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Corduroy Mansions
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
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Corduroy Mansions
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Summary
Corduroy Mansions is the affectionate nickname given to a genteelly crumbling mansion block in London's vibrant Pimlico. This is the home patch of - among others - a lovelorn literary agent, possibly the first ever nasty Liberal Democrat MP and Freddie de la Hay, an urbane terrier trained to be vegetarian and respectful of feline rights.
Loafers, wine merchants, vitamin evangelists, and the occasional psychoanalyst pass each other on the stairs of this delightful metropolitan des res. With his trademark wit, charm and lightness of touch, Alexander McCall Smith introduces a colourful cast of characters, full of the life, laughter and humanity so beloved in his writing.
What listeners say about Corduroy Mansions
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cassandra Watts
- 21-10-17
Gentle
Very gentle story, little bits of silliness which make it relatable. A relaxing listen, ideal for bedtime :-)
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Steve_Morris
- 13-10-14
Edinburgh is better
Would you consider the audio edition of Corduroy Mansions to be better than the print version?
I love the Scotland Street series, so I was looking forward to something else in the same genre. But somehow I didn't warm to the characters of Corduroy Mansions as much as their Scottish counterparts. It may be that I don't like London life as much as life in a provincial city. Nothing wrong with the style and format, and well read by Andrew Sachs, but not just quite so good for me.
Would you be willing to try another book from Alexander McCall Smith? Why or why not?
Yes I have read many of his books. I sometimes find the philosophising irritating, especially in the Isolbe Dalhousie novels.
Which character – as performed by Andrew Sachs – was your favourite?
The dreamy Morris Minor driving brother.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It made me smile at times.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Vivien
- 08-08-09
Like chocolate for the ears.
Aaaaah. Just relax and enjoy this novel. If you have read any of the 44 Scotland Street novels, you will know what to expect plot-wise - an array of characters all with (fairly minor and often amusing) problems. But the best bit for me was Andrew Sachs' narration. Remember the ad for a famous food store that featured a chocolate pudding with melted chocolate oozing out ('This is not just a chocolate pudding...')? Remember how it made you feel (apart from hungry!)? Well, that's the effect Andrew Sachs' voice has. Your muscles relax, the stresses of the day float away. if you want a relaxing, undemanding, amusing listen; download this one.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Jean
- 24-03-10
A Lovely Listen
What a lovely listen - gentle, entertaining but insightful. And another wonderful dog with his patient, trusting, long-suffering human relationships.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 13-06-21
What a let down after the Scotland Street series.
This is really disappointing. Boring story, the narration doesn't improve the experience. Most unexpected after the other books by this author.
In addition the sound in jumpy and scratchy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-07-19
Sach’s is melodic.
Humorous, whimsical, warm and entertaining. Good characterisation , grew fond of Characters. Addictive listening thanks to Sachs. Gentle but thought provoking.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Leigh
- 11-01-18
But what happened to ...?
The master of cliff hangers! But how I long to know what has happened to all the different characters. How about a book which follows ONLY one character, Bertie or Isobel or Freddie. Brilliant stories but also calming listening in bed at the end of a busy day. Sends one to sleep with a smile.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 16-04-11
Wonderfully whimsical
I'd never really been interested in listening to Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies' Detective Agency novels, but had heard his Portuguese Irregular Verbs, which I had enjoyed. I then came across Corduroy Mansions, and found the whole thing immensely comfortable, witty, erudite and thoroughly British in its sense of whimsy. Superbly drawn characters equally superbly brought to life by Andrew Sachs, who is the perfect reader for this warm and charming book, somehow as familiar as a well worn pair of carpet slippers.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Simon
- 05-10-09
Disappointed
I found this a little dull. I kept waiting for something big to happen but eventually realised that it wasn't going to. Maybe that just makes me shallow?
It's well written with some very good descriptive passages and some perceptive observations of human nature but if you're looking for "gripping" or "enthralling" then look elsewhere.
For me, the true measure of a good Audiobook is how slowly I drive to work and back home. This one did nothing for my contribution towards road safety.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Trisha
- 28-10-22
Great narration
Great narration but for me this was just too slow and I gave up a few chapters in as it didn’t hold my interest.
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1 person found this helpful