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A review by dimitri0s
Watching the English by Kate Fox
3.0
As I am in a period of not necessarily read books cover to cover, I declare myself as "done" with this as I have read approximately 60% of it. Freely skipped chapters on driving (I do not drive), fashion and etiquette (outsourced to Lu. and So.) or having sex with the natives (my wife might have some objections). With this and that I am sure that I did not miss much as the book follows a pattern of what is Englishness which after established becomes the norm for everything else, like if you read the solider rules you will be able to have a good educated guess on the rules of the workplace and vice versa.
If I had to pick on something in this book, my copy is the 2014 revision, is that it perhaps conveniently does not comment on recent changes of the social landscape namely mass immigration (people like me), socialism such as NHS (which stands for "No Health under Socialism" - people unlike me), Political Correctness, 3rd wave femi-nazism and other corroding aspects of the English society and identity. I would like to read something about the state dependency of elements of the not-working class for example. Specially for "work" where many first generation immigrants interact more with locals, there could be some extra content.
The second aspect is that the book is huge, not unnecessarily so though and at times boring perhaps because the author needs to balance her tone between being an academic/scientist and trying to articulate things.
Nevertheless I would suggest to every foreigner that wants to come and stay a bit or perhaps more in our(?) little island to spent some time at least skimming through its pages and familiarize themselves with the norms and manners of these great but oh-so difficult people who I love so much although they have caused me so much trouble. I wish I had read it sooner like in my second or third year here.
(according to the author by reading this I broke at least 3 taboos while I have been "partially infected" with Englishness - time for tea)
If I had to pick on something in this book, my copy is the 2014 revision, is that it perhaps conveniently does not comment on recent changes of the social landscape namely mass immigration (people like me), socialism such as NHS (which stands for "No Health under Socialism" - people unlike me), Political Correctness, 3rd wave femi-nazism and other corroding aspects of the English society and identity. I would like to read something about the state dependency of elements of the not-working class for example. Specially for "work" where many first generation immigrants interact more with locals, there could be some extra content.
The second aspect is that the book is huge, not unnecessarily so though and at times boring perhaps because the author needs to balance her tone between being an academic/scientist and trying to articulate things.
Nevertheless I would suggest to every foreigner that wants to come and stay a bit or perhaps more in our(?) little island to spent some time at least skimming through its pages and familiarize themselves with the norms and manners of these great but oh-so difficult people who I love so much although they have caused me so much trouble. I wish I had read it sooner like in my second or third year here.
(according to the author by reading this I broke at least 3 taboos while I have been "partially infected" with Englishness - time for tea)