A review by tcleary98
Esprit de Corps: Sketches from Diplomatic Life by Lawrence Durrell

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

It is perhaps damning with faint praise to note that one of this book’s chief strengths is that, being a short collection of vignettes, it is a quick and easy read. The episodes relate to life in the diplomatic service and range from vaguely to quite humorous. It was notable that, unlike the Wodehouse I had just read, I did not once laugh audibly. The raconteur is Antrobus, a veteran of the Diplomatic Corps. An old man who regales interlocutors with stories from their past must either have some fascinating tales or risks becoming a bore - too many of these skits fall a little shy of the mark. Whilst it may seem harsh to criticise well written lighthearted prose, a comic tale that fails to elicit more than the occasional wry smile has flunked its raison d'être. Throw in the imperial attitudes of the time, replete with a dismissive disdain for non-Western peoples and cultures, bolstering a general superciliousness and it is hard to warm to our yarn spinning host. My recommendation would be to read the final and best sketch, “Call of the Sea”, and to decide from there whether you wish to hear more from Antrobus.