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Audiobook26 hours
Freddy and Fredericka
Written by Mark Helprin
Narrated by Robert Ian Mackenzie
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Mark Helprin’s legions of devoted readers cherish his timeless novels and short stories, which are uplifting in their conviction of the goodness and resilience of the human spirit. Freddy and Fredericka—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce - only seems like a radical departure of form, for behind the laughter, Helprin speaks of leaps of faith and second chances, courage and the primacy of love. Helprin’s latest work, an extraordinarily funny allegory about a most peculiar British royal family, is immensely mocking of contemporary monarchy and yet deeply sympathetic to the individuals caught in its lonely absurdities.
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Author
Mark Helprin
Mark Helprin is the acclaimed author of Winter's Tale, A Soldier of the Great War, The Oceans and the Stars, Freddy and Fredericka, The Pacific, Ellis Island, Memoir from Antproof Case, and numerous other works. His novels are read around the world, translated into over twenty languages.
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Reviews for Freddy and Fredericka
Rating: 3.8823529411764706 out of 5 stars
4/5
17 ratings17 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Once you grasp the authors’s frame and purpose - the ‘misconstruction’ and risky ambiguity of language, the themes of quest and hero’s journey, and the romance tradition in its original meaning - it’s an extremely enjoyable read/listen. I often found myself seized by uncontrollable giggles, and outright laughter in the middle of the night to the annoyance of the sleeping household. Highly recommended.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is my favorite book of all time! It has all the elements that an outstanding book should possess. It’s humor is delightful, it’s subject matter takes you on a beautiful journey of a lifetime and once you start reading it you find yourself stealing moments from your busy day to jump into the pages to continue the story that you can’t step away from. I’ve read it six times and every time I find something new. Winters tale was my favorite story until I read this book and now I find myself yearning for the story to continue long after I’ve finished it’s last page! What a read!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Certainly not a book for everyone, and not one I thought I would enjoy. Boy, was I wrong about enjoying it! Satirical, slapstick funny, moving on to great depths. This is a book I will keep to enjoy again in years to come.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The premise of the novel is simple and entertaining: what would happen if the prince and princess of Wales were dropped by parachute into the middle of the United States with the task of reclaiming the long lost colonies. All this so they can get a better understanding of how 'normal' human beings spend their time so that when the two eventually return to Buckingham Palace they can better rule the United Kingdom. Most of the royal family are mad, the servants are mad, the English population is mad as well as the entire contents of the United States. Thrown into all of this are Freddy and Fredericka, who are the haut cuisine of mad, there is a perfect setup for a wonderful long lasting comedy of errors. At least it could have been. Freddy is the direct successor to the throne of the British Isles and Fredericka is, well I'm sure you can picture her. Think Diana but more superficial and incredibly dumb (or so we think)After reading Winter's Tale also by Mark Helprin I was expecting a fluid and elegant tale of surprise and mischief. Instead I read a book that is predictable, riddled with stereotypical depictions (the prince gets tarred and feathered) and filled with horrible language usage. I wasn't taken aback by this, I was totally astonished. This wasn't even closely the same quality of work compared to any of his other books. Most surprisingly was the usage and insertion of small snippets of back and forth dialog that at first was interesting but after reading litanies of this same nonsense became very tiresome.Modern readers, educated by clever plots and character arcs, expect carefully crafted events and situations that for better or worse change the main character's view on the world. I'm avoiding the claim that they should also change because I don't believe in the religion of Disney. Going into this novel you might raise an eyebrow. It isn't unlikely for a descent character to become wise, it is not even unlikely for a villain to repent. But it is very unlikely for an utterly dumb character to become very intelligent all of a sudden. This is exactly what happens here. More confusingly both Freddy and Fredericka exhibit small flashes of brilliance from the very start. My guess is that this was done to soften the blow.I will definitely continue to read Mark Helprin's novels, if only to figure out if this one book was an anomaly in his oeuvre.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book was laugh out loud funny for large chunks, and was great in examining the English language. However, it was quite long and dragged at times. Overall I'd recommend it, but maybe a good vacation pick.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beautifully written and whimsical view of the British monarchy - will go down a treat with lovers of QE1 (or 2 depending on whether you're a conquered Scot or ardent Englishman). On that note the faintly jingoistic tone, which the author thought to efface through a gentle self-mockery, was the only sour note in the process. Always felt that poor Charles got a raw deal too.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5An allegory of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (Frederick and Fredericka). Story got a little too silly, with a ridiculous premise followed by a series of more ridiculous escapades.I invested over 200 pages (it was fun for awhile) before putting it down. Fortunately it was a library book so it didn't cost anything except time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Parts of this book were truly funny. (I had the feeling of being lost in a Monty Python script early on.) And underneath, there was a touching story of a princess who isn't loved as much as she deserves and a prince who needs to grow into a king. Although I love humor, at times I felt it was over-the-top and actually distracted from the real story, which, at the bottom, was more touching than funny. I am glad I read it, however, and would recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The audiobook of this was totally fricking hysterical. I wouldn't mind reading the actual book, because I'm sure I missed some of the wordplay. (Not that I don't read books, just that I usually don't go back and read books I've listened to, but this one seems particularly worthwhile and I'm fond of Helprin, who also gives good live readings, if you can call them that.)
