Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Snobs: A Novel
    Snobs: A Novel
    Snobs: A Novel
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    Snobs: A Novel

    Written by Julian Fellowes

    Narrated by Julian Fellowes

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Julian Fellowes, creator of the Emmy-Award winning TV series Downton Abbey, established himself as an irresistible storyteller and a deliciously witty chronicler of modern manners in his first novel, Snobs, a wickedly astute portrait of the intersecting worlds of aristocrats and actors.

    "The English, of all classes as it happens, are addicted to exclusivity. Leave three Englishmen in a room and they will invent a rule that prevents a fourth joining them."

    The best comedies of manners are often deceptively simple, seamlessly blending social critique with character and story. In his superbly observed first novel, Julian Fellowes, winner of an Academy Award for his original screenplay of Gosford Park, brings us an insider's look at a contemporary England that is still not as classless as is popularly supposed.

    Edith Lavery, an English blonde with large eyes and nice manners, is the daughter of a moderately successful accountant and his social-climbing wife. While visiting his parents' stately home as a paying guest, Edith meets Charles, Earl of Broughton, and heir to the Marquess of Uckfield, who runs the family estates in East Sussex and Norfolk. To the gossip columns he is one of the most eligible young aristocrats around.

    When he proposes. Edith accepts. But is she really in love with Charles? Or with his title, his position, and all that goes with it?

    One inescapable part of life at Broughton Hall is Charles's mother, the shrewd Lady Uckfield, known to her friends as "Googie" and described by the narrator---an actor who moves comfortably among the upper classes while chronicling their foibles---"as the most socially expert individual I have ever known at all well. She combined a watchmaker's eye for detail with a madam's knowledge of the world." Lady Uckfield is convinced that Edith is more interested in becoming a countess than in being a good wife to her son. And when a television company, complete with a gorgeous leading man, descends on Broughton Hall to film a period drama, "Googie's" worst fears seem fully justified.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateFeb 1, 2005
    ISBN9781593976545
    Author

    Julian Fellowes

    Julian Fellowes is the Emmy Award-winning writer and creator of Downton Abbey and the winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Gosford Park. He also wrote the screenplays for Vanity Fair and The Young Victoria. He is the bestselling author of Snobs and Past Imperfect. His other works include The Curious Adventure of the Abandoned Toys and the book for the Disney stage musical of Mary Poppins. As an actor, his roles include Lord Kilwillie in the BBC Television series Monarch of Glen and the 2nd Duke of Richmond in Aristocrats, as well as appearances in the films Shadowlands, Damage, and Tomorrow Never Dies. He lives in London and Dorset, England.

    Related to Snobs

    Related audiobooks

    Humor & Satire For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Pursuit Of Love: Why Are We Still So Obsessed With The Mitford Sisters?

      May 11, 2021

      Is there any greater example of the Problematic Fave than the Mitford sisters? They were posh, gossipy, fabulous, stylish and politically extreme. Were a couple of them – let’s just say it – outrageously right-wing? Yes. But are we still – myself inc

      6 min read

    • Article

      The best-ever ROMANCES

      Jan 7, 2021

      The best-ever ROMANCES
      2 min read

    • Article

      6 Best Jane Austen Books: From ‘Sense And Sensibility’ To ‘Emma’

      Feb 2, 2021

      Ranking Jane Austen’s six witty, wise, and utterly moreish novels changes over the years. You might have found Northanger Abbey absolutely unreadable when at school, but were rendered helpless with laughter when you picked it up again years later. Pr

      6 min read

    • Article

      In Summary

      Jul 1, 2021

      There’s some good writing here. This short extract has covered a lot of ground and established that Edwina is a recently widowed woman thanks to the sinking of the Titanic. Her interior voice is skilfully rendered and there are some subtle touches su

      1 min read

    • Article

      Top 10 Books

      Mar 4, 2022

      Top 10 Books
      1 min read

    • Article

      Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries Review – Great Actor, Keen Shopper, Sharp Wit

      Oct 16, 2022

      Alan Rickman’s voice was a purr, but it masked sharp claws. This was evident in the memorable baddies he played and now you can hear it in the feline prose of these selected diaries. “John Major said, ‘You have given us so much enjoyment.’ ‘I wish I

