Professor Branestawm’s Perilous Pudding
by Norman Hunter (The Bodley Head, 1979)
More misadventures from Professor Branestawm, narrated in a throwaway, madcap style for middle grade readers but with breezily sardonic social commentary and plenty of wordplay (especially oxymorons) for the adults. The characters entertain but Branestawm’s mid-speech ‘um-ing’ and ‘ah-ing’ becomes instantly tiresome.