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Very lengthly book. My attention was caught in the first few chapters but as the book went along I just lost interest. I was determined to finish the book and was pleasantly surprised by the last few chapters. If you can hang on long enough it will bring your attention back. It could have been several chapters smaller and would have been a better read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This Helprin novel lacks the magical element that made Winter's Tale so wonderful, but it has some of the same Romantic wistfulness. Freddy, the heir to the British throne, is regarded as by his parents as almost irredeemable. The situations into which he gets himself remind me more of A Confederacy of Dunces than anything else I've read: slowly developing ventures into absurdity. His parents decideto dump Freddy and his bride into the most horrible place they can think of--New Jersey--with the mission of re-conquering the colonies. The tale becomes one of personal growth on both the royals' parts, as they meet the challenge of surviving and thriving in America. The book takes on a Horatio Alger feel as they make the best of their opportunities, coming to appreciate simple things--and each other--as they make their way west. Helprin's style is relaxed (a bit slow at times, but never for long) and fits the story well. The wordplay gets a bit old by the end of the book, but is entertaining and supports the not-quite-perfect fit of the incognito royals into American society. The political parody is hilarious. The book flits between being a modern novel and a fable, and anages the balance quite nicely. My favorite read so far this year, and the first book to which I've given five stars.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really like Mark Helprins writing stye and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that it took much too long in the beginning for the two main characters to get booted out of the palace and I really became completely sick of all the double word play - I mean how many times can one listen to the another version of "Who's on First" (Abbott and Costello's famous play on words). Other than that - it was wonderful.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very amusing and often surprisingly poignant. Very British in it's use of language and Wodehouse-like humor. Has some interesting food for thought about the British monarchy and its role in the modern world, and what it means to be a king. Has the age-old theme of the transforming power of love. However, sometimes it was so ridiculously outlandish that my suspension of disbelief got skewed, and it has a tendency to ramble. Definitely some brilliant laugh out loud moments, and some poignant moments, but also some okay-is-this-over-yet moments.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a good book due to Helprin's obvious intelligence in constructing a fierce and humorous political and class satire. Freddy & Fredericka was laugh out loud funny in many parts. While not one who minds lengthy tomes, this one could have been a tad bit shorter for my liking. By the end of the 500+ pages I was a bit tired of Freddy & Fredericka, despite their charm and humorous exploits.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mark Helprin is one of my favorite writers. No matter what he writes, I love it. This book is no exception, and the writing is intelligent, witty, and creative. A fictional (but strangely familiar...) Prince and Princess of Wales have disappointed their royal family. They are parachuted into New Jersey with the task of reconquering AMerica for Britain. A fun read!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Isn't it terrible that writers with political positions diametrically opposed to your own can nevertheless spin a skillful story? Funny, assured, moving, original. The book is what might be termed "a wild ride."
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5the first chapter was amusing, the second one annoying. I left it in Nantucket, unread..