      3 min read

    • Article

      EMMA & ELLIOT: IT’S OVER

      Feb 12, 2021

      EMMA & ELLIOT: IT’S OVER
      4 min read

    • Article

      Guerrilla Thriller

      Feb 5, 2023

      Guerrilla Thriller
      4 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson

      Jul 29, 2021

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson
      4 min read

    • Article

      Readers’ Letters

      Feb 9, 2022

      The Oldie, 23-31 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PA letters@theoldie.co.uk To sign up for our e-newsletter, go to www.theoldie.co.uk SIR: Like Gyles Brandreth, my husband and I are great fans of Bargain Hunt. As well as enjoying the banter betw

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Special Relationship

      Mar 20, 2024

      A Special Relationship
      5 min read

    • Article

      Dear Paul

      Jul 10, 2020

      Dear Paul
      6 min read

    • Article

      Venice Peach

      Oct 2, 2023

      1. THE DRESSMAKER AND THE HIDDEN SOLDIER by Doug Gold (A&U) WWII thriller about Kiwi soldier and Greek dressmaker 2. SUMMER FAVOURITES by Vanya Insull (A&U) Recipes from @vj_cooks 3. TE REO KAPEKAPE: Māori Wit and Humour by Hona Black (Oratia) Having

      4 min read

    • Article

      A double LIFE

      Sep 13, 2022

      A double LIFE
      6 min read

    • Article

      Past IMPERFECT

      Oct 2, 2023

      Past IMPERFECT
      10 min read

    • Article

      Blanc Steer

      Mar 6, 2022

      Blanc Steer
      4 min read

    • Article

      Living In Georgian Splendour

      Dec 8, 2023

      Living In Georgian Splendour
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Snobs

