WHO ELSE BUT HORACE?

PREFACE This second book again offers many stories about the varied activities of Horace and his friends and associates. The focus shifts away from Horace’s changing career aspirations and their disastrous consequences for him in the first book to his growth in understanding and personal maturity after his return from ‘captivity’ at the farm in N. Horace assumes the reins of responsibility and puts his energies into setting the honey import and export business on to a much steadier footing which culminates in their great successes in New Zealand marred only by his unfortunate escapade at Rotorua. While Horace develops as a character into a contented citizen marrying his dream aspirations with daily reality when he also contributes to the local detective work, his progress is aided by the positive contributions of Humphrey, Humbert, Helena and finally Henry with his great, concluding speech which lists Horace’s failures, mostly evident in the first book, and then his later successes which clearly predominate in this book. ‘Who else but Horace?’ also introduces the lovable character, Humphrey, who is something of a genial, gallant giant teddy bear, as well as reintroducing the more scatty, eccentric Herpitude who nevertheless plays his own uniquely comical part in the stories. Helena also has her own small but significant roles both in supporting and challenging Horace and for her part in the arrest of Sharp Street Sally, the local, devious beggar and con trader. Humbert’s role in rescuing Horace when they are in Rotorua is critical and achieved in the face of sharp criticisms from Horace. Together they all start to achieve something more of a benign mutual support community rather than a hegemony under Horace’s erratic control.