More Tish

Tish #3

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

The second of Mary Roberts Rinehart's classic "Tish" stories, reprinted in facsimile.

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Short Stories, Classics

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Mysteries of the well-known American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart include The Circular Staircase (1908) and The Door (1930).

People often called this prolific author the American version of Agatha Christie. She is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it," though the exact phrase doesn't appear in her works, and she invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing.

Rinehart wrote hundreds of short stories, poems, travelogues, and special articles. Many of her books and plays were adapted for movies, such as The Bat (1926), The Bat Whispers (1930), and The Bat (1959). Critics most appreciated her murder mysteries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ro...

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny book, sort of the adult version of Amelia Bedelia. Tish (Letitia) is someone who sees what she wants and goes after it, with sometimes hilarious results.

The author, Mary Roberts Rinehart is better known for her work in the HIBK sub-genre in mysteries. (Had-I-But-Known), but her humor just sparkles in this book.

[Anna Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy MR Rinehart's mystery/suspense books, so I was curious to see what she'd do with humor. Letitia Carberry drags her two (often protesting) gal pals from mountain hide-outs to WWI trenches in (misguided) efforts to do good, and madcap adventures ensue. Tish is something of a literary precursor to Lucille Ball, only her exasperated male relative is a nephew and Tish is much, much more willful. Many of the gags seemed dated and a bit tired, but as a light, fast read this was still fun. I have to admit, I was envisioning Tish and crew as women in their 60's, so when one character bemoans her decrepitude as a 40-something, I was taken aback! I guess we really *do* stay much healthier much longer these days...

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the Tish stories is feeding my growing conviction that Rinehart is one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. While the stories aren’t strictly mysteries, Tish is clearly the progenitor of such characters as Miss Marple and Aunt Dimity. The plots are early examples of the screwball comedies of film, as well as such writers as Thorne Smith. Recommended!

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

✔️Published in 1921.
🖊 My review: This is one of those kinds of books that surprised me, for More Tish happily turns out to be an hilarious telling of middle-aged spinster girlfriends Lizzie, Aggie, and Tish, during the heady days around the First World War years. More Tish brings laughter and subtle humor right to the forefront. I laughed at the escapades of Letitia, known by her girlfriends as "Tish" Carberry, and her girlfriends, Lizzie and Aggie, middle-aged-ish, unmarried, and unafraid of new adventures. Unlike the first book, Tish, More Tish has no illustrations. I double-checked this on the Internet Archive e-book version of the original publication.

Stories include:
THE CAVE ON THUNDER CLOUD

🔸 "Wanted: A small donkey. Must be gentle, female, and if possible answer to the name of Modestine. Address X 27, Morning News."

🔸 Tish had lifted a small rifle into position and was standing, with her feet apart, pointing it at a white target hanging by a string from a rafter. As she gave the signal. Hannah sighed, and, picking up a broomhandle, started the target to swaying, pendulum fashion; Tish followed it with the gun. I thought things had gone far enough, so I stepped into the cellar and spoke in ringing tones. "Letitia Carberry!" I said sternly. Tish pulled the trigger at that moment and the bullet went into the furnace pipe. It was absurd, of course, for Tish to blame me for it, but she turned on me in a rage. "Look what you made me do!" she snapped. "Can't a person have a moment's privacy?"

🔸 We were terribly thirsty, but none of us cared to drink from the cemetery well; in fact, the question of water bothered us all that day. . . . While we drank our tea and ate the luncheon Hannah had put up we discussed our plans. Tish's original scheme had been to follow the donkey; but as he would not move without some one ahead, leading him, this was not feasible.

🔸 "Have you ever heard of George Muldoon, generally known as Felt-hat Muldoon?" Had we? Weren't the papers full of him week after week? Wasn't it Muldoon who had brought back the communion service to my church, with nothing missing and only a dent in one of the silver pitchers? Hadn't he just sent up Tish's own Italian fruit dealer for writing blackhand letters? Wasn't he the best sheriff the county had ever had?

🔸 Hannah [Tish’s maid] brought me a cup of junket at eight o'clock, for none of us had eaten dinner.

🔸 That was all last spring. It is summer now. Tish is talking again of flowering hedgerows and country lanes, but Aggie and I do not care for the country, and the mere sight of a donkey gives me a chill.

TISH DOES HER BIT

🔸From the very beginning of the war Tish was determined to go to France. But she is a truthful woman, and her age kept her from being accepted. She refused, however, to believe that this was the reason, and blamed her rejection on Aggie and myself.

🔸"I am a meek person, Aunt Lizzie, and I like to humor whims when I can. But the next time you have a male visitor and offer him a cigarette, for the love of Mike don't tell him those brazen gilt-tipped incense things are mine."

🔸She particularly requested that Aggie should not bake a cake for the picnic, as has been her custom. "Cakes," she said, "are a reckless extravagance. In butter, eggs and flour a single chocolate layer cake could support three men at the front for two days, Lizzie," she said.

