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Summary

Uncle Fred is one of the hottest earls who ever donned a coronet. Or as he crisply puts it, 'There are no limits, literally none, to what I can achieve in the springtime.'

Even so, his gifts are stretched to the limit when he is urged by Lord Emsworth to save his prize pig, the Empress of Blandings, from the enforced slimming cure of the haughty Duke of Dunstable. Pongo Twistleton knows his debonair but wild uncle shouldn't really be allowed at large - especially when disguised as a brain surgeon. He fears the worst. And in yet another brilliant novel by the master of English comedy, Pongo will soon find his fears are amply justified.

©2014 P.G. Wodehouse (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Hilarious....Jonathan Cecil succeeds all around, reading expressively and slowly....Immensely enjoyable listening." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about Uncle Fred in the Springtime

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Had me laughing out loud!

Firstly I have to mention that I love all things Wodehouse. Uncle Fred in the Springtime is in fact one of my favourite Wodehouse books. I am guessing that most people who download this audio book will likewise be Wodehouse fans, so I don't have to mention the intricate plot, and indeed plots within plots, and general pig stealing shenanigans, all of this will be familiar territory to the legions of loyal fans. What I must say is terrific though, is the narration by Jonathan Cecil. He is perfect! He really becomes all those characters and his voice is somehow so completely suited to what he is reading. I look forward to downloading all the Wodehouse novels that Jonathan Cecil has narrated.

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11 people found this helpful

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

Only Jonathon Cecil

Only Johnathon Cecil interprets Wodehouse so brilliantly. The ease in which he reads those long, sometimes complicated, sentences breathes actuality of place and person. You forget you are listening and are "seeing" the characters and events

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8 people found this helpful

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

Loved it.

I laughed out loud many times. One of the best Blandings novels in my humble opinion and enhanced to the maximum by the masterly reading by Jonathan Cecil. How on earth he did all those different voices is a marvel!

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5 people found this helpful

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

Like a Shakespearean Comedy

Wodehouse at his storytelling best: a rollicking farce, set to Wodehouse's delicious language. Cecil gives a tour de force performance. His characters are beautifully realised. No one does Wodehouse like Cecil.

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3 people found this helpful

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

Brilliant.

My favourite Wodehouse well read and unabridged. It was a total joy to listen to from start to finish.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A complete joy...

The witty prose and eccentric characters of Wodehouse brought to life in a wonderful reading by Jonathan Cecil. Guaranteed to spread sweetness and light!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very funny

I far prefer these full length books - time for a complex set of interactions. Great light listening.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant fun.

Only P G Wodehouse delivers such perfect delight. Jonathan Cecil is the ideal reader bringing every character to life.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Not so witty wodehouse

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was a bit longer than the usual Wodehouse and as such the story tended to ramble and it was tricky keeping track of some of the very similar characters.

Would you ever listen to anything by P.G. Wodehouse again?

Absolutely. I have been reading and listening to Wodehouse for many years and there are many titles, especially Summer Lightning and What Ho Jeeves.

What does Jonathan Cecil bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He certainly attempts to bring the characters to life, and mostly succeeds. However the number of very similar characters as written by Wodehouse proved to be a challenge.

Did Uncle Fred in the Springtime inspire you to do anything?

It has inspired me to check the length of comic novels before purchasing. I found the character of Uncle Fred a bit flat, so will avoid him in future.

Any additional comments?

I would certainly look out for other books narrated by Jonathan Cecil.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Always enjoyable

The star of this is Jonathan Cecil. In a complicated story he voices each character so well that you could be watching a play.

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