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pedantic_reader's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
claudiavogt's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kalayk's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
extemporalli's review
2.0
Nancy Mitford needn't have given up writing fiction because this book got such a poor critical response - but at the same time though there are SOME good jokes, you can kind of see the critics' point. I actually found Alfred a little bit frustrating here and Fanny a bit, well, boring (Nancy Mitford kind of wrote herself into a corner here - Fanny is wickedly funny when observing others' mishaps, but by herself she is a little dull). I think my favourite bit is the part where Alfred surprises Fanny by saying he doesn't think the Bolter is unhappy. It was a nice, sweet little scene, in a long and supposedly contented marriage, which isn't as fun as the mishaps people get into in the other Radlett novels / which we didn't see much of anyway.
:( I AM SAD. I WANTED THIS TO BE GOOD.
:( I AM SAD. I WANTED THIS TO BE GOOD.
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bent's review against another edition
1.0
A very disappointing book. I mostly read it because I had read the first two books in the trilogy and thought that I might as well hit for the cycle. This had less substance than the two preceding it, and was by far the worst of the three. It was too light with to little intelligence. If you are going to read a Nancy Mitford, I would read Love in a Cold Climate and leave it at that. Better yet, read her sister Jessica's The American Way of Death, a truly great read.
beatitude's review
3.0
Don't Tell Alfred is the third book in Nancy Mitford's series that began with The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. Written 15 years after the first two books, it is quite a different book. The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate dealt with the 'bright young things' of the inter-war years of the 20s and 30s, satirising high society manners and concerned with the loves and foibles of upper class English families. Fanny was very much a secondary character; a narrator somewhat removed from the action. Don't Tell Alfred, by contrast, is set during the 1950s in France. Fanny takes centre stage as the now middle-aged wife of Alfred, the newly-appointed English ambassador to France. We see a lot more of her character and family, who are only passingly mentioned in the first two books. But this is 20 years on from the first two novels, and things have drastically changed in her life and the world around her.
On its own merits, Don't Tell Alfred is a decent-enough book. Mitford's awesome satirical skills are at work, with sharp and pithy commentary on the world of European cold-war politics. The characters are idiosyncratic, bizarre and endearing. The plot wanders somewhat, and Fanny is a rather insipid heroine, but the book was enjoyable enough to keep me reading.
Unfortunately, I found it impossible to read Don't Tell Alfred without comparing it to the first two novels. I felt much as I did when reading Titus Alone, the third book in Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast series. Like that book, this is a completely different novel from its predecessors, and disconcertingly bears little relationship to them. Stylistically it is very different, with less quiet reflection and more frenetic activity. Things that were merely hinted at in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate are baldly stated here. The writing is sloppier and the plot less intriguing. Mitford was never very big on plot, but the one here is episodic and not really held together by a single brilliant character, as it was in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate
Most disappointing of all, the characters are not consistent. Fanny in particular is very very different from her character in the other books. One could say that this is the passage of time I suppose, but I couldn't help feeling I was dealing with a different person altogether, one who was less insightful, clever and subtle than the narrator of the first two books. Fanny steps into the spotlight here, and it doesn't suit her. Nor does it suit Alfred, her husband. Both of them are insipid characters who fluster about and don't even seem particularly consistent within the story itself. It's hinted, for example, that Alfred was some kind of spy during the war, and is a keen political operator, and yet he makes silly blunders and seems to have no idea of what's going on in his own house. The saving graces of this novel are the young people, particularly Northey and Philip, although even they are frustrating.
Anyhow, it's an interesting enough period piece, giving a snapshot of a particular part of society in a particular era. It's funny and light-hearted and easy to read, if you avoid comparisons.
On its own merits, Don't Tell Alfred is a decent-enough book. Mitford's awesome satirical skills are at work, with sharp and pithy commentary on the world of European cold-war politics. The characters are idiosyncratic, bizarre and endearing. The plot wanders somewhat, and Fanny is a rather insipid heroine, but the book was enjoyable enough to keep me reading.
Unfortunately, I found it impossible to read Don't Tell Alfred without comparing it to the first two novels. I felt much as I did when reading Titus Alone, the third book in Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast series. Like that book, this is a completely different novel from its predecessors, and disconcertingly bears little relationship to them. Stylistically it is very different, with less quiet reflection and more frenetic activity. Things that were merely hinted at in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate are baldly stated here. The writing is sloppier and the plot less intriguing. Mitford was never very big on plot, but the one here is episodic and not really held together by a single brilliant character, as it was in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate
Most disappointing of all, the characters are not consistent. Fanny in particular is very very different from her character in the other books. One could say that this is the passage of time I suppose, but I couldn't help feeling I was dealing with a different person altogether, one who was less insightful, clever and subtle than the narrator of the first two books. Fanny steps into the spotlight here, and it doesn't suit her. Nor does it suit Alfred, her husband. Both of them are insipid characters who fluster about and don't even seem particularly consistent within the story itself. It's hinted, for example, that Alfred was some kind of spy during the war, and is a keen political operator, and yet he makes silly blunders and seems to have no idea of what's going on in his own house. The saving graces of this novel are the young people, particularly Northey and Philip, although even they are frustrating.
Anyhow, it's an interesting enough period piece, giving a snapshot of a particular part of society in a particular era. It's funny and light-hearted and easy to read, if you avoid comparisons.
garbo2garbo's review
4.0
To have Fanny at the center, rather than as the narrator, was fantastic! Poor Fanny, dealing with scandal after scandal, and the misadventures of her children - yet it was very entertaining for me!
One note, This book should be read after Pursuit of Love, Love In A Cold Climate, and The Blessing, because Mitford expects you to know a lot of characters and their/their family's histories. I can imagine that there would be confusion if the reader hadn't read the previous books first.
One note, This book should be read after Pursuit of Love, Love In A Cold Climate, and The Blessing, because Mitford expects you to know a lot of characters and their/their family's histories. I can imagine that there would be confusion if the reader hadn't read the previous books first.
blocksbiloxi's review against another edition
4.0
Not the best in the trilogy, but still some genuinely funny moments - my favourite was Uncle Matthew showing up in the taxi. I feel like this quote from Caroline O'Donoghue really nails what's wrong with it though:
The thing about him bizarrely speaking in falsetto every now and then, what the hell was that!?
My favourite terrible thing about Nancy is that she has no idea how straight, non-insane men act. She doesn't know any, or if she does, she just ignores him until she can find the nearest sister or gay man to talk to. If you’ve read her books you’ll know that the protagonist Fanny gets married to Alfred, and Nancy has no idea how to write Alfred or their marriage. It is the writer’s equivalent of playing with Barbie, making Ken say “Bye Barbie, I’m going to work now!” before just looking at him for a second and throwing him to one side.
The thing about him bizarrely speaking in falsetto every now and then, what the hell was that!?
mdwinter's review against another edition
4.0
Not as funny as Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate but still amusing, with some great characters introduced. I wish we'd seen more of Baz, but Northey was a darling. Twice a gift, received a modern edition from Lydia for Christmas 2016 and a first edition from Pista for my graduation gift.