by Spiros Doikas ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2013
An amusing, if somewhat dated, critique of British culture.
A Greek national takes a humorously scathing look back at his student life in Great Britain.
Although the title suggests a recounting of erotic escapades, this debut is more of a compendium of quotations from literature, journalism and scholarship about the English character, rounded out with Doikas’ anecdotes of his experiences in England. Heavy drinking, emotional inexpressiveness and sexual repression all come in for criticism here, as do local colloquialisms (“innit should become the formal equivalent of n’est-ce pas”), the English climate and food and beverage horrors such as baked beans on toast. These are all well-known targets, and Doikas’ extensive quotations show that even the British often take aim at them. The author’s Greek perspective, however, is fresher, especially when he discusses generosity and reciprocity. He writes of a Greek concept, for example, that “represents a code of honor, a rectitude, that even villains are compelled to observe.” Doikas is apparently horrified when he overhears “a discussion between a young couple that had been living together for four years”; she wants to make a phone call, and he offers to lend (not give!) her the princely sum of 10 pence. Similarly, the author writes that the common English instruction to “bring your own booze” when going to a party was “most discordant with my home culture.” The book is at its best when it sticks to such scenes. However, Doikas’ humor can be heavy-handed at times, as when he cites the fictitious “Dr. Paulus Silentiarius,” who “graduated in Social Anthropology (Single Horns) with a First Clash degree from Onanistan’s renowned university of Loxford.” The book’s most glaring problem, though, is that it contains no references later than 1998. You’d never know, for example, that famous celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay exist, or that one of the most popular dishes in today’s Britain is chicken tikka masala. Did Doikas like anything about Britain? He does mention a few things, such as the postal system, taxis and public libraries, and when he watches sitcoms such as Blackadder, he feels “such a great gratitude for this nation that [he] could forgive them almost everything.”
An amusing, if somewhat dated, critique of British culture.Pub Date: March 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482640830
Page Count: 290
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
Share your opinion of this book
More by E.T.A. Hoffmann
BOOK REVIEW
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson
BOOK REVIEW
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis
by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
Share your opinion of this book
More by Ludwig Bemelmans
BOOK REVIEW
developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
BOOK REVIEW
by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.