How to Travel Incognito

by Ludwig Bemelmans

Monsieur Le Comte de St Cucuface, a charismatic aristocrat fallen on hard times, slums his way around postwar France in elegant style, trading on his name and his exquisite manners. After a chance encounter on a train, he convinces a wide-eyed Ludwig Bemelmans to adopt the identity of an imaginary German prince and join him in his ruse. Together they set out on an enchanted adventure through a France that is crumbling to dust, feeding off the comically vulgar continental set that is fast replacing Cucuface's blue-blooded caste. They dine on the finest food and wine, stay at the most splendid hotels and chateaux, pausing only for Cucuface to recount another amusing tale of his eccentric lineage. Mixing autobiography and fiction to magical effect, How to Travel Incognito is an affectionate and melancholic hymn to the passing of an ancient order.

Genres: Fiction, Travel, Humor, France, Literature

224 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2003

About the author

Ludwig Bemelmans, Austrian-American illustrator, wrote books, such as Madeline in 1939, for children, and his experiences in the restaurant business based Hotel Splendide , adult fiction in 1940.

People internationally knew Ludwig Bemelmans, an author and a gourmand. People today most note his six publications to 1961. After his death, people discovered and posthumously published a seventh in 1999.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_...

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaaaah!

Wouldn't it be nice to prance around the Continent...pretending to be royalty, sipping champagne and indulging in a bit of gossip in a quaint Paris bistro...while SOMEONE ELSE picks up the check?

Here's a little instruction manual on how to do JUST that!

A series of witty vignettes add up to the fun story of one man's European vacation.

Bemelmans' New Yorker-cartoonish illustrations are just adorable.

This is a perfect, lighthearted late-summer read.

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Излюбленный юмористический жанр — байки о жуликах и проходимцах. И действие тут происходит в том идеальном европейским мире, где нет никаких проблем и конфликтов, кроме ресторанных и гостиничных, — мы все его очень любим, чего греха таить. Недооцененный (и практически неизвестный в России) автор и прекрасное чтение на сон грядущий.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only knew of Ludwig Bemelmans as the author of "Madeline" ("In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines...the smallest one was Madeline.") I had no idea he was such a prolific writer and illustrator for both children and adults in addition to being a gourmet who owned a bistro in Paris. "How to Travel Incognito," though it seems dated in spots, is a great read and very funny, poking sly fun at just about everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priceless! First Bemelmans I'd read and I'm seeking out others. The book revolves around an elegant confidence man, Monsieur Le Comte de St Cucuface, who talks Bemelmans into posing as a German prince. Together they travel around Europe, traveling in grand style, basically living off of gullible rich people. It's hard to tell how much exaggeration there is in this tale, but it doesn't really matter. The effect is totally charming.

[J.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After receiving Hotel Bemelmans as a gift and devouring it, I've decided to work my way through the author's oeuvre. What a delight--this man was a master raconteur, with a completely disarming air of self-deprecation and a natural ability to spin a great yarn. If I had to choose the guest list for a fantasy dinner party, this guy would be up at the top.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

There is a bit of a story as to how I discovered this book. I read an article a couple of months ago about Marilyn Monroe's personal library that was put to auction after she passed away. She had over 430 books in her personal library, and despite being picture as a bit of a silly girl at times, she loved reading. I found out about Bemelmans by looking at the list of her books.

And I wasn't disappointed. I don't think I would ever have known about How to Travel Incognito without this article. It's really funny, even completely nonsensical at times, and the illustrations add a lot of fun to the story as well. I spent a few years studying in Paris so it also made me a little bit nostalgic - even though I was there in the early 2010s and not the 1950s, I feel there is a special "spirit" in Paris that can always be found there regardless of the year.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a book chronicling a trip, similar to Our Hearts Were Young and Gay: An Unforgettable Comic Chronicle of Innocents Abroad in the 1920s, and it turns out that I don't like that kind of book. I prefer books with plots, and though the title of this book was promising, it didn't live up to my expectations.

[Claudia Sorsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, as always.

I was a bit surprised to find that the book was actually a full-length piece; I was expecting shorter, less connected essays. Oddly, it was a bit of a disappointment--his characters lend themselves more to short anecdotes. Indeed, Bemelmans may be at his best in the short form.

Still, lesser Bemelmans is still much better than most anything by many others.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant mildly interesting read by the author of the "Madeline" books.

[Jia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, light read. The perfect book to bring on holiday.

[Debra Daniels-Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because I'd liked the Madeline books and I'd wondered how Bemelman's adult book would read. First, I love the drawings they really made this travelogue fun. The story is partly true and partly embellished, and today's booksellers probably wouldn't know where to classify this book. In the beginning of the story, the author meets a compelling man, Count St Cucuface, who immediately tries to sell him a cigarette case for 300 francs. The two men end up traveling together through Europe and St. Cucuface convinces the author to impersonate a prince because people will treat them with more respect. They get a lot of free things and have a charming adventure. However I often felt the narrative lacked a cohesive story arc. I'd lose interest in meandering conversations and felt the like story was more once incident after another loosely joined. And why did everyone's name have to be so long. It got tiring just reading them.I would have liked more of an actual story than a travelogue.

[Vanessa (V.C.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Known for his famous Madeline series, most may not know that Ludwig Bemelmans also wrote books for adults too and they're just as charming, witty, and entertaining. Along with his trademarked whimsical illustrations, How To Travel Incognito was literally quite a trip, how it made me chuckle and smile. I especially enjoyed how it had a Parisien nostalgia about it that shines throughout the pages. It did drag on a little too long though and lost me here and there when it became too silly and nonsensical, but still, what a fun and charming read.

[Monty Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had difficulties placing the timeline; It reads as the storyline for “The Prince and The Showgirl” (MM Productions)
Nonetheless, it becomes clear towards the ending, what the storyline entails.
I lost myself midpoint in the descriptive chapters conveying minute details, like that of a fairy tale being told.
Nonetheless, an amusing ending, in a somewhat quirky “fairytale” of a story in factual terms. .

[Ryan Redmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traveling around France, pretending to be royalty, and getting first class treatment wherever you go? Who wouldn't love to do that?

Bemelmans takes us on a humorous adventure with a series of witty stories. A clever, funny, light read that is perfect in helping take your mind off the troubles of the world.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving a rating to a book is a challenge. A book may be excellent, but not at all to my taste. Or, more often, a fair-to-middling book will have delighted me immensely as I savor the worn pages, the musty smell, and the out-dated content. This was one such book. The plot is bare, but the writing is, as usual with Bemelmans, filled with a sort of humor that is dry and yet absurd.

[Caroline Bartels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bemelmans is just funny. I love his observations of the characters he meets. And there is no way to read his adult books and not want to be sipping champagne while you are reading! On to another of his books right now because they are perfect for vacation!

[Michelle Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cleaver and witty!

A good light read!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so charming and nice after Orphan Master's Son. It was exactly the right read at the right time for me.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

just realized this didn't save my review! Finished awhile ago...author of the Madeline series. Travel on the continent in a bygone day...fun to read! First ed. that was Chris' grandfathers!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bemelmans was an amusing travel writer. Enjoyable. Witty.

[Kathleen Haun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of random, great stories, and funny as well.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just OK - didn't find it all that amusing or particularly memorable. Illustrations were perhaps the most interesting part of the book.