Sat, 28 Feb 2009
Watching the English
Kate Fox, Watching the English, Hodder
Ah, Hodder, or rather Hodder and Stoughton as
it used to be before it was sold off to the
Americans some years ago. It's actually fairly amazing
just how much of British publishing disappeared.
Gone are the clubby offices and three hour lunches.
Quite sad in a way but Hodder has endeavoured to
keep its brand alive - and that brand is about
Englishness.
People love to read about their own national
characteristics - Japanese, English, American,
Australian, French amongst many others. It's an
enjoyable sort of navel-gazing - "Oh yes, we are like
that" *giggle*
And sometimes, in more class bound societies, some
might use such books to get a few posh pointers. I
wouldn't advise using this one though as it's quite
often off the mark or oversimplified.
There's still lots of fun to be had for English
people, and perhaps others as well. Kate Fox starts
off with the vexatious question of different words for
the same item ... which is made even more tricky by
the habit of using the "wrong" one to be jokey. It's
really best not to play this game at all (and most
people don't) unless you were born to it.
There is much more than this though and quite a few
giggles to be had and, perhaps, something useful to
be learnt. And we can hope that the best of the
traditions will somehow muddle through - like good
manners.
(Baron K)
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pre Dec 04 reviews are here