Perfection

Hilarious book, wonderful reading, great sound quality.

13 people found this helpful

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.

10 people found this helpful

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

8 people found this helpful

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.

7 people found this helpful

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.

3 people found this helpful

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.

3 people found this helpful

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.

2 people found this helpful

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.

1 person found this helpful

Food for a sense of humor

The plot is ridiculous of course but that’s why it is such fun. The characters make the story hilarious and the romances are not lame or hackneyed. Cecil is brilliant as usual.

Delightful.

Jonathan Cecil, as usual, brings his talent to bear on this brilliant book. Delightful and humorous.