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Product Description: 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. Amazon.com: Mark Helprin's picaresque romp, Freddy and Fredericka, 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 The Naked Gun 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. 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 "funny" parts of Freddy and Fredericka 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. --Regina Marler Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-18
Deja Vu
Terribly funny, charming and delightful and ultimately moving. My favorite part is when our hero and heroine go Jamaican. A series of absurd adventures. Not for those who require a believable story. Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-04
A bit long, but absolutely worth it.
Alright. Yes, it's long. And yes, a lot of it could have been cut. And yeah, a lot of it doesn't seem to fit together too well--Freddy and Fredericka go from washing dishes to running a presidential campaign to fighting forest fires. And it did get annoying, when Freddy kept giving enormous monologues about how gorgeous Fredericka was.
But this book is also absolutely worth it.
You probably already know the basic plot. Freddy and Fredericka, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are pretty much a disgrace to their country. In light of this, a very old man claiming to be a worker in a sex-toy factory sends them off to America to reconquer the colonies. In the process, the spoiled little monarchs learn about dignity and love.
There are bits of this book that made me absolutely hysterical with laughter. Most of them were to do with Freddy's ridiculous antics, which ranged from chasing tennis balls through the streets absolutely naked to running aroung England chasing down his wife's dog, Fuh-Kyu. Yeah. A lot of the humor revolves around verbal misunderstandings, such as when "who's sane," is mistaken for "Hussein." If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I'd skip it; the book doesn't have too much to offer besides humor.
For a book about the British monarchy I was also surprised at how much the book seemed like one giant love song to America. Before their trip to the states, Freddy and Fredericka are one big, spoiled, pampered, isolated mess. In the US, they learn about hard work, respecting "the peasants," and the beauty of nature. There are actually fairly large sections dedicated to describing the natural beauty of the US.
But maybe that's because there were large sections of the book describing absolutely *everything*. This book could definitely have used a better editor. At times, I had to push myself to keep reading. But I'm glad I did, because there was always another fun part at the end of all the dullness.
If you're a fan of the monarchy, need a laugh, and can manage to plow through parts that don't interest you, you'll love this book. Otherwise, you may want to think twice. I enjoyed it, but it was a long haul. Rating:
Date: 2008-02-03
Fierce & Humorous Satire
This was a good book due to Helprin's obvious intelligence in constructing a fierce and humorous political and class satire. This novel skewers western politics and society. Freddy & Fredericka was laugh out loud funny in many parts. While not one who minds lengthy tomes, this one could have been a tad bit shorter for my liking. By the end of the 500+ pages I was a bit tired of Freddy & Fredericka, despite their charm and humorous exploits. Overall, a smart and extremely funny novel. Rating:
Date: 2008-01-27
Lovely
An elegant piece of work, To conquer the outside world Freddy and Fredericka must first conquer themselves. A trek through the forgotten American Dream. And through all of the obstacles and small triumphs finding each other.
Thank You,
Mr. Mark Helprin Rating: 
Date: 2007-12-13
Giving Up!
I've been trying to read this book for over three months and have only gotten through about 75 pages. It's wordy, tends to steer off-topic, and just does not hold my attention.
There are funny parts, no doubt, and I've found myself laughing out loud at a few of them. But it's not good when I open the book each evening and forget what I'd read the night before.
My boyfriend is a big Helprin fan, so I was excited to delve into this novel, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to shelve it for now. Maybe someday I'll have the patience to pick it up again.
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