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Don't Tell Alfred
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
13 posts | 7 read | 5 to read
In this delightful comedy, Fannythe quietly observant narrator of Nancy Mitfords two most famous novelsfinally takes center stage. Fanny Winchamlast seen as a young woman in The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climatehas lived contentedly for years as housewife to an absent-minded Oxford don, Alfred. But her life changes overnight when her beloved Alfred is appointed English Ambassador to Paris. Soon she finds herself mixing with royalty and Rothschilds while battling her hysterical predecessor, Lady Leone, who refuses to leave the premises. When Fannys tender-hearted secretary begins filling the embassy with rescued animals and her teenage sons run away from Eton and show up with a rock star in tow, things get entirely out of hand. Gleefully sending up the antics of mid-century high society, Dont Tell Alfred is classic Mitford. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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merelybookish
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Another town (Gibson's, BC), another used book store, another stack. First time finding an Ivy Compton-Burnett out in the wild.
Now to get them home in my carry on. 🤔

Leftcoastzen Viragos!👏👏👏 2y
EvieBee Nice! I‘ve never heard of that book. Good find! 2y
batsy What an excellent stack! That ICB is on my list (all of her books are, tbh 😆) 2y
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MaureenMc 🤩 2y
merelybookish @Leftcoastzen I've been getting lucky lately! 2y
merelybookish @EvieBee She's a bit obscure. NYRB has reissued some of her novels. But was fun to find an older edition. 2y
merelybookish @batsy Thanks! I would like to read most of her novels too. 2y
EvieBee @merelybookish Oh yeah, I have several vintage editions of her books but had never heard of this one. She‘s great! 2y
merelybookish @EvieBee Apparently it's less vicious than her others. 2y
EvieBee @merelybookish LOL! She is very snarky! 2y
merelybookish @EvieBee Part of her appeal! 😁 2y
vivastory I've heard Surfacing is one of Atwood's best. Also, I was immediately kicking myself after I placed myself after I completed my NYRB Flash Sale order for not including Manservant & Maidservant! (edited) 2y
merelybookish @vivastory I read Surfacing as an undergrad and thought it was weird. 🙄 Suspect I'd like it more now. And yes, eager to read more ICB. But NYRB has so many good choices! What did you buy? 2y
vivastory I ordered Hogg"s "Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner," Segher's "The Seventh Cross," Taylor's "You'll Enjoy it When You Get There," Krzhizhanovsky's "Autobiography of a Corpse" & "Memed My Hawk" by Kemal. Pretty happy as they are all ones that have been on my TBR for awhile now. 2y
merelybookish @vivastory Wow! What a great bunch of books! So fun! 2y
59 likes16 comments
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CarolynM
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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So, I finally got to the post office, Lee😆 Thank you so much, it is really sweet of you to think of me ☺️ My only copy of this book is a ratty old paperback so I am thrilled to have such a beautiful new edition. And it‘s extra special because it‘s from my favourite bookshop. Thank you again, my friend😘

LeahBergen Ooo, what a lovely edition! 2y
erzascarletbookgasm Elegant looking edition! 2y
LeeRHarry You‘re very welcome 😊 I picked it up on the Litten bookshop crawl - happy to add to your Mitford collection 🥰 2y
jlhammar Wow, what a cover! 2y
50 likes4 comments
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CindiB
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
Bailedbailed

I had looked forward to this 3rd instalment of the Radlett‘s, but oh this is not worth my time. 1/5

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jenniferw88
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Eggs So pretty ❤️🧡💜💚💙 3y
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MaureenMc
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fanny and her family take center stage in this final book of the Radlett trilogy. She suddenly finds herself the ambassadress of France and zaniness ensues! Not my favorite of the series, but merely good Mitford is still pretty great. 😁

CarolynM ❤️ 4y
41 likes1 comment
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LeahBergen
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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I‘ve just finished the tagged book which leaves me with one more to finish for 2020 (can you see who it is? 😄).

I really enjoyed this low-key, “read books from my own damn shelves” bingo card and will definitely make myself another for 2021 (and perhaps a non fiction one, as well? 🤔).

TrishB That‘s fab 👍🏻 4y
Moray_Reads Terry Pratchett and Georgette Heyer have been my much needed light relief this year. I've definitely needed their humour and warmth and Sir Terry's sense of social justice hasn't gone amiss either! 4y
AlaMich I see a lot of comfort reads on that bingo card 😊 This was definitely the year for them! 4y
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Gissy Nice handwriting 👌 4y
emilyhaldi This is a very smart idea!! 😆 4y
rubyslippersreads I think I‘ll steal this idea for 2021. 😹 4y
LeahBergen @TrishB 😘😘 4y
LeahBergen @Moray_Reads I think much of my reading this year has been of the “comfort” variety! 4y
LeahBergen @AlaMich SO true! 😘 4y
LeahBergen @Gissy 😘😘 4y
LeahBergen @emilyhaldi @rubyslippersreads It made choosing my next read really easy! Oh, and I totally rewarded myself with a book order for every Bingo I got. 😂 (edited) 4y
catebutler This is such a great idea! And I love each of the sub categories. Also, rewarding with a book order for every BINGO is brilliant. 👏🏼 4y
Suet624 Book bingos are the best! I haven‘t done one yet, but I did the bookspin and it was so helpful in making me read some of my own books. Yours looks so darn pretty. 4y
Reviewsbylola Yours is so prettily done! 4y
74 likes14 comments
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LeahBergen
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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It feels like time for some more Mitford. 😊

Fanny, the narrator of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, is back in this one and heading to Paris.

