A Chip Shop in Poznań cover art

A Chip Shop in Poznań

My Unlikely Year in Poland

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A Chip Shop in Poznań

By: Ben Aitken
Narrated by: Will M. Watt
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About this listen

"One of the funniest books of the year..." (Paul Ross, talkRADIO)

WARNING: CONTAINS AN UNLIKELY IMMIGRANT, AN UNSUNG COUNTRY, A BUMPY ROMANCE, SEVERAL SHATTERED PRECONCEPTIONS, TRACES OF INSIGHT, A DOZEN NUNS AND A REFERENDUM.

Not many Brits move to Poland to work in a fish and chip shop.

Fewer still come back wanting to be a Member of the European Parliament.

In 2016, Ben Aitken moved to Poland while he still could. It wasn’t love that took him but curiosity: he wanted to know what the Poles in the UK had left behind. He flew to a place he’d never heard of and then accepted a job in a chip shop on the minimum wage.

When he wasn’t peeling potatoes he was on the road scratching the country’s surface: He milked cows with a Eurosceptic farmer; missed the bus to Auschwitz; spent Christmas with complete strangers and went to Gdańsk to learn how communism got the chop. By the year’s end he had a better sense of what the Poles had turned their backs on - southern mountains, northern beaches, dumplings! - and an uncanny ability to bone cod.

This is a candid, funny and offbeat tale of a year as an unlikely immigrant.

©2019 Ben Aitken (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Europe Travel Writing & Commentary Eastern Europe Funny

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All stars
Most relevant  
Really engaging listen, funny, warm and above all interesting. Really well narrated by the author too.

Entertaining listen

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describes Poland and its people and culture well. I went in 2001 to Poznan, enjoyed the novelty of Poland pre EU , the people were then quite introverted to foreigners but as they grew with EU MEMBERSHIP and the younger generations shook off their last 50 years , they expanded to a very different nation

nor home most of the time

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Poetic prose used to illuminate the mundane. Makes me fancy a trip to Poznaz. 😂

Excellent, unexpectedly brilliant.

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Audio book listening, I'm no intellect, failure at reading so enjoy this lazy method, only returned from a mini break in Poznan so was intrigued when saw this, so much easier when you can relate to somewhere, me & Ben probably have different political views, which come across, but that's fine, I'm sure we could have a polite debate on this, many great parts, but the Xmas tradition of turning up unexpectedly, wow Mr Benjamin got bigger balls than me, I cringed with embarrassment, but was so impressed, great book, love this type of reading, thank you.

I love Poland

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... about Poland. And works all the better for that. Aitken is a warm, intelligent and interesting story teller. It's not a Bill Bryson travel book (as I first thought), although there are echoes of that. Instead, Aitken has his own, less forced, more rhythmic style of writing. The narration is great too. Overall... one not to miss.

This is a book as much about life as it is...

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Beautifully narrated and fascinating story. Would definitely recommend it. I will also listen to it again.

Enjoyed every minute.

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I got through the whole book, something I wouldn't have done if actually reading it myself. I kept expecting something to happen but the author apart from deciding to go to Poland seems to be so apathetic that he just drifts from one situation to another as a causal ill informed observer. The inclusion of footnotes do get very repetitive as he does the research after. I've read other reviews and was under the impression that the book would be charming and witty ( I laughed out loud once!), it's neither, droll perhaps. I didn't particularly enjoy his writing style which involves using three or four descriptive words in a row in an effort to depict thoughtfulness, one will suffice.
On to the narration which is no fault of the author, it was generally monotonous but better than if the Author had read it like in his previous books.
Bottom line: There are lots of better written travel books out there but if you have low expectations and want to know a little about Poland from a person who knows a little about Poland then give it a go.

First Bill Bryson rip off, now this! Lacks energy.

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Whiny, un-original, navelgazing, ill-
informed waste of the listener’s time. So sorry to have spent 3 hours before giving up.

Yikes

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Chapter 18 ia upsetting, disturbing and unnecessary with its horrific graphic descriptions. It ruined the whole book that I was enjoying up to then. Thank goodness I can get a refund as I won't be going further or listening again.

Unnecessary and upsetting chapter 18

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What could have been a good story turned into a one sided cherry picking view point of the virtues of remaining within the EU. The author clearly thinks he's very witty, and without realising, has a very patronising viewpoint of Poland. He loves to drone on about his drinking and smoking, as though he's in some tragic noir movie, but it only in fact paints him as rather spoilt, and self pitying. I'd give this a miss.

Pro 'Remain' patronising dribble

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