▁eng agement ▁to ▁St il ton ▁Che es ew right ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁ter r ified ▁Bert ie ▁… ▁and ▁above ▁all , ▁that ▁ever - ingen ious ▁W ode house ▁plot ▁showing ▁us ▁a ▁good ▁man ▁bes et ▁by ▁circumstances ▁over ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁no ▁control ". ▁ ▁R ex ▁L ard ner , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁( 2 7 ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 5 ): ▁" In ▁this , ▁his ▁si xt i eth ▁book , ▁P . ▁G . ▁W ode house ▁again ▁takes ▁up ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁special ▁trav ails ▁of ▁the ▁upper ▁classes ▁of ▁that ▁spr ight ly , ▁curious ly ▁arch a ic ▁W ode h ous ian ▁world ▁in ▁which ▁people ▁exc laim ▁' W o of !' ▁and ▁' G a ▁bo om !' — ▁a ▁world ▁in ▁which ▁fel ony ▁is ▁a ▁foot ling ▁trif le ▁and ▁ch illed ▁to ast ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁is ▁an ▁ab ys mal ▁tra ged y . ▁… ▁The ▁book ▁has ▁its ▁W ode h ous ian ▁qu ota ▁of ▁g aily ▁toss ed ▁met aph ors , ▁dialog ue ▁that ▁b oun ces ▁mer r ily ▁along , ▁sentences ▁full ▁of ▁rich ▁trim , ▁and ▁is ▁flow ered ▁with ▁carefully ▁selected ▁cl ich és — cl ich és ▁that ▁a ▁less er ▁man ▁might ▁forb ear ▁to ▁use . ▁Bert ie ▁is ▁confront ed ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁near - th ings , ▁including ▁a ▁violent ▁end ▁by ▁str ang ulation , ▁marriage ▁to