Don't Tell Alfred

Radlett and Montdore Trilogy Series, Book 3

De: Nancy Mitford

Narrado por: Adjoa Andoh

In this delightful comedy, Fanny - the quietly observant narrator of Nancy Mitford's two most famous novels - finally takes center stage.

Fanny Wincham - last seen as a young woman in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate - has lived contentedly for years as housewife to an absent-minded Oxford don, Alfred. But her life changes overnight when her beloved Alfred is appointed English Ambassador to Paris.

Soon she finds herself mixing with royalty and Rothschilds while battling her hysterical predecessor, Lady Leone, who refuses to leave the premises. When Fanny's tender-hearted secretary begins filling the embassy with rescued animals and her teenage sons run away from Eton and show up with a rock star in tow, things get entirely out of hand. Gleefully sending up the antics of mid-century high society, Don't Tell Alfred is classic Mitford.

©1960 Nancy Mitford (P)2021 Tantor

Narration could have been better

I have to agree with another reviewer that the narrator is hard to understand when she puts on a French accent. That made quite a bit bit of the book unintelligible. And while her normal voice is quite pleasant, the high pitched squeak she uses for Northey was SO grating and the plodding slow way of talking she uses for both Alfred and any Americans was just odd. Ended up getting the book from the library to figure out what was happening.

Overacting with narration makes it unbearable

Mitford’s comedy is more subtle than the overwrought performance by the narrator. The different put-on accents are grating, all of which might be tolerable if Fanny was played with her differentiating level-headedness and self awareness. It’s hard to separate out the story from the performance, but the delivery makes her silly and unintelligent. Couldn’t finish. Have enjoyed a couple of the performers other audiobooks.

Problems in understanding

I wanted to love it, having greatly enjoyed the other novels in the series. whether due to the story itself or by reader, can't say I enjoyed this one.

Taking place in France, part of the novel featured characters who either had a French accent or who were pretending to know more French than they had. These passages were read employing the mix, and were difficult to follow with only audio.

I will note my ear adapts readily to most accents, so I'm not sure if it was the reading or the writing. Either way it made the second half of the book tedious, and I was rather glad it was over. I may try to catch it in print, was looking forward to hearing more stories in the lives of this character.

Voices

Rather unpleasant voices. Almost incomprehensible French accent and too much of it. I had to stop listening to this book.