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Corduroy Mansions cover art

Corduroy Mansions

By: Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
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Summary

From the author of the global best-seller The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency comes a brand new serial novel set in the heart of London.

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.

©2008 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2009 Hachette Digital

What listeners say about Corduroy Mansions

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Scotland Street Re-Located

I found Corduroy Mansions very enjoyable and funny, as I have read the whole of the Edinburgh set "44 Scotland Street" and the subsequent books. Well drawn characters, including (as in Scotland Street) a very intelligent dog. A mixture of the well established and confident types, mixed with the "threshhold of life" student, will they-won't they affairs and a wonderfully drawn total innocent who drives into a field and thinks the track he made is a crop circle! I hope this will become a series, as you actually begin to care about the characters!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A delight

This is a charming, witty and gentle story and Andrew Sachs reads it superbly.

I have only gone as far as 4 stars because I felt there were some loose ends not quite tied up - I think I know why but it was a just a bit dissatisfying. However, it is only very minor and I would heartily recommend the book and especially this reading.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Relaxing

This is an entertaining and gentle comedy. It bumbles along and is a relaxing listen. It's a bit like watching 'The Waltons' on TV, you can relax as you know everything will be turn out well in the end. It's what I would expect of an Alexander McCall Smith book and is beautifully narrated by Andrew Sachs.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

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

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

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

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Sorry but...

....I just can not give this any more than two stars. This is just personal preference and I would ask that anyone who is a fan of A.M. Smith consider other 'like minded' reviews. For me it was a dull observational interlaced with poor comedic moments and characters that I would not cross the road to kick. I completely understand the setting, the trials of the middle class and thought the story considered - but my god its dull. Smith is a good writer but I think he needs someone to help him deliver irony and parody as he just isn't up to it. This needed someone with a rapier wit to help the jokes and the dialogue cut and ultimately deliver what could have been a hilarious observation.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

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

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

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