How to Be a Brit
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How to Be a Brit
Narrated by:
Richard Goulding
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Narrated by:
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Richard Goulding
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By:
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George Mikes
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
George Mikes' perceptive manual for everyone who longs to attain 'True Britishness' provides a complete guide to the British way of life. Having been born in Hungary, he eventually spent more than 40 years in the field and the fruits of his labour include insights on important topics including the weather, how to be rude and how to panic quietly.
Loved by listeners and authors alike, How to Be a Brit contains Mikes's three major works - How to Be an Alien, How to Be Inimitable and How to Be Decadent. If you're British, you'll love it; if you're a foreigner, you'll appreciate it.
- How to plan a town: 'Street names should be painted clearly and distinctly on large boards. Then hide these boards carefully.'
- Queuing: 'An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.'
- Sex: 'Continental people have sex lives: the English have hot water bottles.'
Listeners also enjoyed...
Now this at first looked like the Ladybird parody titles that use the style of times gone by to amuse the modern world with contemporary themes.
But this is not that at all, and if like me you are fascinated by societies and opinions from before our own, this is an excellent volume to delve into. Three books in one, written by an immigrant to Britain over a period of several decades, this shows not only one individual's wit as he looks on the Britons around him, their ways of live and attitudes, but also the view of the outsider trying to fit in.
Of course, it has to be taken with a pinch of salt - he was writing for an audience, for a publisher. His own views were his own. But as both a snapshot and an insight it's totally riveting.
And also a joy to laugh to. I raced through the audio version from Audible in just over a day. I loved the narrator chosen, who brought the words, the lists, the sly comedy of the page to life for a listener. It did move quite quickly when listening as the lists cannot be seen and savoured.
There is also a little repetition as the three books do repeat some subjects and sometimes with very similar words. But this also meant you saw how the author's thoughts changed from book to book and decade to decade.
And there were some surprises - surprisingly tolerant and positive attitudes towards fellow immigrants from other countries, feelings towards Europe. All rather contemporary themes, here with a new spin on them.
This had me laughing and smiling throughout. And took me into my own head picturing a very different time and society.
Loved it. Enjoyed the author's style very much, would choose similar titles in the future.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
Insightful, humourous, entertaining
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