Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country

Lots of LOL moments, well done indeed. I am half Brit, half American and have lived and worked in both places. Everything in here rings true. Superbly written and interesting. Highest possible recommmendation.

I don't know enough about pop culture or Britian to agree or disagree with all of Queenan's judgments or know whether he is 100% factually correct. So I really evaluate this book more as a work of humor than as a serious travel book. Having said that, I loved this book! Here are some examples of lines that made me laugh: "Young people insist that there are lots of things to do in Manchester, but mostly what they do is ecstasy." "The greatest literary influence on most people's lives are books that are not very good . . . the defining literary experience in the average Anglo-American male's life is The Shining (take an ax and get rid of the entire family), The Hunt for Red October (Reds under the seabeds) or Jaws (family vacations always end badly)." (PS As someone who fondly remembers some of the trashy books I read in my youth, I actually agree with this statement as well as finding it amusing). "Rosie O'Donnell is an extremely powerful comedienne, actress and talk show host who was briefly known as the Queen of Nice before revealing her true colors as the Spawn of Baal." "For an American to stop and smell the roses, the coffee, or any combination thereof, is a repudiation of his national heritage . . . Americans are first and foremost consumers; like sharks, when they stop moving, pushing forward, buying things - they die. Obviously, sharks do not actually buy things, but my general drift is clear. Americans were not put on God's green earth to relax, reflect, dawdle, or ruminate." "When you ask them how to get to Hadrian's Wall, they [local bus drivers] act as if you've just asked them for directions to the Silk Road or the Trans-Indonesian Highway. Gleeful at the traveler's admitted ignorance of the lay of the land, they guard potentially useful data about bus routes they way Rumpelstilskin conceals his name." "I apologize if Germans with no blood on their hands object to the use of the perjorative term Hun, but after Auschwitz and Dachau all bets are off." "Neither flashy nor communicative, this paragon of bourgeois taste and homespun attire [the Queen] seems like a very nice old lady who has had the misfortunate to be hemmed in by a self-replicating battalion of ding-dongs." If you laughed (or at least smiled) at these phrases, you will probably like this book. If not, you won't.

Joe Queenan is a very funny writer. Every one of his books that I have read, I have enjoyed. He often brings his wit to the entertainment industry, but also attacks pop culture, especially those items of it that he feels are truly atrocious. In Queenan Country, Queenan takes on Britain, but not in the way you might think. He married an Englishwoman back in the 1970s, and thus he has made many trips to England to see relatives. However, he has not really experienced all that Britain has to offer, as he has done the same thing every visit. Thus, he decides that he must make a solo pilgrimage, without his wife or any other family, and immerse himself in British culture. Will it survive? Will he finally be able to truly understand the British mindset? This is that story. Queenan obviously has great affection for Britain, even as he is not averse to criticizing the culture for what he feels are its faults. This affection shows through in many passages, from the chapter on British literature to the wonderful day he had after taking a spontaneous late-night train ride. He's also very complimentary about the British customs, such as always offering a guest something to eat. Sometimes the affection shines through the writing, even when he's criticizing. Other times, he just comes out and says it. Queenan covers a lot of topics in this book ("It is not a travel book per se, as travel books are dull.") Instead of doing the typical travel book style, he talks about various aspects of British culture as they relate to where he goes. He begins by discussing the British as a people, starting by saying that the term "British" has no precise meaning. He gets into a discussion about national identity and then morphs into the different ways that the British treat their legends, compared to Americans. This is embodied in his quest to rehabilitate Paul McCartney. Queenan goes on a tour of Beatles country, taken by a rather unique cab driver who makes Queenan's day with wild stories, but he ends up altering Queenan's view of the whole thing. Included in this chapter are asides about British cathedrals (one of which he visits to get the "cultural compulsories" out of the way before doing the things that truly interest him). This is just one of the examples of the fluid way that Queenan writes. He can go off on a tangent occasionally, but he always ends up relating that tangent back to what he was talking about in the first place. It's truly marvelous to see him start off talking about weird British history and then moves on to a story about Paul McCartney. He can begin talking about the wonders of Scotland and then quickly go off on British theater as he takes in a play in Edinburgh. He even refers back to previous books, as he references both Red Lobster, White Trash, and the Blue Lagoon (when he talks about something not sucking as much as he thought it would) and True Believers (where he reiterates a story about a rugby match). This time,

The first test is simple: does it make you laugh? Don't just trust me on this; read the other reviews (except for one sourpuss), or better yet read any excerpt. The second test is how this book stands up against other satirists. Queenan is incisive and elegant. His prose is meticulous and the rhythms of his work are as good as S.J. Perelman or Robert Benchley. For some reason, the humorist of whom he often reminds me is Stephen Leacock, the now largely and unfairly forgotten Canadian writer. The third test is your own memory: you never forget Queenan's insights because he cuts to the quick of our absurd world. It may be as Juvenal wrote 2000 years ago that "It's hard not to write satire", but it's still difficult consistently to write it this well. The fact that this one is more personal because Joe has a relationship with the UK (and his British wife) makes it his best work. You experience the UK today with all of its charms and warts, which means that you get to understand his love for the country. Queenan has trumped himself here; he's also written a dandy travel book that will have you thinking of what spots you must see -- and must avoid.

I recently took a trip (From my Urban home) into a vile little town in the Cotswolds (Instigated by the wife) and discovered that so-called pictureseque Britain was a foul, tourist infest (And car park riddled), hellhole that stank of chip fat bursting forth from the overpriced, junky pubs and pseudo-restaurants. The village square had a brass band playing "Bangles" hit songs. When I mentioned how vile, idiotic and loathsome this town (A major tourist spot) was (Complete with kebab house, Chinese takeaway) to other people I got looks of bemusement - "But it's a nice little place." This book reminds of that experience. It's not just me. This book had me in stitches, and the author certainly speaks his mind. At last! Someone who hates Lloyd Webber and cretinious musicals based on crap 70s rock bands.