Reluctant to begin because of the name, curiosity win me out and it was a marvel. Half odd-couple comedy with a salty curmudgeonly old lighthouse keeper taking on a half-drowned gentleman of leisure (and the excellent chapter where a beast of a hound tears through their armistice) who agree on one thing: they hate women and want nothing to do with them ever again.

The other half is romantic comedy when two women vacation in the only house within view for miles. Both of the men are taken by one of the women for their own reasons yet must continue to stand against their own temptations and yearnings and discreetly avoid being found by the other they like one of them. They have an agreement, for the peace of their companionship. 

It is a classic with great turns, well-crafted action and set-ups, some really fun characters, and the conveniences of a lot of situations don't feel like sour surprises because the whole novel is rife with them, the conveniences and set-ups are the fun.

Happy first review! I can find nothing about the book online, and it seems there may have been a Fatty Arbuckle silent film on this book, but little information on that as well.