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In Brief Authority

Gelesen von Anna Simon

(4,452 Sterne; 21 Bewertungen)

Satiric comedy from 1915 about a nouveau riche British family and their nanny who get whisked off to Maerchenland ('the land of Fairy Tales') one evening in a car drawn by storks. The matron of the family, a thorough snob, is crowned Queen of the country by mistake. She is quick to accept her new position and is determined to introduce British social niceties in her realm. And this really is the land of Fairy Tales, with gnomes, giants, a dragon, magic, a fairy godmother and more. Trouble quickly starts to brew as the royal couple and their son introduce things like capitalism and golf. When gradually a few people find out who should actually have been the new ruler, things get more and more complicated. A bit of romance is thrown into this mixture as well. You'll have to listen to find out whether everyone lives happily ever after.
In the preface and epilogue, the author won't let his audience forget the troubled times in the real world, in the heat of World War I. (Summary by Anna Simon)

Proof-listeners were Rapunzelina and April Gonzales. (11 hr 13 min)

Chapters

01 - Chapter I. "The Skirts of Happy Chance"

29:44

Read by Anna Simon

02 - Chapter II. Rushing to Conclusions

25:53

Read by Anna Simon

03 - Chapter III. Fine Feathers

31:38

Read by Anna Simon

04 - Chapter IV. Crowned Heads

28:10

Read by Anna Simon

05 - Chapter V. Dignity under Difficulties

29:44

Read by Anna Simon

06 - Chapter VI. Cares of State

30:58

Read by Anna Simon

07 - Chapter VII. A Game they did not understand

28:28

Read by Anna Simon

08 - Chapter VIII. "A Steed that knows his Rider"

26:09

Read by Anna Simon

09 - Chapter IX. The Pleasures of the Table

30:12

Read by Anna Simon

10 - Chapter X. The Blonde Beast

29:39

Read by Anna Simon

11 - Chapter XI. A Way Out

30:46

Read by Anna Simon

12 - Chapter XII. Unwelcome Announcements

30:25

Read by Anna Simon

13 - Chapter XIII. What the Pigeon Said

24:48

Read by Anna Simon

14 - Chapter XIV. Bag and Baggage

34:51

Read by Anna Simon

15 - Chapter XV. "Riven with Vain Endeavour"

31:35

Read by Anna Simon

16 - Chapter XVI. "A Cloud that's Dragonish"

34:49

Read by Anna Simon

17 - Chapter XVII. The Reward of Valour

35:55

Read by Anna Simon

18 - Chapter XVIII. A Previous Engagement

28:21

Read by Anna Simon

19 - Chapter XIX. Servants of the Queen

19:07

Read by Anna Simon

20 - Chapter XX. At the End of her Tether

35:40

Read by Anna Simon

21 - Chapter XXI. "Whose Lights are fled, whose Garlands dead"

42:30

Read by Anna Simon

22 - Chapter XXII. Squaring Accounts

16:53

Read by Anna Simon

23 - Epilogue

17:18

Read by Anna Simon

Bewertungen

Light Humor

(3 Sterne)

This was just the perfect light story for my annual summer "Hide from the Heat".

Lots of Fun!

(4 Sterne)

What happens when a class-conscious, socially grasping woman is mistakenly made queen of Fairyland? Well, maybe this. The epilogue brings us crashing back to reality in the form of WWI. I think the book would have been better without it, although it did show Clarence's growing up and "making good". Reader is excellent, especially doing well at the pronunciations of the Germanic Fairyland names, since she is Dutch.

(5 Sterne)

not my usual type of book but I enjoyed it! great reader!