Official Blurb
Bored with his life as a wealthy businessman's only son, Travers Gladwin learns of a plot by a renowned art burglar to rob his house, so rather than thwart the planned burglary, he borrows a police uniform from a friend and decides to confront the robber by posing as an officer. When the burglar arrives at the house, he tries to pass himself off as Travers Gladwin. From there, things only get more complicated, including the arrival of the burglar's girlfriend who believes that her beau is the wealthy man's son.
My Review
This is a comedic farce in the best tradition of such things. If you like P.G. Wodehouse's farces, then this will be right up your street.
This story does rely on a certain suspension of disbelief, the characters making somewhat odd decisions that lead to outrageous situations. This is to be expected of course otherwise there would be no farce! In fact, now I think about it, it's not just farce, characters in horror stories make odd decisions too!
The lead characters are all attractive to the listener and although perhaps not as distinct as Wodehouse's characters, they are the sort of people you'll laugh along with their antics. There are no real bad-guys in the story, even the thief is a likeable rogue.
The reader lends a voice to the story that is perfectly paced for this kind of story, he doesn't race through the comedy moments nor dawdle in between. This kind of pacing helps you keep track of things, and you need to do that in a farce.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from the Librivox
Listen to the first part
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Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Monday, 31 January 2011
Thursday, 2 September 2010
The Intrusion of Jimmy by PG Wodehouse
Official Blurb
The action begins with playboy bachelor Jimmy Pitt in New York; having fallen in love on a transatlantic liner, he befriends a small-time burglar and breaks into a police captain's house as a result of a bet. The cast of characters head to England, and from there on it is a typically Wodehousian romantic farce, set at the stately Dreever Castle, overflowing with imposters, detectives, crooks, scheming lovers and conniving aunts.
My Review
As the blurb says this story is typically Wodehousian. It's a light comedic farce, where everything can and will go wrong, people will make bad decisions and everyone is a stereotype!
I'm a fan of P.G. Wodehouse's work, its just so typically silly upper class twittery that it always makes me smirk and makes them a delight to listen to. This one is no different. As the blurb says an upper crust twit takes part in a crime to win a bet. Of course he's going to get caught and have to use some fast talking to stay out of trouble, oh and of course he'll find a girl and fall in love and not know how to talk to her.
That's it really, I cant say much more about the story, its simple light silly faire and fun to listen to.
It's read by the excellent Mark Nelson who proves here that he's not limited to just Sci Fi readings!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Find it at Librivox
Listen to the first chapter.
.
The action begins with playboy bachelor Jimmy Pitt in New York; having fallen in love on a transatlantic liner, he befriends a small-time burglar and breaks into a police captain's house as a result of a bet. The cast of characters head to England, and from there on it is a typically Wodehousian romantic farce, set at the stately Dreever Castle, overflowing with imposters, detectives, crooks, scheming lovers and conniving aunts.
My Review
As the blurb says this story is typically Wodehousian. It's a light comedic farce, where everything can and will go wrong, people will make bad decisions and everyone is a stereotype!
I'm a fan of P.G. Wodehouse's work, its just so typically silly upper class twittery that it always makes me smirk and makes them a delight to listen to. This one is no different. As the blurb says an upper crust twit takes part in a crime to win a bet. Of course he's going to get caught and have to use some fast talking to stay out of trouble, oh and of course he'll find a girl and fall in love and not know how to talk to her.
That's it really, I cant say much more about the story, its simple light silly faire and fun to listen to.
It's read by the excellent Mark Nelson who proves here that he's not limited to just Sci Fi readings!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Find it at Librivox
Listen to the first chapter.
.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Nightmare Abbey
Official Blurb
Deep in the fens of the British coast sits the gloomy mansion that goes by the name Nightmare Abbey. It is inhabited by persons of very low opinion of the human race, and in fact they pride themselves in the depths of their detestation. Others of its denizens believe the ultimate exercise and product of the human mind ought to be chaos.
Now let the young master of the house get snared by the wiles of a beautiful young lady. And for good measure, toss in another beautiful young lady. Now Scythrop (named in honor of an ancestor who became bored with life and hanged himself) is about to find that two such make too much of a good thing!
Peacock wrote Nightmare Abbey as a satire, and he has folded in allusions to or quotations from literally dozens of other works. He makes use of many long, impressive-sounding words (some of which he very possibly made up!). Ignore these and his occasional Latin phrase, treat the rest as a farce, and you’re on track for a fun listen!
My Review
It was very well read... The reader did some excellent and amusing voices... but...
It was a rather disjointed, inconsistent narrative. It brought the odd half smile to my lips, but I basicly just didn't "get it".
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to the first chapter
Deep in the fens of the British coast sits the gloomy mansion that goes by the name Nightmare Abbey. It is inhabited by persons of very low opinion of the human race, and in fact they pride themselves in the depths of their detestation. Others of its denizens believe the ultimate exercise and product of the human mind ought to be chaos.
Now let the young master of the house get snared by the wiles of a beautiful young lady. And for good measure, toss in another beautiful young lady. Now Scythrop (named in honor of an ancestor who became bored with life and hanged himself) is about to find that two such make too much of a good thing!
Peacock wrote Nightmare Abbey as a satire, and he has folded in allusions to or quotations from literally dozens of other works. He makes use of many long, impressive-sounding words (some of which he very possibly made up!). Ignore these and his occasional Latin phrase, treat the rest as a farce, and you’re on track for a fun listen!
My Review
It was very well read... The reader did some excellent and amusing voices... but...
It was a rather disjointed, inconsistent narrative. It brought the odd half smile to my lips, but I basicly just didn't "get it".
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to the first chapter
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