The audio quality is terrible on this. I often can't make out names, etc. Doesn't help when reader stumbles and mispronounces repeatedly. I don't know who the chap is, who laughs a lot, at people considered common, or thinks prostitutes are funny, but I would imagine Chips would consider him servant class, a dreadful little commoner. People have such amusing delusions. This club is what? They all seem to be lower quality, stockbroker belt/real estate agent, level. Why do so many seem to be reacting as though Chip's quips about common little people would not apply to them? It's been about 40? years since I repeatedly came across Chips, or read his diaries. I know he is seen as a great fun gossip, but after a long life, he just seems a vacuous man who has bought himself to aristocracy level, and brown nosed his way into aristocracy level marriage and companionship. He did happen to buy himself into some of the best seats in history - and he has the waspy, camp eye to write bitchy, shallowly amusing observations - but I wonder who might have done better, with the opportunity.
I can't speak for everyone, but I think it's fair to say that the audience present who were laughing were very much laughing AT Chips and not with him. As he appears through his own diaries, he is a laughable figure, sniping at people for being "common" while simultaneously chastising others for being snobs. Perhaps his own knee-jerk snobbery was a defence mechanism stemming from a fear that he himself was out of his depth socially; but, as you say, being someone who cared so much about class he managed to do pretty well in elevating himself.
Reading Volume 1 now...I curse my poor eye sight...Taking FOREVER...!!!
I am reading on Kindle and have Kindle open on computer at the footnotes so at every footnote I can read it easily...makes reading take much longer.
*Implies, not infers, Chips, Old Boy.
Wonder what accent he spoke with?
I wonder is that a Royal and Select Masters' tie?
The audio quality is terrible on this. I often can't make out names, etc. Doesn't help when reader stumbles and mispronounces repeatedly.
I don't know who the chap is, who laughs a lot, at people considered common, or thinks prostitutes are funny, but I would imagine Chips would consider him servant class, a dreadful little commoner. People have such amusing delusions.
This club is what? They all seem to be lower quality, stockbroker belt/real estate agent, level. Why do so many seem to be reacting as though Chip's quips about common little people would not apply to them?
It's been about 40? years since I repeatedly came across Chips, or read his diaries. I know he is seen as a great fun gossip, but after a long life, he just seems a vacuous man who has bought himself to aristocracy level, and brown nosed his way into aristocracy level marriage and companionship.
He did happen to buy himself into some of the best seats in history - and he has the waspy, camp eye to write bitchy, shallowly amusing observations - but I wonder who might have done better, with the opportunity.
I can't speak for everyone, but I think it's fair to say that the audience present who were laughing were very much laughing AT Chips and not with him. As he appears through his own diaries, he is a laughable figure, sniping at people for being "common" while simultaneously chastising others for being snobs. Perhaps his own knee-jerk snobbery was a defence mechanism stemming from a fear that he himself was out of his depth socially; but, as you say, being someone who cared so much about class he managed to do pretty well in elevating himself.