Mark Helprins legions of devoted readers cherish his timeless novels and short stories, which are uplifting in their conviction of the goodness and resilience of the human spirit. Freddy and Frederickaa brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farceonly seems like a radical departure of form, for behind the laughter, Helprin speaks of leaps of faith and second chances, courage and the primacy of love. Helprins latest work, an extraordinarily funny allegory about a most... (show more)
Mark Helprins legions of devoted readers cherish his timeless novels and short stories, which are uplifting in their conviction of the goodness and resilience of the human spirit. Freddy and Frederickaa brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farceonly seems like a radical departure of form, for behind the laughter, Helprin speaks of leaps of faith and second chances, courage and the primacy of love. Helprins latest work, an extraordinarily funny allegory about a most peculiar British royal family, is immensely mocking of contemporary monarchy and yet deeply sympathetic to the individuals caught in its lonely absurdities. BACKCOVER: With a pitch-perfect sense of the absurd . . . he has produced a delightful romp of a book.
Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Freddy and Fredericka recalls American journeys of self-discovery by Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac. . . . I promise you, this will be one of the fastest . . . novels youll ever read.
Los Angeles Times
A rollicking, heartwarming examination of the state of the nation . . . Working his own magic, Helprin transforms the thinly veiled satire of the monarchy into a quirky love song to the colonies.
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I just finished reading Freddy and Fredericka for the second time. Definitely the best book I've read in the last few years. Helprin's most awkwa... (show more)
I just finished reading Freddy and Fredericka for the second time. Definitely the best book I've read in the last few years. Helprin's most awkward sentence is more beautifully put together than anything I've ever written. And the book is just as funny and just as touching as the first time. (show less)
I am a great fan of Mark Halperin. I loved "Winters Tale" which was a lyrical, often beautiful fantasy, and "Soldier of the Great War" which I foun... (show more)
I am a great fan of Mark Halperin. I loved "Winters Tale" which was a lyrical, often beautiful fantasy, and "Soldier of the Great War" which I found a moving evocation of love, life and war. So it is with real regret that I have to report that this latest book is nothing but childish balderdash.
Yes I know it comes festooned with praise but someone has to say that the emperor has no clothes. How utterly sad to see a talented writer waste his considerable gifts on this.
The humor is below 3rd grade level, to the extent that we are invited to chuckle about a character called Pha-Kew and a dog called Taxi. I also found the book in very poor taste. The characters are obviously based on Prince Charles and Princess Diana. In view of her tragic end, mocking her alleged brainlessness and devotion to fashion seems perculiarly unamusing.
To be effecttive, satire has to be based on some element of truth. I'm not sure what is being mocked here -- Britain or America or both -- but after 500 increasingly tiresome pages I ended the book wondering what it was all about and why the author wrote it.
The royal pair are parachuted into New Jersey wearing something called 'hracneets' -- bikini-like garments. Just the word itself tells you all you need to know. If you find this kind of stuff funny, then Pha-Kew! (show less)
An absurd, too-long story that is nonetheless difficult to put down. Helprin would have done well to make use of an editor as there was simply no need for five hundred plus pages of fine print. The story veers off course repeatedly, leaving you to sigh with frustration; but perhaps, as this novel is a love letter to America, itself gargantuan and meandering and which no doubt makes you do the same thing, this was Helprin's intention. It's true that there are many laugh-out-loud moments, pa... (show more)
An absurd, too-long story that is nonetheless difficult to put down. Helprin would have done well to make use of an editor as there was simply no need for five hundred plus pages of fine print. The story veers off course repeatedly, leaving you to sigh with frustration; but perhaps, as this novel is a love letter to America, itself gargantuan and meandering and which no doubt makes you do the same thing, this was Helprin's intention. It's true that there are many laugh-out-loud moments, particularly in the beginning as the story's whimsy surprises you, but there are also far too many tiresome and contrived "who's on first" routines that only detract from the story. While uneven and unruly, the novel's still worthwhile. (show less)
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the start was a little slow which belied the cadence that it developed into after the first one hundred pages through the finish. clever and amusing. it's my greatest joy to add another author to my list of favorites. now i want to consume everything that halprin has written, and i think i'll continue with winter's tale, well, right after lebovitz. a girl needs a regular dose of paris, after all!
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