This can be read as part of the series, or as a standalone novel.

In this third novel of the Oxford quintet, Duncan Pattullo returns to his old college in middle age. The Provost is focused on securing a benefaction from a charitable trust influenced by the outrageous Cedric Mumford. Complicating matters is Ivo Mumford, Cedric’s misbehaving grandson, whose magazine, ‘Priapus,’ is wholly objectionable. Stewart delves into the intricate relationships among the characters with his characteristic wit and intellectual precision, transforming an otherwise ordinary situation into a gripping narrative. John Innes Mackintosh Stewart, also known as Michael Innes, was born in Edinburgh, where his father was the Director of Education. He attended Edinburgh Academy and later Oriel College, Oxford, earning a first-class degree in English and several academic honors. After traveling with AJP Taylor and studying Freudian psychoanalysis, he began an edition of Montaigne’s Essays, which led to a teaching position at Leeds University. Stewart married Margaret Hardwick in 1932, and they had five children. By 1935, he was appointed Professor of English at the University of Adelaide and published his first detective novel, ‘Death at the President’s Lodging,’ under the pseudonym Michael Innes, which launched a successful series featuring Inspector Appleby. Stewart returned to the UK in 1946, held various academic positions, and wrote extensively, producing twenty-one works of fiction, including the acclaimed ‘A

The first volume in J.I.M. Stewart’s acclaimed ‘A Staircase in Surrey’ quintet, (but the second in time), ‘The Gaudy’ opens in Oxford at the eponymous annual dinner laid on by the Fellows for past members. Distinguished guests, including the Chancellor (a former Prime Minister) are present and Duncan Pattullo, now also qualified to attend, gets to meet some of his friends and enemies from undergraduate days. As the evening wears on, Duncan finds himself embroiled in many of the difficulties and problems faced by some of them, including Lord Marchpayne, now a Cabinet Minister; another Don, Ranald McKenechnie; and Gavin Mogridge who is famous for an account he wrote of his adventures in a South American jungle. But it doesn’t stop there, as Pattullo acquires a few problems of his own and throughout the evening and the next day various odd developments just add to his difficulties, leading him to take stock of both his past and future.