Seven Against Reeves: A Comedy-Farce by Richard Aldington. Short summary

5 seconds

Mr. Reeves leaves work to enjoy a well-deserved vacation. His wife insists on visiting high society. As a result, the hero finds himself in debt and has to go back to work.

1 minute

John Reeves always did what he was told, not what he wanted. He worked in the City so he could give his children an education and his spouse could run the household. Because of his job, he had a place to bring a friend to have a glass of port with him.

When the man turned 50, he decided to retire and take a well-deserved rest. His wife, Mrs. Reeves sympathized with her husband and wanted him to spend all his free time in high society.

The woman surrounds him with dignitaries and attends dinner parties with him. Together the spouses go to visit patrons and their protégés, learn the beauty in good company. Gradually they are immersed in bohemian life, taking its representatives for high society.

In reality, this society is filled with farce and manipulation. The elite tries to trick Mr. Reeves into thinking he’s a rich man and sucks a lot of money out of him. After that, the man decides to quit visiting high society and returns to the City to cover his accumulated debts.