England, Their England

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Worth persevering with, this “classic comic novel” from 1933 is an interesting portrayal of England and the English with all their stereotypical and often amusing foibles and characteristics. It is regarded as one of the classics of English humour and is much-loved by readers for its evocation of England between the wars. I can't even remember where this was mentioned or recommended now, but it has stood the test of time well and was readable on its own merits and not just as an insight into inter-war England. An important character is Mr Hodge, a caricature of Sir John Squire (poet and editor of the London Mercury), while the cricket team described in the book's most famous chapter is a representation of Sir John's Cricket Club – the Invalids – which survives today.

There were a few chapters that brought on a smile, mostly in the second half of the book, but even at its best I found this no more than mildly amusing. It hit the right spot at the time and became a bestseller, and has endured as a classic of humour, transcending the passage of time. Those whose lives are occupied in combatting the eccentricities of God regard as very small beer the eccentricities of Man. It's interesting as a time capsule of a period and place that no longer exists (and includes the racism and sexism from that time), but I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected.The cricket field itself was a mass of daisies and buttercups and dandelions, tall grasses and purple vetches and thistle-down, and great clumps of dark-red sorrel, except, of course, for the oblong patch in the centre—mown, rolled, watered—a smooth, shining emerald of grass, the Pride of Fordenden, the Wicket. All of these are stereotypes but utterly identifiable as English in a specific time-and-place; this book is now, almost, a Sociological treatise. It would be easy to make modern day political parallels (in fact I think it was in this context this novel was mentioned, come to think of it) but there is a lot of English exceptionalism throughout the book, with the jokes on them: the majors who believe India should be run by them and the golf club members who are swindled by a Scot who plays up his roots with a comedy brogue.

I do think the English would enjoy this more than I did, particularly those with a sense of pride and nostalgia for a lost Olde England. Set in 1920s England, the book takes the form of a travel memoir by a young Scotsman who has been invalided away from the Western Front, "Donald Cameron", whose father's will forces him to reside in England. I've worked on the land all my life, and the least I've ever earned is four and six a week and the most is twenty nine shillings. The scenes include a country house weekend, a visit to the theatre, cricket and rugby matches, a voyage to Danzig, the village pub, political meetings (".England, Their England is an affectionately satirical inter-war comic novel first published in 1933. The Hogarth Press where I’m working, is in the heart of the literary world, with authors coming in all the time. Genuinely witty in its observations and phrasing, with hilarious set-pieces and mostly affectionate portraits of a dozen varieties of eccentricity and oddness, this is a book for fans of Wodehouse and Jerome K. He experiences a few of the essential traits of being English as he progresses from Fox hunts, to weekend parties, to gatherings in pubs and other typical English ritualistic behavior ; all done with good humor and jolly spirit. It describes England at a time when everyone knew their place in a class ridden society, one dressed for dinner parties and played bridge after port and cigars; when there was no political correctness to worry about and expressions like “old bean”, and “I say old chap” were commonplace, and doors were opened for ladies.

He also glances disapprovingly at colonialism, both internal and external, as he berates a nation that has lost its sense of diplomatic purpose. I put this on my to-be-read list sometime last year and promptly forgot about it, so when I came across it again, I wasn't quite sure why I was reading it, but what I found was a lovely, gentle, whimsical satire which is well worth a read. Reprint Society edition hardback; good, lightly aged to page edges, name on fep dated 1941; no dj; UK dealer, immediate dispatch. It was revealing as a piece of history too, with potential MP's answering questions by thanking the questioner and saying nothing, demonstrating this is not a failing just of contemporary politicians. I was reminded of Wodehouse's Psmith in the City, where the viewpoint character visits Wodehouse's old school (which is not the character's old school).Ostensibly about a scotsman coming to London to observe the English in preparation for writing a book about them, it is actually a lovely selection of glimpses into a bygone lifestyle of ill prepared diplomats, country house weekends and sport in its various guises amongst other things. The independent-minded quarterly magazine that combines good looks, good writing and a personal approach. The subtle little message of this book is that life's pleasures come from simple pleasures, family friends, etc.