(This is the first edition with the Cecil Beaton designed cover; isn‘t it lovely?)

LeslieO That cover is so good! 4y
Ruthiella That is a neat cover! 😍 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Indeed! ❤️ 4y
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Reviewsbylola This is one of her books I still need to read. ❤️ 4y
readordierachel You always have the prettiest books! 4y
MaureenMc I‘ve got some Mitford lined up for next month, too. 😊 4y
batsy Gorgeous! I need to read this. 4y
CarolynM I love the wicked satire on Diana Cooper in this one😆 4y
Suet624 A great photo!!! 4y
rubyslippersreads 😍😍😍 4y
Centique That cover is perfection! 4y
Cathythoughts Loving my first one ... Pursuit of Love ... 💕 4y
74 likes12 comments
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Reviewsbylola
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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I love these editions of Nancy Mitford‘s books. She‘s just so posh. 😍 #covercrush #7days7covers Day 6

LeahBergen Isn‘t she, though?? 😍 5y
LeahBergen I did a Mitford today, too 😄 5y
Dragon I love anything Mitford 👍😀🐉 5y
110 likes3 comments
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AnneCecilie
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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Pickpick

This is the third novel with Fanny as the storyteller, and it‘s quite the time jump from the previous two. Fanny and husband Alfred have 4 kids, two is finished with school while the other two are at Elton. Then Alfred is appointed the English ambassador in Paris, and Fanny and Alfred moves. The Parisian life is different from their life in Oxford.

AnneCecilie The first two novels with Fanny as the storyteller read more like companion novels. The first was 5y
Crazeedi I havent read any of her books, but I've wanted to!! 5y
Margot0817 What are these about? 5y
61 likes4 comments
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AnneCecilie
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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wanderinglynn What?!? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Who has given up buying books in America? Not me! That‘s for sure. 5y
CarolynM 😂😂😂 5y
47 likes1 stack add2 comments
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AnneCecilie
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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Next up.

My third book for #MakeMeReadIt

Centique That‘s a beautiful cover! 😍 5y
59 likes1 comment
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Reviewsbylola
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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The Mitford girls embody #spicegirls for me—smart, sassy, and well known in their day. I have read three of Nancy‘s books so far and loved all of them (The Pursuit of Love, Love in a Cold Climate, and Wigs on the Green) and one of Jessica‘s (The American Way of Death Revisited) which was also fantastic. #aprella

Cinfhen Don‘t know the three books but the covers are beautiful 😍😍😍 7y
MeganAnn These covers are gorgeous!! 😍 Where did you get them? 7y
rubyslippersreads 😍📚😍 7y
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BekahB Wow those are beautiful editions! I have The American Way of Death but I haven‘t read it yet. 7y
Melissa_J Those are so pretty! 7y
Hooked_on_books Love those covers! 7y
peacegypsy Beautiful novels. 🌺 7y
Reviewsbylola I bought them from Book Depository for @emilyhaldi for her birthday. 😂 @MeganAnn 7y
Gissy Those covers! 😱💖💖💖💖💖💖 7y
emilyhaldi Thanks for my great gift 💁🏻‍♀️ 7y
Mdargusch So pretty! The Mitford girls were definitely spicey! 7y
jillrhudy @Aimeesue a hundred thousand swoons 7y
BarbaraBB I didn‘t know there was a Jessica! 7y
Reviewsbylola Yes, she went by Decca. @barbarabb Her book is obviously a bit outdated now but still felt very relevant. 7y
Kalalalatja Lovelovelovelove those editions 😍😍😍 7y
Aimeesue @jillrhudy Those are GORGEOUS! 7y
CarolynM 💕💕💕Love these books! Great pick. Jessica's autobiography Hons and Rebels is pretty good too. 7y
Reviewsbylola Ive had that on my TBR for years and years!! @CarolynM 7y
batsy Pretty!! 7y
136 likes2 stack adds19 comments
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Reviewsbylola
Don't Tell Alfred | Nancy Mitford
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#augustofpages #pinkandgreen. These are just pulled from my main bookshelves in my living room. I was surprised at how many pink and green covers I own. Most of these are unread. See any favorites?

ReadingEnvy Two of these were on my green pile too - The Dud Avocado and The Polysyllabic Spree 8y
Reviewsbylola The Polysyllabic Spree (and really that whole series) is one of my favorites. The Dud Avocado has been on my TBR list for years. 😁 @ReadingEnvy 8y
KarenUK Love Muriel Barbary :) 8y
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ReadingEnvy @Reviewsbylola oh it's really cute and light... But also a Booker prize winner! 8y
Reviewsbylola I loved The Elegance of the Hedgehog but thought Gourmet Rhapsody was just ok. @KarenUK 8y
Reviewsbylola I will read it someday! @ReadingEnvy 8y
LeahBergen The Dud Avocado is sitting on my shelf and waiting to be read, too 8y
Reviewsbylola Glad I'm not alone!! @LeahBergen 8y
TheSpinecrackersBookClub Oooh these books look perfect together. 8y
deniselynn Loved Call Me Zelda!!! 8y
74 likes10 comments