The House That Berry Built
Encyclopedia
The House That Berry Built is a humorous semi-autobiographical novel by Dornford Yates
published in 1945 by Ward Lock & Co
of London
. It is a fictional recreation of the construction of the author's house, Cockade, in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes
, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
, France
.
, England, and move to Pau, in the South of France. Unable to afford their aristocratic lifestyle in England, and unhappy at social upheavals following the end of World War I, they take refuge in the South of France where they believe traditional values have not yet disappeared. Nostalgic for a vanished world of social events and elegant idleness, Berry and his friends spend their time driving their Rolls
and picnicking on the slopes of the Valley of Ossau.
Wearied by the daily return journey from their residence at Pau, they decide to acquire some land on the green mountainside, halfway between the thermal spa of Lally and the village of Besse. Much of the novel is a thinly-veiled account of the building of 'Cockade', the writer's own residence between Eaux-Bonnes
and Aas in 1934.
In the novel, the house is called 'Gracedieu', and like its real-life equivalent it is constructed on a monumental built terrace anchored in the rock and is called "Le Château" by the people of the country.
Although it also contains a relatively minor sub-plot regarding the family's investigation of the murder of Sir Steuart Rowley, the novel's principal focus is upon an exceptionally precise description of the building of 'Gracedieu'. The cost of the work, the risks of the construction techniques employed, the whims of the mountain weather, the relations with the local contractor are all carefully detailed.
The House That Berry Built comes to an end with the completion of the house and the first signs of the Second World War. It becomes clear, soon after the family move into the house, that the impending war means they cannot remain there. Dornford Yates himself left France for southern Africa for the duration of the war.
, where he built a replica of his French house.
landscape and nature in general. The novel reveals also the great ease of movement of the English at the beginning of the 20th century. The comings and goings between London and Pau, where there was a large British community, are numerous in this novel.
Dornford Yates
Dornford Yates was the pseudonym of the British novelist, Cecil William Mercer , whose novels and short stories, some humorous , some thrillers , were best-sellers in the 21-year interwar period between the First and Second world wars.The pen name, Dornford Yates, first in print in 1910, resulted...
published in 1945 by Ward Lock & Co
Ward Lock & Co
Ward Lock & Co was a publishing house in the United Kingdom that started as a partnership and developed until it was eventually absorbed into the publishing combine of Orion Publishing Group.-History:...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is a fictional recreation of the construction of the author's house, Cockade, in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes
Eaux-Bonnes
Eaux-Bonnes is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Nearby is the impressive villa Cockade, the construction of which is detailed in Dornford Yates's novel The House That Berry Built....
, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Plot summary
This novel is from Yates' series of 'Berry Books', featuring Berry Pleydell, his relatives and close friends. It is the seventh in the series, all of which are period comedy-thrillers. The House That Berry Built charts the Pleydell family's decision to sell White Ladies, their ancestral home in HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England, and move to Pau, in the South of France. Unable to afford their aristocratic lifestyle in England, and unhappy at social upheavals following the end of World War I, they take refuge in the South of France where they believe traditional values have not yet disappeared. Nostalgic for a vanished world of social events and elegant idleness, Berry and his friends spend their time driving their Rolls
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
and picnicking on the slopes of the Valley of Ossau.
Wearied by the daily return journey from their residence at Pau, they decide to acquire some land on the green mountainside, halfway between the thermal spa of Lally and the village of Besse. Much of the novel is a thinly-veiled account of the building of 'Cockade', the writer's own residence between Eaux-Bonnes
Eaux-Bonnes
Eaux-Bonnes is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Nearby is the impressive villa Cockade, the construction of which is detailed in Dornford Yates's novel The House That Berry Built....
and Aas in 1934.
Although it also contains a relatively minor sub-plot regarding the family's investigation of the murder of Sir Steuart Rowley, the novel's principal focus is upon an exceptionally precise description of the building of 'Gracedieu'. The cost of the work, the risks of the construction techniques employed, the whims of the mountain weather, the relations with the local contractor are all carefully detailed.
The House That Berry Built comes to an end with the completion of the house and the first signs of the Second World War. It becomes clear, soon after the family move into the house, that the impending war means they cannot remain there. Dornford Yates himself left France for southern Africa for the duration of the war.
Sequel
In The Berry Scene, the sequel to The House That Berry Built, Berry and his family attempt a return to France after 1945, but find it uncongenial. They move to Portugal, where they again attempt to recreate their aristocratic lifestyle. Dornford Yates similarly decided against resettling in the Pyrenees because of the changed attitudes and customs of post-war France. He moved permanently to RhodesiaRhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, where he built a replica of his French house.
Characters
- Bertram "Berry" Pleydell of White Ladies in Hampshire
- Daphne Pleydell, his wife and cousin
- Boy Pleydell, her brother
- Jonah Mansel, their cousin
- Jill, Duchess of Padua, Jonah's sister
- Sir Steuart Rowley, a judge of the Kings Bench
- Fergus Colin Shapely
- Albert Edward Tass
- Chief Inspector Falcon
Major themes
While not representing a crucial stage in the author's work, The House That Berry Built, through its abundance of anecdotal details, brings a personal perspective to the relationship the English maintained with France during the inter-war period. Notable are the irritation of the hero with the incompetence and the bureaucracy of the French administration and his mistrust in the face of the capacity of the French for destroying their most beautiful landscapes. Anglo-Saxon pragmatism is reflected in some astute remarks and especially admirable are the characters' respect for and sensitive appreciation of the PyreneanPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
landscape and nature in general. The novel reveals also the great ease of movement of the English at the beginning of the 20th century. The comings and goings between London and Pau, where there was a large British community, are numerous in this novel.