Uncle Fred in the Springtime

By: P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: Jonathan Cecil

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Uncle Fred, or to give him his full title: Fredrick Altamont Cornwallis Twistleton, fifth Earl of Ickenham, is considered by some as a "splendid gentleman, a sportsman to his fingertips". Mr Twistleton, nephew to Earl, and otherwise known as "Pongo" to his friends, has a differing view. He simply describes his uncle as "being loopy to the tonsils". But when the eccentric and well-loved Uncle Fred plays Cupid to Lord Emsworth, his old friend at Blandings Castle, little did he know that he would be known as Impostor A and the Lord's beloved pig, the Empress, as Impostor B.

©2014 P.G. Wodehouse (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Hilarious....Jonathan Cecil succeeds all around, reading expressively and slowly....Immensely enjoyable listening." (AudioFile)

Perfection

Hilarious book, wonderful reading, great sound quality.

Zulu warriors. Private Detectives. Looney Uncles.

Uncle Fred is one of Wodehouse's most engaging characters. Uncle Fred in the Springtime is one of his best books. And Jonathan Cecil's performance is does full justice to them both.

First, there is Cecil's ability to give each character a distinctive (and appropriate) vocal portrayal. Then there is his consistency in those portrayals. Add his ability to get every nuance out of every line and you have a full hand.

But wait, there's more. This is simply one of the best books in the Wodehouse canon. Start with a plot so tangled it may take a few listens to get it fixed in your mind (fear not; this is a story and a reading that gets better with every hearing). Add those various situations--from a Zulu warrior wedged into a phone booth to a spot of indoor artillery practice--that could only happen in the world according to Wodehouse. And to top it all off, there's Uncle Fred, his jumpy nephew Pongo and the lovely, lissom Polly Pott, crashing the exclusive gates of Blandings Castle posing as...

Well, you'll just have to listen.

Added goose: unlike some of the Wodehouse offered by Audible, this recording is crystal clear.

Giggles and Guffahs

I never listen or read a book more than once, BUT this one I can't stop playing and giggling or just plain laughing at.The Duke and his egg bit is hilarious. The pig bit had me ROFLM brains out. Great read and tons of fun and laughs

Fabulous Farce to Tickle Your Funnybone!

The reading of this classic Wodehouse book is a delight! As a Wodehouse fan, I have often been disappointed by the manner in which these delightful tales have been read on audio editions. I experienced no such disappointment with this particular edition. Jonathan Cecil executes the reading superbly and displays a masterful understanding of the nuances of this farcical writing style. Cecil is quite astounding in his ability to clearly create each of the characters with his voice alone. His reading is absolutely spot-on!

The storyline is a typically convoluted Wodehouse script with the characters being lead through a maze of comical, topsy-turvy situations. No-one can describe the eccentric English aristocracy quite like Wodehouse. The characters, who dance their way through this tale of love, onion soup bars, pigs, daffy dukes, eccentric earls, agonizing aunts, private detectives and bad-tempered poets, provide many a laugh. This book is a delight from beginning to extraordinary conclusion.

So, whether you are a confirmed fan of Wodehhouse or a newcomer to this author and style, I know you will love this fabulous Audible edition of "Uncle Fred in the Springtime". Do yourself a favour and immerse yourself in the amusing world of Wodehouse.

Uncle Fred

Where does Uncle Fred in the Springtime rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Uncle Fred is my favourite Wodehouse character. Anyone that likes Wodehouse should enjoy this book.

What other book might you compare Uncle Fred in the Springtime to and why?

He appears in a few novels and short stories.

Life is never dull with "Uncle Fred".

Would you listen to Uncle Fred in the Springtime again? Why?

I would listen again, as the story is so comical and the prose delightful.

What did you like best about this story?

Witty and entertaining.

What about Jonathan Cecil’s performance did you like?

Cecil is a wonderful narrator. His seamless voice changes between characters are flawless, so that you are caught up in the story.

This book made me chuckle

What made the experience of listening to Uncle Fred in the Springtime the most enjoyable?

