A Different Kind of Review – PorterGirl: First Lady of the Keys by Lucy Brazier

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31806906Goodreads Synopsis:

‘Porters are not the carriers of bags, they are the keepers of keys!’

As one of the most ancient and esteemed establishments of the academic elite, Old College is in for something of a shock when it appoints its very first female Deputy Head Porter.

She struggles to get to grips with this eccentric world, far removed from everyday life. PorterGirl, the proverbial square peg in the round hole, begins to wonder quite what she is doing here.

PorterGirl – First Lady Of The Keys is a touching, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, glimpse into a world that is usually reserved for the upper echelons of society.

Whether she is chasing after naked students, drinking copious amounts of tea or getting embroiled in quaint, polite murders, Deputy Head Porter is never far from adventure.

My Review:

PorterGirl: First Lady of the Keys was a great read. Told from the point of view of Old College’s first female Deputy Porter, you immediately appreciate the personality of this feisty and deceptively intelligent character.

Throughout the book, even when she finds herself in danger, her personality shines through and the situations are handled with a combination of humor and intrigue. I found myself cheering for the Deputy Porter as she goes from a fish out of water to gaining acceptance for the job she does while, simultaneously, she is a target for being murdered.

Lucy also does a fantastic job of describing the campus of Old College so that we feel it really exists and that we are seeing it through her eyes.

So, needless to say, I enjoyed the book. It was whimsical and humorous in the right amounts with a good old-fashioned whodunnit woven in. As I was reading it, I thought it would make a great movie or television series. As an ignorant American, I tried to picture what British actors and actresses would be great in the roles of some of the main characters. Here is what I came up with, with apologies to Lucy Brazier:

Head Porter – Martin Clunes

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Master – John Cleese

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Porter – Rowan Atkinson

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Dean – Hugh Laurie

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Junior Bursar – Richard Griffiths (I know he passed away)

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Professor K – Malcolm McDowell

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Professor Fox – Neil Patrick Harris

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Lucy – Deputy Head Porter – Lucy Brazier, of course

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I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. You can find out more by checking out Lucy’s blog HERE.

14 thoughts on “A Different Kind of Review – PorterGirl: First Lady of the Keys by Lucy Brazier”

  1. This is great! You see the characters the same way I did – pics and all! This is a really delightful read – and your review does it great justice.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

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  2. Oh this is amazing!! The casting of the characters is just perfect, especially Professor Fox! I’m so pleased the characters were so vivid for you, they are all very special to me – even the murderous ones! This is a wonderful review, thank you so much.

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    • Lucy, well deserved. I just finished Craig Boyack’s new book and I am on to your second. You’ve got some winning characters here. I’m glad you liked my different take on it. These are the people I was picturing in these roles, although I liked Benny Hill for Professor K, but he is no longer with us.

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