Spare Us!: A Harrody by Bruno Vincent
Genre: Humour
Read: 26th November 2025
Published: 6th April 2023
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
'All I had ever wanted was privacy. In order to get it, it seemed that an exceptionally detailed 500,000-word book was in order...'
He was born into an ancient powerful dynasty and, through no fault of his own, became one of the most recognisable men on the planet.
His life was a constant barrage of press intrusion and manipulation. Until finally, he demanded that it stop. In order to get the privacy he so craved, he has written a frostbite-and-all book that goes deep inside the castle walls and exposes every shouting match, fist-fight, betrayal, teddy bear, awkward hug and tear-stained wedding rehearsal for the world to feast their eyes on.
All for privacy!
This is his story.
MY THOUGHTS:
'All I had ever wanted was privacy. In order to get it, it seemed that an exceptionally detailed 500,000-word book was in order...'
I wanted a laugh and that's what you get here. This brief 112 page hilarious "harrody" (with its own sarcastic twist) poke at the royal spare whose exploits we are so often regaled with through the media and, quite ironically, via his own claim for privacy. I have never ever seen anyone so intent on privacy flouncing their apparent need for such privacy and shouting it from the rooftops of Buckingham Palace and later the mountains of California where he and the wife who must be obeyed migrated to after their harrowing brush with the British media and even bloodier Royal family.
Prince Harry and his concubine, aka Ginger and Whinger or Hank and Skank, are the most publicly known private couple ever to walk to face of this earth. His obvious harrowing upbringing is alluded to highlighting the fact that he is none other than an entitled privileged "spare" that lives only second to his (apparent) bullying older brother William. The author cleverly weaves his own version of Harry's perception of his entitled upbringing and subsequent life in the shadow of the death of their mother Princess Diana. Yes, he does wear his victimhood like a badge of honour and it gets somewhat wearing to those of us who also have troubled lives and difficulties we must navigate without the benefit of money and royal titles.
I read the letter "Spare Us, Prince Hassle" prior to this which serves to speak for much of the public who at one time thought Harry to be a loveable rogue and now only sees him as a whiny entitled millennial snowflake seeking to shift the blame for his own misdeeds onto others. A quick read that took about an hour. Which is more than I can devote to the immigrant formerly known as Prince Harry.
My favourite part of the book (besides the quirky anecdotes) is the cover. Yes, spare us please Harry!
(NOTE: this review is pretty much the same as the one for Spare us, Prince Hassle since I read them one after the other and they both tended to blend into the other.)
MEET THE AUTHOR:
He would then follow that up with a single-standing novel titled “A Christmas Carol II” in 2011 before making it big with the “Enid Blyton series for Grown Ups,” which is a spin-off of some of the most popular Enid Blyton works. He has also penned gothic horror story volumes for children that were so popular that they would ultimately be adopted for the stage.
Vincent has also published several humor titles for adults collaborating with Jon Butler, most of which would become bestsellers. Many of Bruno Vincent’s novels have been translated into several languages over the years.
In an interview, Bruno Vincent said that his popular “Enid Blyton for Grown Ups” series is not a parody or rejection of Blyton. He believes his novels are a nostalgic, respectful, and unfashionably wholehearted rendition, even though the estate of the late author may have a different view.
According to Vincent, he writes his novels to provide some comic relief for readers that grew up reading Enid Blyton. He optimistically hopes his novels are a great alternative to the very disposable Christmas stocking filler novels that most bookstores love to stock in place of humor.
Nonetheless, the Blyton estate has been heavily involved in the publication and production of the series. In fact, it is Enid Blyton’s distinctive signature which is on the front cover of all the works in the series. Bruno’s name as author is usually embossed in small type on the back of the books.
The novels also come with some of the original Eileen Soper illustrations with some relevant captions.
Bruno Vincent’s “Five On Brexit Island” is a hilarious parody, especially following the Brexit decision. The storyline is all about the Five who avoid real life on the night the referendum is being conducted.
They head to Kirrin Island in George’s territory where they hope to have a brief holiday. Soon enough, there is a fierce war between George who is firmly in the remain faction, and Julian who is strongly in the leave column. George is horrified and decides that Kirrin Island must leave Britain and holds a referendum on the residents. Vincent writes what is a particularly light take on Brexit politics that is both well-informed and humorous. The characters have a striking resemblance to their Blyton counterparts which is only exacerbated by the fact that the author insisted on using the original illustrations.
While this work may not heal those reeling from the pain of Brexit, it is still a well-crafted and clever story with some light relief.
“Five Go Gluten Free” by Bruno Vincent is another interesting work in the series. Anne had always been a huge fan of health fads and decided that the Five need to cut out most of the food they love rather than adopt the much simpler gluten-free diet.
They will cut out beer, chips, and pies going forward for medical reasons and for health. This happens to be one of the funniest of the series especially since we have always associated the child characters in End Blyton’s works with a Peculiarly British love of midnight feasts and picnics.
The Famous Five spent most of their time eating and hence the challenge of whole foods and macrobiotics soon proves a huge problem. Still, there are many hilarious one-liners and laugh-out-loud moments. The five translate particularly well to the contemporary world and bring a spicy nostalgic feeling.
Bruno Vincent’s novel “Five Go Parenting” is the penultimate work in which the Five are handed Ruper Kirrin’s baby.
They are to take care of the kid since Rupert and his wife have been sent to prison following yet another one of their very illegal activities. They now have to live with the six-month infant but thankfully they have a very large London flat. It makes for an amusing look into the world of parenting, particularly for people who know nothing about child care. It also explores how much life can change when an infant is introduced into one’s life.
It is a well-executed and witty work and Vincent does a good job of echoing Blyton. It makes for an excellent tongue-in-cheek gift if you are a new parent or maybe a humorous piece of nostalgia for children that may be left to care for younger siblings.
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