Fun and light hearted.

This story is an old friend but the terrible accents and mispronounced words were annoying.

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Spoiled by an appalling narrator

I have read this book over and over since my youth and I was excited to find the audiobook version, but the narration is so terrible, it really ruined the whole thing. The same narrator that did hatchet job on this book also butchered Emily - mispronunciation, incorrect reading of the text, and a terrible array of accents, apart from a few acceptable Northern accents. I really don’t understand how such a terrible narration would have been released - it’s embarrassing to listen to and totally detracts from what is a great (if dated) story.

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3 people found this helpful

The Accents are hilarious!

Really if you can’t do accents, you shouldn’t try. Hilarious!! Classic Gilly Cooper, definitely of it’s time

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Great book - narrator dreadful

Couldn’t pronounce the words properly and so was often left thinking what? Appalling accents - Italian sounded like something my four year old would pronounce but the story is great - very much of its time so rather misogynistic and would be a #metoo situation now. However gotta love Jilly Cooper

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Another time, another world...

Updated review: After so few of Jilly Cooper's books recorded, we had an explosion of them, involving both the Rutshire Chronicles (for which Jilly is best known) and these, the shorter single name novels of the 70s, of which Imogen was always my favourite.
I know I keep repeating this but for anyone just searching to see if Jilly Cooper has any new books published.: These books were written a long time ago, long before Rupert Campbell-Black made any appearance. Imogen was first published in 1978, over 40 years ago so I can understand why anyone younger, hooked on the Rutshire saga, has been disconcerted if they listened to Emily, Harriet, Octavia etc.. under the impression they are new novels. They aren't and they reflect the attitudes and morals of the time.
For me, and those of my generation they are great; revisiting our youth. Matthew O'Connor, in this book, and Gareth Llewellyn in Octavia are my two favourite male characters but both are badly let down by the narration, though Matt comes out of it better than Gareth did.
For those born in the 21stC they must be very confusing - why on earth does Imogen need her parent's consent to go on holiday with friends? Why all the panic and secrecy of going on the pill? Would anyone seriously set out for the South of France and pack Lady Jacintha's moth eaten red swimsuit, donated to the church jumble sale?
It was a different time, a different world, in some ways more innocent but in other ways a lot more fun. Not the greatest of narrations, but better than that of Octavia, another of the old ‘single’ novels. Octavia was so bad I couldn’t finish it.
In this book the majority of accents and characterisation aren’t bad overall, though what should be Matt’s glorious Irish brogue wavers a lot, but a lot of basic words are mispronounced. You can accept not her knowing how to pronounce John Donne, but psalm becomes palm, Gillette becomes gilet, plus the mangling of infinite, Curate etc etc)
Still, at least I managed to listen to this one right through...

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2 people found this helpful

Always loved this book.

I mogen along with other early characters of Jillys remind me of me. Wear the wrong thing, say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing
Have read Imogen so many times I was speaking the words before the narrator.. I love it 😁

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Pronunciation matters

The story is dated - but that’s ok when it’s a product of its time. Performers really should be familiar with common words when they read, however (it’s ‘infinITEly not ‘infately’, for example and pSalm, not ‘palm’). Also with the accents they attempt. It was disconcerting for an Irish character to be sounding Brummie and Scouse in turns. If I’m doubt, it would be far better not to attempt it!

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Wonderful (narrator needed guidance)

Amazing book - Ive always adored this story it’s my favourite alongside Harriet - however the narrator was not on point and it was a bit frustrating - the biggest clanger was when Matt “spoke in fluent french” “Formidable!” in french it is NOT pronounced the same as English forMIDable good grief grrrr lol it’s for-mee-dabbler - seriously who doesn’t know that? The story is still brilliant though so don’t let the narrator put you off xxxx

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Mispronunciations

Does no one check how words are pronounced after recording?
Eg bared its teeth ...said beared not Barr.. ed
curate...cure it & not as in curating a museum.
Monkeys in Gib..Gibraltar not gibbon. Soft g.
Imo...short for Imogen...not eye mo
I won't listen to this narrator again.

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Great nostalgia but grating narration

Lovely to be reminded of this old ‘classic’ - though be prepared for some VERY dated and dodgy attitudes - sexism etc
However experience let down by some very poor and repeated mispronunciations throughout the narration - feels like there’s no production process. Shame.

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2 people found this helpful