Jonathan Cecil brings this book to life with his many voices and expressive reading. With its twists and turns, unlikely happenings that always seem to happen in PG Wodehouse's books and the wonderful narration this book had me laughing out loud much to the consternation of my family. When I had it playing out loud I would find my husband and daughter hovering around to hear what was going to happen next.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the humour, sub plots and ridiculous situations PG Wodehouse's characters find themselves in and eventually extricate themselves from. Lots of good clean fun.

What about Jonathan Cecil’s performance did you like?

Jonathan Cecil is absolutely brilliant at bringing all the characters to life. I don't know how he keeps track of all the different voices he does!

If you could take any character from Uncle Fred in the Springtime out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would bring Uncle Fred out to dinner as he seems a charming, eccentric and fun individual.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone wanting a bit of gentle fun and a good laugh out loud.

not my favorite Blandings story

I enjoy PG Wodehouse immensely. This particular story is not my favorite. I think it's just too much of the same thing. Uncle Fred is pretending to be Roderick Glossup and he keeps running into people who know he's not Roderick Glossup and his story changes for each person.

The Roguish World of Uncle Fred

This is taken from my Goodreads review of the book: What would life be without Wodehouse? It gives one the h.j. to contemplate, if that's the word I want. In the shires of imagination, no citizen does his or her duty quite so delightfully as Uncle Fred. Springtime is the season that Wodehouse brings with him, read whenever.

wonderfully narrated Uncle Fred madness

wonderfully narrated Uncle Fred madness... PG Wodehouse poking fun at the aristocracy with a madly plotted rollicking uncle Fred Adventure - whether you've heard of Uncle Fred or not, you'll have fun

Had me laughing out loud!

Firstly I have to mention that I love all things Wodehouse. Uncle Fred in the Springtime is in fact one of my favourite Wodehouse books. I am guessing that most people who download this audio book will likewise be Wodehouse fans, so I don't have to mention the intricate plot, and indeed plots within plots, and general pig stealing shenanigans, all of this will be familiar territory to the legions of loyal fans. What I must say is terrific though, is the narration by Jonathan Cecil. He is perfect! He really becomes all those characters and his voice is somehow so completely suited to what he is reading. I look forward to downloading all the Wodehouse novels that Jonathan Cecil has narrated.

Loved it.

I laughed out loud many times. One of the best Blandings novels in my humble opinion and enhanced to the maximum by the masterly reading by Jonathan Cecil. How on earth he did all those different voices is a marvel!

Brilliant fun.

Only P G Wodehouse delivers such perfect delight. Jonathan Cecil is the ideal reader bringing every character to life.

A complete joy...

The witty prose and eccentric characters of Wodehouse brought to life in a wonderful reading by Jonathan Cecil. Guaranteed to spread sweetness and light!

Like a Shakespearean Comedy

Wodehouse at his storytelling best: a rollicking farce, set to Wodehouse's delicious language. Cecil gives a tour de force performance. His characters are beautifully realised. No one does Wodehouse like Cecil.

Brilliant.

My favourite Wodehouse well read and unabridged. It was a total joy to listen to from start to finish.

Only Jonathon Cecil

Only Johnathon Cecil interprets Wodehouse so brilliantly. The ease in which he reads those long, sometimes complicated, sentences breathes actuality of place and person. You forget you are listening and are "seeing" the characters and events

Wodehouse at his best

Jonathan Cecil’s voice is perfect for PGW. The story is, as always, ludicrous but it becomes a pure gem when read by Cecil. I loved listening to it.

Very funny

I far prefer these full length books - time for a complex set of interactions. Great light listening.

Not so witty wodehouse

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was a bit longer than the usual Wodehouse and as such the story tended to ramble and it was tricky keeping track of some of the very similar characters.

Would you ever listen to anything by P.G. Wodehouse again?

Absolutely. I have been reading and listening to Wodehouse for many years and there are many titles, especially Summer Lightning and What Ho Jeeves.

What does Jonathan Cecil bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He certainly attempts to bring the characters to life, and mostly succeeds. However the number of very similar characters as written by Wodehouse proved to be a challenge.

Did Uncle Fred in the Springtime inspire you to do anything?

It has inspired me to check the length of comic novels before purchasing. I found the character of Uncle Fred a bit flat, so will avoid him in future.

Any additional comments?

I would certainly look out for other books narrated by Jonathan Cecil.