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  <title><![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[Mark Helprin's picaresque romp, <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em>, begins with a secret rite on a Scottish hillside: the Prince of Wales, poised in his crisp field uniform, urges a falcon named Craig-Vyvyan to fly from his arm.  The latest in a line of royal falcons with the ability to discern true kings and queens, Craig-Vyvyan sniffs the air, sizes up the bewildered heir to the throne, and refuses to budge.  The falcon knows he isn't king-material, and so does the falconer, and so, in his heart of heart's, does the Prince of Wales. From this promising opening, Helprin spins a tale that ricochets in tone between the silliness of <em>The Naked Gun</em> movies and the gravity of a Wesleyan sermon. To prove their worth and prepare them to rule, the Prince and Princess of Wales--loose caricatures of Charles and Diana--are parachuted naked into New Jersey by night and ordered to reconquer America for Britain.  <p>  Helprin's theme is nobility--acquired, as well as innate. He puts the spoiled but well-meaning Prince and Princess through a series of farcical trials before they reach the startling conclusion that clean living, hard work, and humility will bring out the best in them.  The &quot;funny&quot; parts of <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em> would have benefited from vigorous pruning--the book itself is too long--but there are stirring passages on love and duty sprinkled among the gags and loopy names, and some spectacular landscape descriptions--covert portraits of the force that drives the green fuse through the flower and gives the House of Windsor its curious destiny. <em>--Regina Marler</em></p>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.66</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone looking for a humorous and fun story]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 27 19:28:17 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 02:30:41 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I don't know if it's just me, but novels seem to be necessarily depressing.  They're always dark and brooding.  They always seem to capture the very worst side of humanity.  When someone can write something that's bright and cheerful and make it interesting I'm always impressed.<br/><br/>This book...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3682026">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3682026]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 28 14:16:20 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 28 15:47:02 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Ok, I did not read the whole book. Around page 125 I called it quits. Funny, yes, but not enough to endure 500+ pages with the knowledge in the back of my mind that Helprin wrote speeches for Bob Dole. Plus, everything I know about the British royals came from the film <em>The Queen</em>, so I lack the backg...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13857304">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13857304]]></link>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Shane]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri Nov 07 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Nov 11 18:39:39 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 11 19:03:42 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I loved it.  I love Mark Helprin.  <br/><br/>It took a while for me to see the plot developing as the setup took a good couple hundred pages, but once you get through the setup -- which is hilarious if you just roll with it -- you get to the good stuff.  My favorite thing about Helprin's books is ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37473631">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37473631]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37473631]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>15843260</id>
    <user>
    <id>47212</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Melissa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Palm Springs, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 19 17:18:58 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 26 10:28:33 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Woooo, doggy, this one was a dense one. <br/><br/>A spoof on the British royal family, <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em> tell the story of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the title characters. They are next in line for the throne, and hopelessly ill-equipped for the weighty responsibilities, traditions, cus...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15843260">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15843260]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15843260]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6713482</id>
    <user>
    <id>368201</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Meri]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Charlotte, NC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/368201-meri]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87060.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 24 12:19:56 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 30 07:09:55 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Mark Helprin's books would be better if he would cut out some of the wordy, repetitive sections.  Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  It's about the Prince and Princess of Wales (a thinly disguised Charles and Diana), who, determined as unfit to rule, are sent to America to prove themselves...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6713482">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6713482]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6713482]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20290579</id>
    <user>
    <id>978026</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Tim]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/978026-tim]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87060.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 16 08:10:45 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 16 08:13:47 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Beautifully written and absolutely hilarious.  While about the British Royal family in an alternative world pretty much our own, it also is a beautiful love story and a thoughtful reflection on America, power, and class.  The title characters are the Prince and Princess of Wales, who, due to some ho...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20290579">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20290579]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20290579]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>47980094</id>
    <user>
    <id>2064885</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jonathan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Atlanta, GA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2064885-jonathan]]></link>
