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gracer's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I was rather sad to come to the end of the series, but still glad I finally got to this enjoyable read.
Although still funny and entertaining, this book lacked the gravitas of the others in the series. While The Pursuit of Love obviously has a clear goal (and probable ending), and Love in a Cold Climate has its implied route that suddnely veers into the shocking, what they both really have is a perspective on a lost time, a lot of social commentary, some coming of age/girls coming into their own.
Don't Tell Alfred has none of that - well, maybe a little bit of the girls coming into their own, as our narrator is much more front and center than in the other books. But she doesn't manage to come into her own; in fact she is quite lame in the position. Really, this is a comedy of manners, more like a Wodehouse novel than the Nancy Mitford I was expecting. It has more stereotypes and cheap tricks (the adopted Chinese baby is a weak plot point and obviously the jokes and language around him are neither appealing nor amusing to the modern reader) than the others, pokes fun at the French and the Brits, and captures some interesting and entertaining individuals.
I would like to say something clever or intelligent here about how different this book is because it's set in the 1950s, but I don't have anything to add other than that I'm sure that's a big part of why the atmosphere feels so different. Maybe something about the way Mitford perceived the 50s felt less insightful, as though she didn't understand it the way she understood the interwar years. But I'm not sure if that's the case, or if it's that upper class socialites in the 50s are a less familiar culture class to me than the the landed gentry in their twilight years.
For an entertaining read, yes, this will do. But it hardly belongs next to the others two books in the series.
Although still funny and entertaining, this book lacked the gravitas of the others in the series. While The Pursuit of Love obviously has a clear goal (and probable ending), and Love in a Cold Climate has its implied route that suddnely veers into the shocking, what they both really have is a perspective on a lost time, a lot of social commentary, some coming of age/girls coming into their own.
Don't Tell Alfred has none of that - well, maybe a little bit of the girls coming into their own, as our narrator is much more front and center than in the other books. But she doesn't manage to come into her own; in fact she is quite lame in the position. Really, this is a comedy of manners, more like a Wodehouse novel than the Nancy Mitford I was expecting. It has more stereotypes and cheap tricks (the adopted Chinese baby is a weak plot point and obviously the jokes and language around him are neither appealing nor amusing to the modern reader) than the others, pokes fun at the French and the Brits, and captures some interesting and entertaining individuals.
I would like to say something clever or intelligent here about how different this book is because it's set in the 1950s, but I don't have anything to add other than that I'm sure that's a big part of why the atmosphere feels so different. Maybe something about the way Mitford perceived the 50s felt less insightful, as though she didn't understand it the way she understood the interwar years. But I'm not sure if that's the case, or if it's that upper class socialites in the 50s are a less familiar culture class to me than the the landed gentry in their twilight years.
For an entertaining read, yes, this will do. But it hardly belongs next to the others two books in the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition
4.0
Classic Mitford - frothy, frivolous and very funny, with the occasional passage of great beauty and profundity ( de Valhubert's pean to Europe's ancient glory). I enjoyed it very much, and must go back and read Love in a Cold Climate - probably in October...
marilupignetta's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
becca_at_tiffanys's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
mrswythe89's review
2.0
Eh, not as good as Love in a Cold Climate; further soured by the racism. I think the fact that this takes place in the mid-20th century makes it harder to take for me -- when it was earlier it felt more like a story in a different land, a secondary world almost, somewhere made up. This world is more recognisable as being the real world and so the frivolity is less charming.
mcscaries's review against another edition
3.0
Didn’t love it as much as the other two, a solid 2.75
lkisherwood99's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
greta322's review against another edition
5.0
Uno dei libri più spassosi letti quest’anno. Anni ‘50, ambasciata inglese a Parigi. Fanny si trova a gestire la giovane segretaria, Northey, che mette in subbuglio l’intera ambasciata con la sua caravana di spasimanti, ma soprattutto i figli diventati alfieri della rivoluzione. Rifiutano i lavori tradizionali, si danno allo zen e sono insofferenti verso la vita agiata e borghese dei genitori.
Ironia tagliente dentro dialoghi dal ritmo incalzante.
https://youtu.be/dE9LS00O-jU
Ironia tagliente dentro dialoghi dal ritmo incalzante.
https://youtu.be/dE9LS00O-jU
mg_libros's review against another edition
5.0
36/2022 Qué buena idea tuvimos con este plan de leernos a las Mitford en 2022.
Con este terminamos la trilogía de esta familia, en la que el hilo conductor es Fanny que POR FIN es la protagonista de la historia.
Aquí se nota mucho que Nancy Mitford quería hablar de la vida en París y mira, qué cosas y qué suerte, que de repente nombran a Alfred, el marido de Fanny, embajador en París y para allá que se van.
Es todo tronchante, desde la negativa de la mujer del anterior embajador a marcharse, a la visita de los hijos de Fanny y Alfred. Northey es una especie de Linda, algo descafeinada, pero con esa despreocupación por la vida…
Con este terminamos la trilogía de esta familia, en la que el hilo conductor es Fanny que POR FIN es la protagonista de la historia.
Aquí se nota mucho que Nancy Mitford quería hablar de la vida en París y mira, qué cosas y qué suerte, que de repente nombran a Alfred, el marido de Fanny, embajador en París y para allá que se van.
Es todo tronchante, desde la negativa de la mujer del anterior embajador a marcharse, a la visita de los hijos de Fanny y Alfred. Northey es una especie de Linda, algo descafeinada, pero con esa despreocupación por la vida…