Don't Tell Alfred

So Fanny muses to herself as she sips a sherry at the Ritz. She has been transformed from a school girl in the "hons closet", to a mother of four, to the cosmopolitan hostess in the embassy to France. Of course, while she is the hostess to politicians and society, her family continues to appear in her life. In fact one of the funniest scenes is when her son David appears at an embassy formal dinner in dressed for a religious pilgrimage to the China. With him he brings his adopted son and his wife, all dressed in soiled clothing and unkempt hair. There is a former diplomat's wife who refuses to leave the embassy and holds parties in her bedroom until she is vanquished with the vague threat of people not being invited to the "event". Pretty Mildred Jungfleisch appears in an unabashed character based on the real life Susan Alsop, a woman who insists on knowing all the facts she can muster. Her secretary is a niece who has borrowed her salary through the next year and often begs Fanny to take care of her duties.Mitford makes fun of everyone in this novel. She comments on the Americans who are " mad and ill and frightened. They are fighting to express themselves in a language they've never properly learned." She finds the English stodgy, the French flighty. The setting is is the post war 1950's. While the labels for gay men are antiquated, she bucks the trend of her times of bigotry and finds their sexual life unimportant to their life at parties. She will often silence a guest holding forth in judgment about anyone with the comment, "that isn't said anymore." Fanny finds everyone with aspirations of unkindness ridiculous and comments to us frequently.I find the characters delightful. I do not think the political jokes to be obscure. The writing is light and frothy, but still a commentary on her time. The book passes a winter's day delightfully. Mitford takes us to a world of parties, social debacles, and family oddities. Who doesn't sigh at times at the long time we must cope with life? Why not sigh with irreverent Nancy Mitford?

While this is an engaging read, somehow the characters don't come to life in your mind like those in The Pursuit of Love or Love in a Cold Climate, Mitford's previous books with the same narrator. I highly recommend reading those two and only moving on to Don't Tell Alfred if they capture your imagination enough to want to find out something of the characters' destinies a few years down the road.On the other hand, Mitford's writing sparkles, as ever, as the finest champagne. Mitford Girls fans will definitely enjoy the final Radlett installment while i would encourage others to read them in order of publication.

This book was so beautifully wrapped for a used read, that had no markings whatsoever, giving the best impression of being new.It came fast too, a grace to be sure, during this challenging time.Very grateful to the seller, I highly recommend.

Continental education to appreciate. Extra fortunate I'm reading it while en vacance en France. Delightfully sharp reflections on Americans, as only a British snob can carve into this pavlova of historical humorous fiction. Very entertaining.

This is the third book of the trilogy. It isn't as funny as the other two, and the only real life person in it is the uncle, who comes in at the end for one small scene, then leaves again. These characters are not as endearing as those in the first two books, and the family of the narrator are not likable. The humor in this one tends towards the absurd, and Nancy Mitford doesn't have insight into the "younger" generation the way she did into her own. It is not necessary to read this one after you've read the other two unless you are a purist who wants to finish the trilogy.

I enjoyed this book, but it has to be viewed in context. Readers not familiar with Nancy Mitford or the rest of the background will find the story dated, the characters confusing and much of the satire meaningless. It really is a prerequisite to read Pursuit of Love/Love in a Cold Climate, where most of the characters are first introduced. There have been two excellent productions of this work on PBS, one in the 1980s and one about two years ago. The book was written and takes place about 1955 in Paris, i.e., fifty years ago, so if one doesn't know or isnt willing to look up the political and social background, one also wont get much of the story. Fashions of the time play a role, with one of Fanny's sons being a "Teddy Boy" (I had to look this up on the web). French and English slang has to be viewed in the context of the 1950s. There was no European Union, or even a Common Market yet. Communism and the Cold War were in full swing.With all that warning, the writing is good and a lot of ridiculously funny situations occur. If you're a Mitford fan and an Alconleigh family fan, this will come off as a good period piece. But dont make it your first Mitford.

While this book was written quite a while ago, and times have changed considerably, it was still an interesting look into the age, and very funny at the same time. I'm looking forward to reading more from Nancy Mitford.

Such fun to read. I felt as though I were watching a black and white film with Myrna Lot and William Powell. Pick an actress for Northy... Perhaps a young Kathryn Hepburn. It would translate well to a madcap film.

If you enjoyed 'the Pursuit of Love' and 'Love in a Cold Climate' this is surely worth a read, as we meet many familiar characters this time in a Parisian setting. Alfred is the new Ambassador and Fanny a witty narrator as she contends with her new role mixing with high society, chronicling political intrigues, dealing with recalcitrant teenagers and various eccentric goings on. Written in her inimitable light, comic style, this is Mitford entertainment which keeps the pages moving.

I read the two previous books: Love in a cold climate, and, Pursuit of love, both great because based on the authors life. This book is not as good, because seems a selection of ideas just stuck together. She knows France well as she lived there and, if you don't speak French the peppard phrases could be a problem. Entertaining in that it it gives you a real flavour of the late fifties.

To have Fanny at the center, rather than as the narrator, was fantastic! Poor Fanny, dealing with scandal after scandal, and the misadventures of her children - yet it was very entertaining for me!One note, This book should be read after Pursuit of Love, Love In A Cold Climate, and The Blessing, because Mitford expects you to know a lot of characters and their/their family's histories. I can imagine that there would be confusion if the reader hadn't read the previous books first.

Well up to Nancy Mitford's outstanding writing talent.

I love Nancy Mitford's writing, and this little novel did not disappoint.