Whether you are a fan of the silliness of Monty Python, a discerning afficionado of all things related to tea, or somewhat obsessed with the British Royal Family, anyone who can relate to the English will enjoy The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall (Norton & Company, August 2008).
Sarah Lyall, a native of New York City, moved to London in the early 1990s, following her career as a journalist. She met and eventually married a Briton and has remained in England for the better part of fifteen years. The Anglo Files relates her personal experiences and observations as to how the British live and how very different they are from Americans.
At some points I laughed out loud: she describes the British tendency to incessantly apologize for seemingly everything, especially in instances where such sentiments are completely unnecessary. Lyall realized she had succumbed to this practice herself when she fell against a wall in the subway (or "tube", as Brits call them) and involuntarily mumbled "Sorry". A solitary woman, several feet away, murmured a "Sorry" of her own--in commiseration with the author's own expression of regret.
Hilarious!
Many facets of quotidian British existence are explored: the usually-poor weather conditions, the sad state of (most) English teeth, the bawdy and impolitic nature of how the Houses of Parliament conduct legsilative sessions (one U.K. native remarked to the author that the proceedings of the American Congress are so somnolent in comparison that she fell asleep on a visit there), and the relentless sense of modesty so many Brits express (even in the face of great accomplishment) are but a few. Lyall shares her insights with wry humor, gently poking fun of some mannerisms while exploring her complete astonishment at others (for example, why the trains in England are almost never on time--although the rail service does provide exhaustive apologies for when inconveniences arise).
The Anglo Files provides an excellent first-person, outsider's account of all the delightful idiosyncracies, charms, and bafflements that comprise the English people. Rule, Britannia!
Sarah Lyall, a native of New York City, moved to London in the early 1990s, following her career as a journalist. She met and eventually married a Briton and has remained in England for the better part of fifteen years. The Anglo Files relates her personal experiences and observations as to how the British live and how very different they are from Americans.
At some points I laughed out loud: she describes the British tendency to incessantly apologize for seemingly everything, especially in instances where such sentiments are completely unnecessary. Lyall realized she had succumbed to this practice herself when she fell against a wall in the subway (or "tube", as Brits call them) and involuntarily mumbled "Sorry". A solitary woman, several feet away, murmured a "Sorry" of her own--in commiseration with the author's own expression of regret.
Hilarious!
Many facets of quotidian British existence are explored: the usually-poor weather conditions, the sad state of (most) English teeth, the bawdy and impolitic nature of how the Houses of Parliament conduct legsilative sessions (one U.K. native remarked to the author that the proceedings of the American Congress are so somnolent in comparison that she fell asleep on a visit there), and the relentless sense of modesty so many Brits express (even in the face of great accomplishment) are but a few. Lyall shares her insights with wry humor, gently poking fun of some mannerisms while exploring her complete astonishment at others (for example, why the trains in England are almost never on time--although the rail service does provide exhaustive apologies for when inconveniences arise).
The Anglo Files provides an excellent first-person, outsider's account of all the delightful idiosyncracies, charms, and bafflements that comprise the English people. Rule, Britannia!
1 comment:
pretty cool stuff here thank you!!!!!!!
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