England, Their England

The English as seen by the 'outsider' in the person of a young Scotsman in 1920’s England – a richly comic, classic satire on society, politics, nationalism. With its portrayal of media figures, civil servants, film stars, the fox hunt, election rallies and the League of Nations (forerunner of the EC), this delightful romp will certainly appeal.

Donald Cameron, the principal character, a young Scotsman, is commissioned to write a book on the outsider’s view of the English. He sets about his task with all the enthusiasm of an “innocent abroad” and soon gets caught up in the foibles of English social life. On the way he encounters an array of richly comical characters - including civil servants, newspaper editors, minor poets, a foul-tempered pseudo-Frenchman, a glamorous film star; and experiences some equally droll situations – the country house weekend which includes a visit to a fox-hunt, a meeting of the League of Nations, a farcical election rally, a grim Christmas holiday aboard a cargo ship and the most famous fictional cricket match in literature in its entirety, the last ball of which takes over four hilarious pages to catch! This satire of English eccentricity has become a classic of 20th century literature and is almost more relevant today with Scottish devolution as when first written. Those who enjoy writers such as Bill Bryson will greatly enjoy England, their England.

©1998 CSA Telltapes Ltd. (P)1998 CSA Telltapes Ltd.

Amusing but unoriginal

Content is a 2, but narrator lifts the recording to a 3. Mostly absurd, stereotypical, outdated folderol that masquerades as humor, but occasionally I laughed until my sides hurt.

Why abridge this book?

This is a wonderful story, wonderfully read by Martin Jarvis. But ... why abridge a book that’s only 186 pages in total? A. G. Macdonell wrote a nearly perfect short novel. The abridgment is ok, but knowing what’s missing greatly the pleasure.