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A review by gemmascott
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I read this book not long after it came out, back in the 2000s and it was a seminal work for me in terms of understanding British culture and society as a young teen trying to make her way in the adult world.
Reading back now, it’s certainly outdated (particularly given changes in technology, COVID etc.), but I still found myself cringing while realising “I do that!”
I’m not sure I agree entirely with the argument that the defining characteristic of our national identity is “social dis-ease” or that our recent shift towards the right and racism is just a blip (if so, it’s been happening since at least 2016), so I think I’d love to see an update to the book.
I also think you can tell that the author is rooted in her own middle class, Southern perspective so it would be interesting if she could collaborate with someone from a different background, or if another anthropologist could take on the mantle.
I gave this book an extra half a point for the narrator, who was fab!
Reading back now, it’s certainly outdated (particularly given changes in technology, COVID etc.), but I still found myself cringing while realising “I do that!”
I’m not sure I agree entirely with the argument that the defining characteristic of our national identity is “social dis-ease” or that our recent shift towards the right and racism is just a blip (if so, it’s been happening since at least 2016), so I think I’d love to see an update to the book.
I also think you can tell that the author is rooted in her own middle class, Southern perspective so it would be interesting if she could collaborate with someone from a different background, or if another anthropologist could take on the mantle.
I gave this book an extra half a point for the narrator, who was fab!