Review - Watching the English

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Review - Watching the English - Kate Fox

Although this book is being marketed as if it's one of those light read "aren't the English funny" kind of books, I think it justifies a place here. Kate Fox is not out to poke fun, or pontificate, but rather to take a scientific look at the nature of the English people, and how the English psyche is distinctive from other cultures. This is anthropology, though I ought to stress that this isn't a stuffy academic tome - Fox's style is light and approachable. In fact, if anything she writes in an over-self deprecating way, which may be her natural style, or may be a rather cynical ploy to illustrate one of the points she makes about the English.

At the heart of her book is Fox's assertion that the way the English behave is largely governed by social dis-ease - a lack of comfort with social situations that has resulted in the building of various rules, values and reactions to cope.

This is one of those "oh, yes!" books where something you have observed for a long time finally clicks into place. Fox shows us how the strongly embedded class system is based not on money or power but the way we speak and act. This is because it is one of the defences we use to cope with our social difficulty - as is the infamous English predilection for talking about the weather, which Fox suggests many observers have totally misunderstood. She also provides many words of wisdom on pub culture (amongst others). As well as being a brilliant study, this is an excellent guide to anyone from another country who wants to fit in comfortably in England. It also explains how the apparent conflict between the traditional stiff upper lip and the Ibiza/ football hooligan portrayal of the English are actually two sides of the same coin.

Occasionally, though the book is generally written in a light fashion, there is a touch of academic dullness, particularly in the end-of-chapter summaries and the introduction, which were probably unnecessary for this kind of book, but you've just got to push yourself through the expectation that this will be a book of trivia and you'll find it's well worth the effort. The only other criticism is there isn't really enough on why the English have this particular character. There is a brief speculation at the end, but mostly this is study in observation, not explanation. Even so, whether you want to understand the English as an outsider (every business person and diplomat wanting to do business here should get it), or as an affectionate member of the tribe, it's a delight.

Paperback. Also in hardback:

Reviewed by Brian Clegg

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