    3.5/5

    318 ratings19 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Mr. Fellowes is obsessed with the class system in England. Here he presents the story of a woman who can't wait to make her way into the upper class. Upper and middle classes are treated with disdain, but as the book progresses it becomes obvious that the author believes the upper class is truly "upper." Even if they have feet of clay and are boring as hell, aristocrats will behave better than the social climbers every time, especially in a crisis.Even so, I enjoyed the book.
    • 3/5
      I expected it to be glamorous and exciting... but in actual fact it was rather dull, tedious, and a bit depressing.But then, wasn't that the author's point?
    • 3/5
      Fellowes starts out with a scathing satire that morphs into a farce before becoming a tragedy which all too neatly resolves at the end. This could be an interesting and biting commentary about the social aspirations of those just outside (below) the British aristocracy, the lame efforts of the aristocracy to ward off those aspirations, and the dissipation of both by arrogance -- not to mention ephemeral actors of fleeting notoriety. But there needs to be some hook, some dynamic interaction, at least one character to sustain a reader's interest. Having spent considerable time in Northumbria, I understood the remoteness of the aristocracy from locals and most everyone else, the closed and small world they inhabit; I even understood the upward aspirations that marriage into the aristocracy can fulfill -- but entails a cutting of most if not all threads to the previous class. Consequently, I enjoyed some scenes, laughed aloud at several, and was hoping for something like the brilliant screenplay/film 'Gosford Park," but on the whole 'Snobs' was disappointing.
    • 1/5
      I just kept thinking "what am I doing here?". It's like that time I read a romance novel. P. G. Wodehouse it is not. And I'm not much of a fan of that either.
    • 4/5
      Audiobook of highly entertaining if ultimately fluffy story of English aristocrats and the many arrivistes attempting to crash their party. I'll say this for Julian, he had me hooked right to the end. Plenty of delicious snark (no, quite as good as Maggie Smith/Dowager Countess of Grantham) and a snappy pace. Richard Morant is a delightful reader who really flings himself into the fun of it.
    • 3/5
      Snobs was a rollicking read. Fellows has a great sense of humor as well as place. He very obviously knows and understands English aristocracy. Enjoyed every minute, laughed out loud at the conversation at dinner with the Frenchman visiting Sussex!
    • 3/5
      Mr. Fellowes is obsessed with the class system in England. Here he presents the story of a woman who can't wait to make her way into the upper class. Upper and middle classes are treated with disdain, but as the book progresses it becomes obvious that the author believes the upper class is truly "upper." Even if they have feet of clay and are boring as hell, aristocrats will behave better than the social climbers every time, especially in a crisis.Even so, I enjoyed the book.
    • 5/5
      I became acquainted with Julian Fellowes after the release of the movie, Gosford Park, and The Masterpiece Theatre series, Downton Abbey. He is a master screenwriter.SNOBS by Julian Fellowes is a quiet, reserved, detailed, intriguing, very witty story. Its form is quite interesting with a first-person, nameless narrator. I felt that the characters in the story were real people and described by the narrator, rather than created by the author. I was quite taken with the narration and enjoyed it.Edith is a middle-class woman, befriended by the narrator, and enjoys a rapid rise in society. The story of Edith’s rise and fall is superbly told against the backdrop of English class and society.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and noted many of the narrator’s comments and remarks. I also liked the book’s cover art.
    • 3/5
      This was another fun read that I picked up during one of my random perusals through the shelves of my local library. Having always been fascinated by snobbery, mostly because it seems so completely ridiculous, I knew I would have to give this novel a go. It's the story of an outrageously unapologetic social climber, her lover, her husband, and their entire slew of both titled and non-titled relatives. If you're in the mood for a bit of gossipy scandal, this is just the ticket.
    • 3/5
      Finally, I found one of those "if you liked Downton Abbey" books that I actually liked. Figures; it was written by Downton creator Julian Fellowes. It is set in Britain in the 1990s, which may as well be the 1890s as far as social attitudes are concerned. The storyline revolves around Edith Lavery, a vivacious social climber who marries Charles Broughton, a kind, decent, very boring and slightly dim aristocrat. Do you suppose Broughton's family embraces Edith warmly? Of course you don't.This book was quite funny and a very fast read. The narrator's social ongoing social commentary is an entertaining as the story. "'Leave three Englishmen in a room and they will invent a rule that prevents a fourth joining them" is the overarching theme, and my favorite line from the book. Although it has some bite, the book is not outrageously unkind, not to opportunistic Edith and not to her snobby detractors.
    • 3/5
      I adore Downton Abbey and was excited to get Snobs as a gift. Unfortunately the book did not keep me entertained or interested. Whereas DA has intriguing characters, great writing, interesting story lines and "history", Snobs does not. In fact, I found it hard to picture the setting, time period (which was?) or characters.
    • 3/5
      This was a strong 3 -- started slow, but the characters and their absurdity soon sucked me in.
    • 2/5
      The story sounds very promising, an ambitious woman marries a title and has to live with the consequences. When considering that the author is Julian Fellowes, the creator of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, to name the two most famous screenplays he has written. Obviously, he is a skilled writer, and obviously, he knows his subject- especially as the story is told from the point of view of a friend of the upstart, who is an actor. And so is Julian Fellowes. In spite of all this, I did not warm to this book at all. I was disappointed by the lack of satire, I thought the characters were surprisingly one-dimensional, and reading it I had a sense that JF is trying not to offend anyone, and plays it safe. The result is a book where you feel the author knows how to write, the story has potential, but the book is forgettable. Even bland.