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  <isbn13>9781594200540</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">22</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175654135s/543152.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/543152.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.72</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>47</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mark Helprin's picaresque romp, <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em>, begins with a secret rite on a Scottish hillside: the Prince of Wales, poised in his crisp field uniform, urges a falcon named Craig-Vyvyan to fly from his arm.  The latest in a line of royal falcons with the ability to discern true kings and queens, Craig-Vyvyan sniffs the air, sizes up the bewildered heir to the throne, and refuses to budge.  The falcon knows he isn't king-material, and so does the falconer, and so, in his heart of heart's, does the Prince of Wales. From this promising opening, Helprin spins a tale that ricochets in tone between the silliness of <em>The Naked Gun</em> movies and the gravity of a Wesleyan sermon. To prove their worth and prepare them to rule, the Prince and Princess of Wales--loose caricatures of Charles and Diana--are parachuted naked into New Jersey by night and ordered to reconquer America for Britain.  <p>  Helprin's theme is nobility--acquired, as well as innate. He puts the spoiled but well-meaning Prince and Princess through a series of farcical trials before they reach the startling conclusion that clean living, hard work, and humility will bring out the best in them.  The &quot;funny&quot; parts of <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em> would have benefited from vigorous pruning--the book itself is too long--but there are stirring passages on love and duty sprinkled among the gags and loopy names, and some spectacular landscape descriptions--covert portraits of the force that drives the green fuse through the flower and gives the House of Windsor its curious destiny. <em>--Regina Marler</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 02 04:52:35 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Mar 02 05:34:50 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>2</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was already a devoted fan of Mark Helprin when this novel was released, so when I saw it on the shelves I bought it immediately.  I expected I would encounter a tale sweeping in scope, full of deeply human characters, and all spun forth in the rich, dazzling prose that is Helprin's inimitable styl...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47980094">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47980094]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

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  <date_added>Mon Jan 12 12:06:30 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 12 12:06:56 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am a great fan of Mark Halperin. I loved &quot;Winters Tale&quot; which was a lyrical, often beautiful fantasy, and &quot;Soldier of the Great War&quot; 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 chil...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42803079">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42803079]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
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  <published>2005</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 21 19:31:33 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 21 19:35:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I. Love. This. Book. I love Mark Helprin. I love his writing, his wit, his genius at crafting a sentence, a paragraph, a novel. And that's all an understatement.<br/><br/>In this novel, Helprin tells the tale of the Prince and Princess of Wales, sent to the United States to reclaim it as a territo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75319848">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75319848]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <isbn13>9781594200540</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">22</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Mark Helprin's picaresque romp, <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em>, begins with a secret rite on a Scottish hillside: the Prince of Wales, poised in his crisp field uniform, urges a falcon named Craig-Vyvyan to fly from his arm.  The latest in a line of royal falcons with the ability to discern true kings and queens, Craig-Vyvyan sniffs the air, sizes up the bewildered heir to the throne, and refuses to budge.  The falcon knows he isn't king-material, and so does the falconer, and so, in his heart of heart's, does the Prince of Wales. From this promising opening, Helprin spins a tale that ricochets in tone between the silliness of <em>The Naked Gun</em> movies and the gravity of a Wesleyan sermon. To prove their worth and prepare them to rule, the Prince and Princess of Wales--loose caricatures of Charles and Diana--are parachuted naked into New Jersey by night and ordered to reconquer America for Britain.  <p>  Helprin's theme is nobility--acquired, as well as innate. He puts the spoiled but well-meaning Prince and Princess through a series of farcical trials before they reach the startling conclusion that clean living, hard work, and humility will bring out the best in them.  The &quot;funny&quot; parts of <em>Freddy and Fredericka</em> would have benefited from vigorous pruning--the book itself is too long--but there are stirring passages on love and duty sprinkled among the gags and loopy names, and some spectacular landscape descriptions--covert portraits of the force that drives the green fuse through the flower and gives the House of Windsor its curious destiny. <em>--Regina Marler</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 -0700 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Aug 26 13:12:53 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 26 13:25:30 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Bizarre, silly, and hilarious, Helprin's &quot;Freddy and Fredericka,&quot; put simply, works. Part Odyssey, part vaudeville, the unlikely tale of the Prince and Princess of Wales on their journey to conquer America deftly lampoons politics, society, and culture while simultaneously being a form of ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68987166">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68987166]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68987166]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>49236400</id>
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    <id>1453663</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Karen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87060.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sun Mar 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Mar 14 08:17:25 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Mar 22 09:38:25 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[     A schizophrenic book about a schizophrenic family.  Half of the book and half of the actions of each character are totally silly and nonsensical.  All of them, including Freddy, Fredericka, Freddy's father, and occasionally even the Queen, act like total idiots, buffoons, and nincompoops.  I wo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49236400">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49236400]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49236400]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>77620763</id>
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    <id>967914</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lianne]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87060.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2011</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 12 21:16:05 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 12 21:30:16 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I haven't read anything by Mark Halprin since his amazing &quot;Winter's Tale&quot; in the mid 1980's. He is a novelist with a an extraordinary imaginative power at once broad, precise and poignant. The major characters are the current heir to the British throne (Freddy) and his wife, Fredericka. Wh...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77620763">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77620763]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77620763]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>48479704</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Amy]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Mar 06 21:01:50 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Mar 21 20:52:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I really don't know how to describe this book. It's one of the wackiest books I've read, interspersed with moments of really beautiful writing. It's been described by others as a sort of &quot;comic fairy tale&quot;. Basically it's the story of Freddy and Fredericka who are the Prince and Princess o...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48479704">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48479704]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>64988054</id>
    <user>
