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Summer Lightning
- Narrated by: John Wells
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
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The Collected Blandings Short Stories. Blandings Castle is the home of Lord Emsworth, who likes nothing better than to potter at home in his enormous castle garden. But his rural idyll is once again set to be disturbed in these nine hilarious fables. No peace is possible when his sister Constance is let loose, and she is constantly trying to reorganise the household and its inhabitants! Without great success…
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These have a few minor abridgements
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This title includes not only the entire audiobook of Right Ho, Jeeves, but also all of the P.G. Wodehouse titles in the current Classic Tales library. It also includes a Jeeves short story only available in the collection: "Extricating Young Gussie". The complete running time is over 15 hours. All titles have been remastered, and have never sounded better!
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Publisher's Summary
While Blandings Castle sleeps in the summer sun, the Hon. Galahad Threepwood, brother of the Earl of Emsworth, is busily engaged in writing his Reminiscences, and they look set to be as warm as the weather, if not warmer. For Galahad has led a thoroughly misspent life, and his acquaintances can all too easily recall their past follies in his company.
Reputations are at stake and even the nobility and gentry are beginning to panic. And while various attempts are made to prevent his stories seeing the light of day, none are more curious than the sensational kidnapping of Lord Emsworth’s prize-winning sow, the Empress of Blandings...
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What listeners say about Summer Lightning
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mark Kettlewell
- 05-18-19
Great Story but frustrating performance
I'm giving up on the story halfway through because the performance is so irritating. The narrator narration is unnatural and soporific. He makes a great try at voice acting but overdoes it to the point that it sounds totally contrived and sometimes difficult to understand. Lord Emsworth, after listening to previous books in the Blandings series, all of a sudden sounds like a woman - as do a couple of other men. It is not that John Wells is incapable of male voices, he does them well. But applying women's voices to men and overdoing the accents creates the uncanny valley that is so off-putting and leading me to return the book halfway in.
2 people found this helpful
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- jane
- 04-18-16
Not good enough to continue listening.
Well, this audiobook proves that a narrator can make or break a story. I am a big fan of Wodehouse and I feel like I would have enjoyed this novel, but now I can't even bring myself to read the book because I keep hearing the narrator's version, pedantic and difficult. Listening to this took more effort than it took for the narrator to read it.
4 people found this helpful
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- Nora G. O'Donnell
- 06-30-19
Too hilarious
It is Monty Python without the visuals. John Wells’ voices for the characters are perfect.
1 person found this helpful
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- Martin
- 06-29-12
Painfully Funny
In an earlier review I described Jonathan Cecil as the best Wodehouse narrator, but John Wells is every bit as good in Summer Lightning, sadly the only one he has recorded, as far as I know. Every character is perfect and this is Wodehouse at his best, side-splitting.
1 person found this helpful
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- Chad
- 11-15-20
Another enjoyable Wodehouse work
This is set in the Jeeves universe, but does not involve Bertie Wooster or Jeeves. Instead of a series of short stories, it's a novel that sets up, as usual, a complicated set of relationships and unlikely occurrences that somehow all resolve in the end, with humorous events and clever writing. Recommended!
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- LMertz
- 01-01-17
Best Narrator Ever!
Another wacky Wodhouse story with a resourceful butler, bullying aunts, and clueless young blue bloods trying to marry. This narrator John Wells is a master of comedic voices, making me laugh out loud as much at his inflections, accents, and characterizations as at Wodehouse's witticisms and plot twists. Lots of fun.
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- Karen R. Coultas
- 05-08-16
Narration is wonderful!
This story is very similar to another about "The emperess of Blandings Castle", but the narration is excellent! Very enjoyable
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- Kathryn
- 05-07-16
Lightning strikes again thanks to Wodehouse!
Galahad's memoirs are the big threat and the big draw of this story. You need to get through the first few chapters where the characters are introduced to be able to fully enjoy the plot in full swing. Well worth the time at the front end for the marvelous pay off from the middle to the end.
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- schiff
- 01-29-16
John Wells Gives a Fantastic Play
Story is your classic Wodehouse noblesse chikanry at its best - what makes this production rise above others is John Wells' peerless performance - double excellent and simply delicious!
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- Quilter
- 05-23-19
Summer Lightning
PGW is a genius as any fule kno.
What sets this version apart is the variety and aptness of the voices that John Wells brings to the characterisation. Best Wodehouse narrator I have found so far.
4 people found this helpful
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- Arnfinn Rong
- 08-02-18
THE BEST WODEHOUSE BOOK! JOHN WELLS IS WONDERFUL!
The best Wodehouse book after Leave It To Psmith and Right-Ho, Jeeves. John Wells is WONDERFUL! HE SHOULD READ ALL BLANDINGS BOOKS!
3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 01-14-21
Haven't laughed this much in ten years!
It took a chapter or so before I got used to the narrator, but once I did I very much enjoyed his interpretation of the characters! Along with Wodehouse's sparkling wit it was really the best read I've had in many years. "It was probably the pig that started it." 😂
2 people found this helpful
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- Unsy
- 04-14-20
Most amusing story, very well read
This novel was written in 1929 and features aristocracy similar to that of "Dowton Abbey". The characters are not complex, and nor is the plot, but it is pleasant to listen to this light-hearted fun. It is typical of the P.G.Wodehouse books and I would recommend the "Blanding Castle" stories to anyone who doesn't take life too seriously.
2 people found this helpful
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- Brooksies
- 09-23-19
Lighthearted fun
I'm a big fan of P.G.Wodehouse and this book did not dissapoint. There's the usual mix-ups and romantic entanglements. This book is not read by Jonathan Cecil like a lot of the other audible books, but I really enjoyed the narrator too. Perfect lighthearted entertainment.
2 people found this helpful
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- Dr. R. Brompton
- 07-20-16
Hurrah for Galahad!
This Blandings Castle story is a sunlit delight from beginning to end. The narration is good but it is really the excellent writing of Wodehouse himself that is the star here. It is great to listen to on a warm Summer's day or in the depths of winter when you need to be cheered up. A complete tonic.
2 people found this helpful
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- Nicola
- 01-22-21
Great story
The usual funny convoluted brilliant story. Personally I didn’t like the narrator - too many silly voices.
1 person found this helpful
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- P. Kirby
- 01-11-21
A real treat
PGW at his very best, and no one can do it justice like John Wells. Highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jenny B
- 09-28-20
Thoroughly enjoyed - volume a little too quiet
Enjoyed the book and performance very much but found it too quiet to listen to while doing other things
1 person found this helpful
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- Dawn Martin
- 08-18-20
First Class Wodehouse.
Wonderfully convoluted plot, sympathetic and savvy heroine, a fizzing Gally on top mischief making form and the case of the vanishing Empress.
1 person found this helpful
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- Rita
- 03-02-19
A cleverly written story
If you like good English, an unpredictable story and comedy this is a book for you. Just brilliant!