June 23, 2008
In the early 1990s, New York Times
publishing reporter Lyall transferred to London “for love.” Now she produces the latest in a seemingly inexhaustible genre that dissects British quirks and remarks how peculiar are the inhabitants of that moist little isle. With George Orwell’s essay “England Your England” and Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island
the best-known examples, Lyall’s is an appropriately humorous tale of the struggle to accommodate to her new British way of life and to make sense of the profound culture shock she experienced. But Lyall’s observations are neither overly perceptive nor interesting and much of her material is creakingly familiar: aristocrats, for example, pronounce some words differently than their working-class compatriots, Britons love animals (a special memorial honors animals who aided British troops in wartime) and the game of cricket is boring. This is a light, fluffy read that will be enjoyed by first-time visitors to Britain and even a few nostalgic British expatriates. But while Lyall’s writing is, as always, witty and tart, it will disappoint those seeking serious analysis or original insights.
Starred review from January 15, 2009
Since moving from New York to London in the 1990s and marrying British author Robert McCrum, Lyall (sarahlyall.com), a London correspondent for the "New York Times", has come to love the eccentricities of the Britishtheir miserable food, their bad teeth, their shocking Page Three girlsall of which she playfully skewers here. Audie® Award nominee Cassandra Campbell ("Keeper of the Doves") perfectly captures the British voices, cadences, and nuances, adding significantly to the overall enjoyment of this delightful, hilarious look at our cousins across the pond. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [Audio clip available through www.tantor.com; the Norton hc, recommended "for libraries with a British or devotedly Anglophile audience," "LJ" 9/1/08, was a New York Times best seller.Ed.]Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA
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