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Books : Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour
Rating: 
- Well worth reading
I found this book both entertaining and informative: I know several non-English people living in England who say they wish they had read the book when they first arrived in the country as it would have explained a lot of things to them from the outset.
While agreeing with some criticisms, for example there is too much emphasis at times on class differences and research does seem to have stopped at Watford (I spent a number of years commuting by train into Manchester, and people in the north do speak to each other on trains), in general the observations ring very true. Living in Germany, as I now do, I have cited the book to people sometimes to explain why I find some German traits difficult to understand!
And to the person who criticised the use of apostrophes - the "Rules Rule" is correct in the context used (sorry. Being English I need to apologise for pointing this out).
Rating: - ... and I thought I was different
I am an Englishman who hasn't lived in England for the past 13 years. I have always prided myself on the fact that I was different from the typical English person (though when I think about it, I'm not sure why this was a source of pride for me). Anyway, my (non-English) wife gave me this book, and I have been engrossed in it from start to finish. I have taken to sharing its findings with friends and colleagues as I realise how deeply ingrained certain aspects of my national character are in me. While there is a certain amount of repetition within the text, as observed by some of the other reviewers, Ms. Fox's self deprecating wit and engaging style kept me thoroughly engrossed.
It is true that much of what is observed is confirmation of things which I was subliminally aware of, but that is the point of the book - not to tell us things we don't know, but to raise our consciousness about things that we do, and how engaging or enraging they are to those around us. For an English person who is trying to relate to people from other countries and cultures, or for a non-Englsih person who is trying to understand what is going on with English friends, colleagues or business partners, this book is a fascinating insight into what is going on in our heads at a subliminal level.
Perhaps I am disappointed to discover that the fact that I make a joke out of everything that ever happens to me is not because I have a highly tuned sense of humour, but in fact just a result of my deeply-ingrained social dis-ease. But I'm sure I'll get over it.
Definitely worth a read.
Rating:
- Promises so much, delivers so little
As the title of this review would imply, I found this book immensely disappointing, and strangely irritating. What promises to be a witty repertoire of humorous observations and deliberately antagony of the English mindset when placed in awkward situations, resorts to basic and trivial observations which is only worthy of a high school essay.
Much of the book IS written as per an essay and annoyingly in the first person, and thus proves impossible to engage the reader and empathise with the points the author intends to make. The only 'real' situation the author appears to present is hovering around a coffee queue and appearing as she will push in (though the build up to this mind-numbingly dull event is much greater than the event itself). We are then treated to such insights as shuffling of bodies and suspicious glances encountered. How terribly uninteresting.
I bought this on the pretence that the author would present herself in a variety of situations and gauge the reactions, but this frustratingly refuses to happen, regardless of how often it's promised. Instead we are treated to such 'wonderful' observations about how the English form one-person queues at bus stops and the like (though why one would not stand at the front of a bus stop whilst waiting for a bus is beyond me). Are the English supposed to stand on the opposite side of the road whilst waiting alone for a bus? This just does not make sense, is not funny and not clever. How the author can write this and believe it to be a justifiable use of ink is difficult to comprehend.
I bought this book from a pound store, and I still give it one star, that's how bad it really is. Poor Ms Fox is only worthy of such shelf locations, and does not deserve to be anywhere near one Bill Bryson, whom she takes unnecessary swipes at throughout this book., possibly in envy. If she aspires to be on the same shelf as Mr Bryson, Ms Fox needs to hire him and write under a pseudonym.
Rating:
- amusing but shallow
This book is interesting and funny, clearly not an academic text but it isn't marketed as one so no problem with that. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have noted, it is somewhat repetitive and many observations are outdated. I would have given 4 stars, but from about two thirds of the way through it becomes clear that much of the research is 'heavily influenced by' (I'll stop short of using the P-word) Jilly Cooper's 1970s tongue-in-cheek guide to British social life, 'Class'. To be fair to Kate Fox, this text is cited once or twice, but several other sections appear to be almost directly lifted from Cooper's book, without fair reference to it. Not to mention the obvious fact that an academic in the 21st century should clearly not base her work on the observations of a light novelist made 30 years previously.
Rating:
- worth reading
A delightful treat, eloquent, amusing and entertaining and made me proud to be English. A lovely book whose author, Kate Fox, is not afraid to make fun of herself and bring out the hidden rules in English behaviour. I loved the section dedicated to the English habit of the Monday morning moan! Recommended.