🔸I was bending over Aggie when I heard a sharp crack from above. I looked up, and Tish was lying full length on a limb, her arm out to reach for the skirt and a most terrible expression on her face. There was another crack, and our poor Tish came hurtling through the air, landing half in Aggie's lap and half in the suitcase.

🔸"Don't talk," Tish snapped. "You have all you can do without any conversation. Did you ever drive a car before?" "Not through a haystack," he said in a sulky voice.

SALVAGE

🔸 After Charlie Sands had gone to a training camp in Ohio there was a great change in Tish. She seemed for the first time to regret that she was a woman, and there were times when that wonderful poise and dignity that had always distinguished her, even under the most trying circumstances, almost deserted her.

🔸. . . when [Tish] overflows she does so thoroughly. The most ominous sign was when, in July of 1917, she stopped knitting and took up French.

🔸 Aggie had in her youth been betrothed to a gentleman in the roofing business, who had met with an unfortunate accident, owing to having slipped on a tin gutter, without overshoes, one rainy day; and it is quite true that we had all been kissed by two French generals and a man in civilian clothes who had not even been introduced to us. But up to that time we had kept the osculatory incident a profound secret.

🔸 By September Tish had had the old body removed from her automobile and an ambulance body built on. She made the drawings for it herself, and it contained many improvements over the standard makes. It contained, for instance, a cigarette lighter—not that Tish smokes, but because wounded men always do, and we knew that matches were scarce in France. It also contained an ice-water tank, a reading lamp, with a small portable library of improving books selected by our clergyman, Mr. Ostermaier, and a false bottom.

◼️ Fun fact: More Tish and Tish were the inspiration for the 1942 movie with Marjorie Main, ZaSu Pitts, Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibee, and Susan Peters called simply,“Tish.”
🟣 Media form: Kindle version.
🟢 Media form: Project Gutenberg .
🔵 Media form: Internet Archive .
🎥 Media form: Movie version - 1942.

[Sharon Weyant-Muir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and Fantastical

Being more familiar with Rinehart’s mysteries, this collection of stories took me by surprise. As I was reading them all I could think was Amelia Bedelia, a popular character in children’s books who takes everything literally and gets in some extremely funny situations. That is Tish who can’t knit or sew and who “salvages” what they need in war-torn France. Strong feelings of friendship and family shown by this trio of middle-aged ladies in early 1900’s. Great entertainment!

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🎶🔰

Another three will written British 🏰 family and friends adventure thrillers short stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Each story is stand alone and different with interesting characters, action, misdirection, and leading to the conclusion. I would recommend this novel and author to 👍 readers of novels of the early 1900s. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to Alexa read all kinds of different novels 👍🔰. I have read or listened to a number of novels by Mary Roberts Rinehart and never disappointed. 2022 👑👒

[Cindy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice plot, charming characters. Vintage mystery. Librivox narration. Recommended.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help it, I love all things Tish. I think Rinehart's humorous work far far better than her mysteries or serious writings, and the Tish stories are brimming with fun and humor.

[Laurie Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the word is whimsical. An amusing read to lighten up a bit in between more serious reads.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guffaws from first 1912 to many reprints. Rinehart exaggerates in the fine tradition of tall tales. Her chapter titles are hints. Into the absurd, we can sympathize with Charlie, who just shakes his head and chalks up another to Aunt Tish.

Lizzie tells how ringleader Tish drags her stern rule-abiding Lizzie and meek Aggie along to suppress harm from the eccentric's latest fad. She always attracts a couple whose romance has gone awry. All three are susceptible to a fine-looking gent.

First the newly trained sharpshooters are caught between famous Sheriff Muldoon and a RR bandit. Next nephew Charlie faces her as always well-meant attempts to foil his US sign-up for WW1. Then we follow the three seemingly innocent old ladies of grey hair yet "middle age" (just 50s) donating gifts eagerly accepted by a greedy colonel, for his "deserving" self.

[Mrsgaskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this while browsing in the Kindle bookstore. I always think of Mary Roberts Rhinehart as a mystery writer but this isn't a mystery. Tish is a middle-aged spinster with a talent for getting herself into escapades. Her loyal friends Aggie and Lizzie, also middle-aged spinsters, can't help getting drawn in, too. I particularly enjoyed their adventure with the donkey and the outlaws. The time is 1917 and the ladies even get to the front in France, to rescue Tish's nephew. This was quite funny. I didn't realize it was a sequel and will likely read Tish at some point.

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tish is a crazy 50-year-old with a penchant for leading her two friends into improbable and amusing adventures involving borderline judgment and the inadvertent kidnapping of various officials with a view to furthering various good causes, such as romance or justice or Art. Everything always ends up all right, always thanks to incredible good luck. This is light, fun, frothy reading perfect for when you really need a palate cleanser between more depressing works.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and improbable read from one of my favorite authors.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it completely believable that Tish, Lizzie, and Aggie could have re-captured a small French village during World War I. She is my hero!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but amusing adventures of three spinsters.

[Cynthia]

A great LOL book.