    • 2/5
      Entertaining satire on the British class system; somehow lacks true sparkle.
    • 3/5
      Edith Lavery is an upper middle class girl whose mother has raised her with grandiose dreams of the high aristocracy and gets an in by marrying the heir to the Uckfield titles and properties. Unfortunately, reality fails to equate dreams and, as boredome sets in, she finds a convenient distraction in a visiting actor. She must decide which realm she will now live in, with the mid level and passionate or the austere snobs of the upper echalon. I find the quote on the front of this book to be an odd one. It is not high praise for Fellowes' prose or witty commentary on the book's content, but rather simply, 'Mr. Fellowes knows his turf well.' I can only hope that Dominick Dunne knows mroe about the British aristocracy than I to make such a straightforward statement, because I can do no more than say that, with the thorough picture he has painted of the world, it certainly seems so. Indeed, it is one of the most enchanging aspects of a tale of humanity and folly. Going into this book, I did not know what to expect--I merely picked it up because he wrote Gosford Park, a movie I adore. [Actually, now that I think of it, someone handed it to me for that reason and I was all, 'Hey! Awesome!' and stuff.] The story itself is told, yet again, in first person. However, Mr. Fellowes saves the reader from the tireless Is and Mes by having it not be the main character, but rather a friend of the main character relating the story. This friend is an actor who, by nature it would seem, is an observer of people [which makes sense]. He watches and participates and gleans all of the information and then presents it in a straightforward and no-nonsense manner, contrary to so much of the first person one might read which is tainted with distractions, humour or excessive emotions and distracts from the story [see: the book I'm reading right now and will soon finish and post on...hopefully I won't be a liar]. All in all, I absolutely adored the presentation of the information that became the story. It was witty and clever in its own quiet way, and revealed much to the reader without being overly exposition-based...or, it was entirely exposition, but deftly handled so as not to make the reader feel like they were immersed in a social history lesson. As an American with virtually no social standing [I would say none, but that would preclude me from social activity in its entirety], who has no interest or desire to discover the inner workings of the upper echalon on either side fo the pond, Fellowes shows me the game. He says, straight forward how these people work and why they make some of their decisions, but also makes room for them to be absolutely human and be off the beaten path or just kind of stupid. He also makes no excuse for how they live, leaving the reader a clear picture of his story with the freedom to decide on their own what they think, neither clearly villifying the lifestyle or over praising it. It feels odd, writing so much about a book anymore. I feel as though I've been getting shorter and shorter in these little blurbs with no actual desire for brevity--I've just had nothing to say. Thankfully, Fellowes broke me of my train by being completely unlike anything I've read recently or, quite possibly, ever. I do not usually enjoy stories about the purity of humanity--not purity in the moral sense, of course, but rather purity in the raw sense. I do not usually enjoy very real stories about very real people who decide to do very stupid things. If a story is well-written and involves situations like such, I have trouble reading them because I hurt for these little imaginary characters who have no real faces. I don't like seeing people in pain, or doing stupid things that will bite them in the end, and that goes for characters in books as well.
    • 5/5
      I love books about the British social classes, so of course this story about a woman who marries for the status she will receive when she becomes a member of her husband's upper crust family was right down my alley. I particularly enjoyed the way in which Fellowes wrote his story. He wanted the reader to understand the way in which the titled British elite think of themselves and others. His explanations of the etiquette and behavior of those who have vs those who have not were often amusing and certainly entertaining. However, Fellowes did not lose sight of the fact that an entire class of people honestly do live as those he describes in this novel, and that they have problems and the occasional moral dilemma just like the rest of us do. In this particular case, a woman has to decide how she will spend what she knows will be a boring life no matter what choices she makes for herself. While there may be humor in how seriously the gentry takes itself, for this particular woman there's also a bit of sadness that envelopes her painfully shallow life. Because I enjoy this kind of story and this particular subject, it was hard for me to put the book down; but I believe Snobs has a good enough story to appeal to anyone who wants to read about how "the other half" lives.
    • 3/5
      This first novel by the author of the screenplay, Gosford Park, about a beautiful social climber is witty, but forgettable.
    • 4/5
      Edith Lavery is middle class society with big upper class ambitions. When she inadvertently meets the Earl of Broughton, Charles, it is with an admission ticket to tour his home in her hand. Little does she know, but the introduction, with her good looks, is also her ticket to upper echelon snobbery. Soon Edith works her way into the aristocratic family by marrying Charles. As his wife she discovers the high life isn't all that it's cracked up to be and finds herself becoming bored. The real trouble begins when Edith's wandering eye settles on a less than successful actor. Things turn from bad to worse when it's more than Edith's eye that starts to wander. What makes this hungry-for-status story so funny is the wicked clashes of culture. Julian Fellowes seductively pokes fun at all types of cliques: actors, the fashion world, the genders, society, but none are funnier than the English.
    • 5/5
      A young middle class woman joins the English upper class revealing social prejudices at every level in this warm, funny, novel. Fellowes comes from the social stratum in which his story is set and he describes it with affectionate evenhandedness.