An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

Alphonse Daudet - Letters from my Windmill, 07 Jun 2004
"Lettres de mon Moulin" was a book recalled from schooldays when we were required to translate it into English. This English translation not only retains the linguistic tricks, it also explains them, as used by Daudet. It has been a delight to revisit an old "friend". The book arrived in pristine condition, it seemed in no time at all.

An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

Alphonse Daudet - Letters from my Windmill, 07 Jun 2004
"Lettres de mon Moulin" was a book recalled from schooldays when we were required to translate it into English. This English translation not only retains the linguistic tricks, it also explains them, as used by Daudet. It has been a delight to revisit an old "friend". The book arrived in pristine condition, it seemed in no time at all.

Fun Fables & Vignettes of French Life, 15 Aug 2008
Daudet's short stories are rightly famous in his native France and I really enjoyed this collection, its a good investment too as it took me months to read, my bedtime treat to wander into a world of cheerfully drunk monks, vengeful mules and the amazing goat of Monsieur Seguin (which is worth tracking down and reading even if you don't bother with the full collection). Fun fables, moral tales, little vignettes of country life in a bygone age and in many ways not dated at all, this is a real treasure. Highly recommended for French improvers, or look for the English translation.

An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

Alphonse Daudet - Letters from my Windmill, 07 Jun 2004
"Lettres de mon Moulin" was a book recalled from schooldays when we were required to translate it into English. This English translation not only retains the linguistic tricks, it also explains them, as used by Daudet. It has been a delight to revisit an old "friend". The book arrived in pristine condition, it seemed in no time at all.

Fun Fables & Vignettes of French Life, 15 Aug 2008
Daudet's short stories are rightly famous in his native France and I really enjoyed this collection, its a good investment too as it took me months to read, my bedtime treat to wander into a world of cheerfully drunk monks, vengeful mules and the amazing goat of Monsieur Seguin (which is worth tracking down and reading even if you don't bother with the full collection). Fun fables, moral tales, little vignettes of country life in a bygone age and in many ways not dated at all, this is a real treasure. Highly recommended for French improvers, or look for the English translation.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

Alphonse Daudet - Letters from my Windmill, 07 Jun 2004
"Lettres de mon Moulin" was a book recalled from schooldays when we were required to translate it into English. This English translation not only retains the linguistic tricks, it also explains them, as used by Daudet. It has been a delight to revisit an old "friend". The book arrived in pristine condition, it seemed in no time at all.

Fun Fables & Vignettes of French Life, 15 Aug 2008
Daudet's short stories are rightly famous in his native France and I really enjoyed this collection, its a good investment too as it took me months to read, my bedtime treat to wander into a world of cheerfully drunk monks, vengeful mules and the amazing goat of Monsieur Seguin (which is worth tracking down and reading even if you don't bother with the full collection). Fun fables, moral tales, little vignettes of country life in a bygone age and in many ways not dated at all, this is a real treasure. Highly recommended for French improvers, or look for the English translation.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

Alphonse Daudet - Letters from my Windmill, 07 Jun 2004
"Lettres de mon Moulin" was a book recalled from schooldays when we were required to translate it into English. This English translation not only retains the linguistic tricks, it also explains them, as used by Daudet. It has been a delight to revisit an old "friend". The book arrived in pristine condition, it seemed in no time at all.

Fun Fables & Vignettes of French Life, 15 Aug 2008
Daudet's short stories are rightly famous in his native France and I really enjoyed this collection, its a good investment too as it took me months to read, my bedtime treat to wander into a world of cheerfully drunk monks, vengeful mules and the amazing goat of Monsieur Seguin (which is worth tracking down and reading even if you don't bother with the full collection). Fun fables, moral tales, little vignettes of country life in a bygone age and in many ways not dated at all, this is a real treasure. Highly recommended for French improvers, or look for the English translation.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

An absolute Joy!, 07 Aug 2008
Having seen 'Jeeves and Wooster' and been disappointed by it, I thought this would be similar - samey and slightly nauseating. However I was wrong - this audio cd is one of the most polished I have ever listened to, with good production, enunciation and a compelling narrative.

The first CD is Stephen Fry reading Daudet. Daudet is a little like a French Dickens, although with a little more charm and eccentricity. Nikolai Gogol is probably a better comparison. The stories are based around his windmill and consist of various emotions from sad (Girl Next Door) to comic (The Man with the Golden Brain). Most of the tales are light hearted and all are crammed with a certain French ethos that makes them memorable.

The second CD is Hugh Laurie reading Jerome K Jerome's 'Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'. Though I haven't read 'Three Men in a Boat' (shame on me!) I found these tales were very easy to get into and consisted of Oscar Wilde-esque observations about Love, Food and life in general. Just as Daudet is quintessentially French, so Jerome is English.
With a keen eye and a sharp wit, this CD is soothing in its empathetic spirit and leaves you calm as an Idle man on a long summer evening in Kent.

To conclude, these CD's are well worth purchasing and not just for the narration. They are perfect for a long car journey and are true treasure of their kind. If you like these, do try P.G. Wodehouse or Gogol's Petersburg tales or, better still, leave it as one of those unique Ariadnes threads to cheer a dull evening.

Alphonse Daudet - Letters from my Windmill, 07 Jun 2004
"Lettres de mon Moulin" was a book recalled from schooldays when we were required to translate it into English. This English translation not only retains the linguistic tricks, it also explains them, as used by Daudet. It has been a delight to revisit an old "friend". The book arrived in pristine condition, it seemed in no time at all.

Fun Fables & Vignettes of French Life, 15 Aug 2008
Daudet's short stories are rightly famous in his native France and I really enjoyed this collection, its a good investment too as it took me months to read, my bedtime treat to wander into a world of cheerfully drunk monks, vengeful mules and the amazing goat of Monsieur Seguin (which is worth tracking down and reading even if you don't bother with the full collection). Fun fables, moral tales, little vignettes of country life in a bygone age and in many ways not dated at all, this is a real treasure. Highly recommended for French improvers, or look for the English translation.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.

Collected Works, my eye., 25 Sep 2008
Whoever set themselves the task of collecting the works of Alphonse Daudet obviously thought it was enough to find a poem, a novella and then give up. Yet still they think it's worth twelve quid. Shockingly bad value. Mentioning in the introduction how prolific Daudet was just seems like a slap in the face.