- Well worth readingI found this book both entertaining and informative: I know several non-English people living in England who say they wish they had read the book when they first arrived in the country as it would have explained a lot of things to them from the outset.
While agreeing with some criticisms, for example there is too much emphasis at times on class differences and research does seem to have stopped at Watford (I spent a number of years commuting by train into Manchester, and people in the north do speak to each other on trains), in general the observations ring very true. Living in Germany, as I now do, I have cited the book to people sometimes to explain why I find some German traits difficult to understand!
And to the person who criticised the use of apostrophes - the "Rules Rule" is correct in the context used (sorry. Being English I need to apologise for pointing this out).
Rating:
- ... and I thought I was differentI am an Englishman who hasn't lived in England for the past 13 years. I have always prided myself on the fact that I was different from the typical English person (though when I think about it, I'm not sure why this was a source of pride for me). Anyway, my (non-English) wife gave me this book, and I have been engrossed in it from start to finish. I have taken to sharing its findings with friends and colleagues as I realise how deeply ingrained certain aspects of my national character are in me. While there is a certain amount of repetition within the text, as observed by some of the other reviewers, Ms. Fox's self deprecating wit and engaging style kept me thoroughly engrossed.
It is true that much of what is observed is confirmation of things which I was subliminally aware of, but that is the point of the book - not to tell us things we don't know, but to raise our consciousness about things that we do, and how engaging or enraging they are to those around us. For an English person who is trying to relate to people from other countries and cultures, or for a non-Englsih person who is trying to understand what is going on with English friends, colleagues or business partners, this book is a fascinating insight into what is going on in our heads at a subliminal level.
Perhaps I am disappointed to discover that the fact that I make a joke out of everything that ever happens to me is not because I have a highly tuned sense of humour, but in fact just a result of my deeply-ingrained social dis-ease. But I'm sure I'll get over it.
Definitely worth a read.
Rating:
- Promises so much, delivers so littleAs the title of this review would imply, I found this book immensely disappointing, and strangely irritating. What promises to be a witty repertoire of humorous observations and deliberately antagony of the English mindset when placed in awkward situations, resorts to basic and trivial observations which is only worthy of a high school essay.
Much of the book IS written as per an essay and annoyingly in the first person, and thus proves impossible to engage the reader and empathise with the points the author intends to make. The only 'real' situation the author appears to present is hovering around a coffee queue and appearing as she will push in (though the build up to this mind-numbingly dull event is much greater than the event itself). We are then treated to such insights as shuffling of bodies and suspicious glances encountered. How terribly uninteresting.
I bought this on the pretence that the author would present herself in a variety of situations and gauge the reactions, but this frustratingly refuses to happen, regardless of how often it's promised. Instead we are treated to such 'wonderful' observations about how the English form one-person queues at bus stops and the like (though why one would not stand at the front of a bus stop whilst waiting for a bus is beyond me). Are the English supposed to stand on the opposite side of the road whilst waiting alone for a bus? This just does not make sense, is not funny and not clever. How the author can write this and believe it to be a justifiable use of ink is difficult to comprehend.
I bought this book from a pound store, and I still give it one star, that's how bad it really is. Poor Ms Fox is only worthy of such shelf locations, and does not deserve to be anywhere near one Bill Bryson, whom she takes unnecessary swipes at throughout this book., possibly in envy. If she aspires to be on the same shelf as Mr Bryson, Ms Fox needs to hire him and write under a pseudonym.
Rating:
- amusing but shallowThis book is interesting and funny, clearly not an academic text but it isn't marketed as one so no problem with that. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have noted, it is somewhat repetitive and many observations are outdated. I would have given 4 stars, but from about two thirds of the way through it becomes clear that much of the research is 'heavily influenced by' (I'll stop short of using the P-word) Jilly Cooper's 1970s tongue-in-cheek guide to British social life, 'Class'. To be fair to Kate Fox, this text is cited once or twice, but several other sections appear to be almost directly lifted from Cooper's book, without fair reference to it. Not to mention the obvious fact that an academic in the 21st century should clearly not base her work on the observations of a light novelist made 30 years previously.
Rating:
- worth readingA delightful treat, eloquent, amusing and entertaining and made me proud to be English. A lovely book whose author, Kate Fox, is not afraid to make fun of herself and bring out the hidden rules in English behaviour. I loved the section dedicated to the English habit of the Monday morning moan! Recommended.