    <id>83144</id>
    <name><![CDATA[El]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87060.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jul 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jul 26 05:50:46 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 09 18:54:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I feel bad in that I finished this on my way to vacation and did not have a chance to write a real review.  Now I've moved on and don't feel much like giving it a proper review.  In any case, I thought this would be one of those books that dragged on and on with no end in sight, but instead I actual...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64988054">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64988054]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64988054]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Jun 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun May 31 13:06:49 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jun 18 16:00:00 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am pleased to say I did read all this book. My first Helprin,maybe not the last.  I loved Bannerman and Craig-Vyvyan, and as expected found them again, in the conclusion. I did see alot of the paridy to Charles and Diana. There was a bit much in slap-stick in places, but the dogs names made me rol...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57968649">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57968649]]></url>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 19 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Dec 27 06:06:54 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 19 19:25:12 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A comic novel, sort of an &quot;Arthurian Knight in Yankee Connecticut&quot;, though in the spirit more of Evelyn Waugh than of Mark Twain. At times, spot on, as in this description of Washington think-tank pundits: <br/><br/>&quot;They had learned to hybridize the blood-red internecine warfare of...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40997035">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40997035]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
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  <read_at>Tue Nov 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 12 20:33:29 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 12 21:04:34 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Had Prince Charles and Princess Diana remained married, this could be their story.  Freddy is the Prince of Wales, and Frericka is his wife.  They are an embarrassment to the royal family.  To resolve the situation they are dropped into the former colonies by parachute, with nothing but the clothes ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77617539">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77617539]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[No one - was curious as had similar elements as a screenplay I r]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Oct 24 16:11:06 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Oct 24 16:22:37 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Unfortunately, this book was a long ramble. Even more unfortunately, as a writer in Los Angeles, I already read a screenplay (Royal Flush) that came out before this book was ever published that contained many similar elements and themes except that the Queen was the main character. No love story, bu...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75615798">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75615798]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75615798]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>66481438</id>
    <user>
    <id>1207557</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Hank]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87060.Freddy_and_Fredericka</link>
  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>944</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[  Mark Helprin’s 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. <em>Freddy and   Fredericka</em>—a brilliantly refashioned fairy tale and a magnificently funny farce—only 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. Helprin’s 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.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2005</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun Sep 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 06 17:56:45 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 06 20:11:22 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Eventhough I spent a good while reading this 500+ page fine print book, the time was well spent.  The satire was rich because of the deeper truths revealed in the comical happenstances of the Prince and Princess of Wales.  What constitutes true royalty?  How easily can words be misunderstood, especi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66481438">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66481438]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Freddy and Fredericka]]>
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  <average_rating>3.88</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&quot;Freddy and Fredericka will ascend the English throne only if they reacquire the American colonies and become noble spirits in an ignoble age.   Helprin's latest work, an extraordinarily funny allegory of a most peculiar British royal family, is immensely mocking of contemporary monarchy and yet deeply sympathetic to the individuals caught in its lonely absurdities.   Freddy is the Prince of Wales, Fredericka his troublesome wife. An overeducated, bumbling anachronism, Freddy commits one glorious gaffe after another, for which he is massacred daily in the British press. Golden-haired Fredericka, frivolous and empty headed, is particularly fond of wearing spectacular clothing with revealing necklines. Because of the epic public relations disasters caused by these wayward heirs to the throne, they are sent, in a little-known ancient tradition, on a quest to colonize a strange and barbarous land: America.   In a tour (de force) of the United States, they are parachuted into the gleaming hell of industrial New Jersey and make their way across the country--riding freight trains, washing dishes, stealing art, gliding down the Mississippi, impersonating dentists, fighting forest fires, and becoming ineluctably enmeshed in the madness of a presidential campaign. Amid the collisions of their royal assumptions with their life on the road, they rise to their full potential, gain the dignity and humility required of great monarchs and good people, and learn to love each other.   There is nothing quite like it. Helprin is a lyrical writer whose graceful prose is studded with profound truths and insights. Devoted readers know him for his deeply sad stories that are yet uplifting in their conviction of the goodness and resilience of the human spirit. In what seems like a radical departure of form (as if de Tocqueville had been rewritten by Mark Twain with a deep bow to Harpo Marx), this brilliantly refashioned fairy tale is a magnificently funny farce. But behind the laughter Helprin speaks of leaps of faith and second chances, courage and the primacy of love. He leaves us with the final impression that someone has shouted successfully past the cynicism of our postmodern age in behalf of honor, beauty, nobility, and dreams that come true.&quot;]]>
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  <read_at>Sat Jul 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 04 11:15:43 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 11 08:15:44 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[“Freddy &amp; Fredericka” is an incredibly flawed book: while reading this allegory about two fictional monarchs who are imprisoned in the roles and expectations of their royal station, I found myself fluctuating between amusement and boredom.  Helperin’s novel is the literary equivalent of a Will...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62128721">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62128721]]></url>
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