The Return of Alfred

by Herbert George Jenkins

The hero of the book is at a loose end, weary and bored of his old life after returning from the Great War. After an argument with his uncle and a railway strike he finds himself lost in the county of Norfolk at ten o'clock one night. When he seeks shelter in a country home, the butler immediately recognizes him as "Mr. Alfred", the missing son of the house. From that point onwards, our hero, who gives his name as "James Smith", finds himself in for an exciting time. Not only does he inherit the friends of "Mr. Alfred", but also the odium of his misdoings. Protestations are the villagers are convinced he is the prodigal son. Of course, he could just leave the village - but then, had he not been hoping for something exciting to happen - and more importantly, what about Marjorie, the girl at the window?

Originally published anonymously, this romantic comedy was just signed "by the author of "Patricia Brent, Spinster" (a book that was also published anonymously) with a "To those in many countries who have generously assumed responsibility for the authorship of Patricia Brent, Spinster - this book is dedicated by the author".

Genres: Audiobook

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

Herbert George Jenkins (1876 – 8 June 1923) was a British writer and the owner of the publishing company Herbert Jenkins Ltd. which published many of P.G. Wodehouse's novels.

Reviews

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

Just the kind of book I need in between some of the more demanding reads. The Return of Alfred kept me interested and amused right to the end. The draw here was the fact that no one would believe that James Smith was NOT Alfred.

The comparatively low rating is deceiving. I simply don't know how to rate books like these. No, they don't present any 'new' plot, or idea, nor do they deepen a reader emotionally, but there is a sense of familiarity with the characters, of warmth, even friendship, that is worth a great deal. I've read many classics/scholarly/scientific/spiritual/etc. books, and am of the opinion that books like "The Return of Alfred" have a place among them not to be sniffed at. If I could invent a better system for rating them, I would.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful story of a case of mistaken identity that stirs up a whole town when a young man seeks shelter on a cold, rainy night. The townspeople are uniquely interesting and amusing. The main character is wonderfully level-headed through the angst and uproar his appearance causes, but his true personality and skills win for him a few loyal friends and a sweet romance. First published in 1922, I listened to this as a free download from LibriVox.org.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent LibriVox reading by Anna Simon, highly recommended. Initially I was annoyed by the similarity to The Man Who Lost Himself, by Henry De Vere Stacpoole. But as I continued, I saw that this was a completely a different spin on a similar premise. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Bridget Deputy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious! The catalyst for the entire story was that the butler grew a luxurious auburn mustache which causes a disastrous rift between a nephew and his uncle!!

Mistaken identity, small town gossip, a good game of cricket, and of course a little bit of romance!

If you enjoy P. G. Wodehouse than I must recommend "The Return of Alfred".

[Edelweiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story with mistaken identities.