Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast [Paperback]

Bill Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wyatt Book | Publication Date: August 15, 1997

A pair of endearingly eccentric bachelors--in their fifties, and fraternal twins--own and operate a bed & breakfast establishment where people like them, the "gentle and bookish and ever so slightly confused," can feel at home. Hector and Virgil think of their B&B as a refuge, a retreat, a haven, where folks may bring their own books or peruse the brothers' own substantial library. An antic blend of homespun and intellectual humor, Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast is a place readers will want to return to again and again.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"One day, I put myself in the car and simply drove. I had no idea where I was going or why. I had no idea ... I would wind up, at dusk, in a lost little valley, turning up the driveway of the Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast."

The best books, as you read them, take you from wherever you are to a place where you want to be. If you're a reader of a certain type--a lover of books, cats, and absurdity of a quiet kind--then the Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast should be on your itinerary. It introduces two fraternal twins, Hector and Virgil, unmarried men who run a cozy establishment on a Canadian island. The book alternates between notes from Hector or Virgil, and "Brief Lives," culled from the B & B's guest book. This variety of perspectives gives Bill Richardson tremendous flexibility, and he weaves all the disparate characters together with an unobtrusive dexterity. The Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast is a pleasant, soothing, quietly absurd place to be.

From Publishers Weekly

Fifty-something fraternal twins Hector and Virgil operate a Shangri-la for bibliophiles, located somewhere between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada. In this deliciously witty tale of their B&B, which has won Canada's Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, the collected autobiographical jottings?"Brief Lives"?of the brothers' guests are interspersed with chapters alternately penned by each brother as dispatches for CBC Radio (Richardson first introduced Hector and Virgil on CBC Radio's Gabereau show). Virgil is the wry, bassoon-playing, contemplative one, sending missives from thought-inspiring locales like the cemetery-cum-golf course. (On their dead mother: "In compliance with her wishes, we kept her ashes in a ziplock bag in the freezer, attending the day we could incorporate them into a household project.") The more energetic Hector enjoys the affections of cosmetics saleswoman and would-be writer Altona Winkler and harbors a penchant for trouncing librarians at Scrabble. There's also Waffle the cat and the resident parrot, Mrs. Rochester, who spouts maternal advice along with the occasional vulgar epithet. Guests are greeted by musical eggcups at breakfast, and the brothers supply suggested book lists (e.g., "Hector's List of Favorite Authors for the Bath"). Richardson's voice is impressively versatile, equally assured with such diverse characters as Helen, a Winnipeg grandmother, and Gordon, a staid attorney on a forced wilderness encounter. This quiet charmer is a bibliophile's delight.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (August 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312171838
• ISBN-13: 978-0312171834
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #600,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect choice for a reading group discussion!, August 4, 2004

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast (Paperback)

This is a charming little book that centers around twin brothers, Hector and Virgil, 50-something bachelors who run a Bed & Breakfast in a remote island location. Though word-of-mouth, they have attracted a customer base consisting entirely of fellow bibliophiles, and thus reading is a central theme throughout the novel.

The book is written as a series of reflections: each chapter is narrated by either Hector, Virgil, or one of their guests, whose musings make up the B&B's unique guest book. The brothers relate stories of their unconventional childhood with their single mother and MIA father as well as offer present day anecdotes about their entertaining guests, neighbors, and pets. Also interspersed throughout the book are recommended reading lists such as "Hector's List of Favorite Authors for the Bath."

This quirky, whimsical novel is ideally suited to be a reading group selection and likely to be enjoyed by any book lover.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, February 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast (Paperback)

The Bachelor Brothers Bed & Breakfast remains one of my top five books. The sequel falls right behind it, and in fact, is even funnier than the first. U.S. readers may not be familiar with Mr. Richardson who is well known across Canada as one of the funniest and most interesting of the talk show hosts on C.B.C. radio. The novel has, I think, a Canadian quality to it, but in all respects, any lover of books, good humour, and exellent writing will enjoy this book. It is not a "deep" read but still witty, thoughtful, and by no means "fluffy". Bill Richardson has been referred to as a Canadian Garrison Keillor. The comparison is likely not incorrect, but from my perspective, Richardson is much funnier. Buy BOTH this book and the sequel (don't wait because you will indeed want to read the next one) for a fun, enjoyable read!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, November 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast (Paperback)

This is such a wonderful book! It was one of the few books that I've read that I actually laughed out loud. The best part is when I tried to describe it to others, the characters seemed even more eccentric and loveable, even though the people I was telling it to thought it sounded insane. Richardson writes in a gentle way, never knocking you over the head with his attempts to be witty or clever. Who can't read the chapter about the disastrous Halloween party without doubling over? All in all, a wonderful, fun book for a rainy Sunday afternoon.