Nykypäivien maantieritari
by Berta Ruck

Buy a Printed Edition
The romance of the Oxford colleges by Francis Henry Gribble is a historical account written in the early 20th century. However, the text provided reads like a lively, contemporary romance-comedy that follows a chivalrous young motorist, Archie Laverock, whose impulsive rescue of a seemingly distressed girl pulls him into the orbit of Lucy Joy, a rising film star, hinting at a witty tale of celebrity, class, and courtship.
The opening of the narrative shows Archie, newly weary of romance, driving through Surrey when he witnesses a man on a motorcycle roughly eject a girl from a sidecar; Archie intervenes, only to learn the “assault” was a scene being filmed. The girl reveals herself as Lucy Joy, a much-hyped beauty-contest winner turned film ingénue, and takes Archie home to her exuberant family—devoted mother, stylish aunt, irrepressible teen brother, and a menagerie—where her charmed, chaotic life and steady stream of powerful older admirers are on full display. Archie is both captivated and put off as a quartet of well-placed gentlemen whisk Lucy away, prompting his prickly reflections on privilege and age. Soon after, Lucy’s brother invites Archie to a woodland picnic that proves awkward: an ill-tempered admiral dampens the mood while Lucy and Archie circle each other warily, their mutual curiosity complicated by fame, family, and social dynamics. (This is an automatically generated summary.)