" I'm not sure what I expected from this book. Apart from having vaguely heard of Rumpole, I had few preconceived notions about the character. But whatever notions I had, they were nowhere close to what this novel actually was. To begin with, I'm not crazy about story collections, which is what Rumpole of the Bailey is, and although I found the stories entertaining, I would have preferred one coherent narrative. And if I had known that the TV series came first, and this novel was merely a retelling of the first season of the TV show, I doubt I would have bothered with it. As far as the character, Rumpole is definitely amusing, if a bit much at times, and I enjoyed his wit at his colleagues' expense and his humorous relationship with his wife. The stories were an interesting--and eye opening!--glimpse into the British legal system, which is surprisingly different from the US system. Overall, it was an interesting book to listen to (although I could have done without the over-the-top narration of the reader) but I can't help feeling a little taken in to find that the book is merely a re-telling of the TV show. "
— Sophie, 1/21/2014