WHAT ARE THE BUTCHERS FOR? and OTHER CRICKET QUOTATIONS
 | £0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 14:06:40 BST Bid now | Add to watch list |
M2415 WOODWORM CRICKET SWEATSHIRT TOP Sz SMALL MENS
 | £9.99 End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 14:07:24 BST Buy It Now for only: £9.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
ARCHIE JACKSON BIOGRAPHY Australia Cricket Bradman NEW
 | £9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 14:10:34 BST Bid now | Add to watch list |
2x cricket bat stickers iridium+ ice 400 brand new
 | £1.00 End Date: Sunday Sep-05-2010 14:11:29 BST Buy It Now for only: £1.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Detour De France: An Englishman in Search of a Continental Education
 BUY HERE! |
RRP: £7.99
Our Price: £2.59 (subject to change)
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
Reviews
An Englishman in France
Review date: 2010-01-05 Rating: 8 out of 10
It's strange and a little sad that one of the countries the British understand least is the one (excluding Southern Ireland) that is nearest to us, France. It is fair to say that the French are also the people we distrust the most as well. Most Frenchmen will tell you that the feeling is mutual - they don't like us and we don't like them.
Read this book though, and maybe your opinions will change a little. Actor Michael Simkins has managed to top his two previous books, which were both excellent, with his first travel book in which he visits various places in France in an attempt to get to know our neighbours a little better. Setting out with only a vague idea of where he intends to visit he travels around France taking in places and experiences that appealed to him. This means that instead of producing a comprehensive travelogue we read about just a handful of places, such as the seaside town where Jacques Tati filmed one of his favourite movies and Lourdes where, despite his misgivings due to not being catholic, he does more than just visit the famous shrine.
It is clear that Simkins possesses a very pleasing writing style, and is able to put across both the humour and the pathos of the situations that he found himself in. This is particularly prevalent in the two sections of the book that I enjoyed the most - ones where he tells us about his visit to a vineyard to learn about the appreciation of wine that went slightly wrong and his game of boules with a group of fierce looking Muslims which turns out rather different than he feared it would.
This is a very entertaining book, effortlessly managing to fulfil one of the main signs of a good travel book - for the first time in my life it made me actually want to visit France.
Reinforcing the stereotypes
Review date: 2009-12-26 Rating: 4 out of 10
I was somewhat irritated by this book. If you want to reinforce in a comfortable way all the stereotypes the English have of France and the French, then this is the book for you. It also highlights how timid many British are in truly stepping into experiences beyond our own shores. This is not to say there are no recognizable truths in the stories related. It is also not to deny the often entertaining and amusing experiences of the author in his short spell abroad. At that level the book is easy company. However, if you want something that digs a little deeper at the differences between the British and the French in order to better understand your own experiences across the Channel, then look elsewhere. Maybe in the end, having lived and worked many years in France, I just got tired of the same old easy laughs.
Hilarious
Review date: 2009-10-23 Rating: 10 out of 10
I bought this book for my son's 14th birthday as he considers 'Fatty Batter' to be the funniest book he has ever read. Wasn't sure the travelling theme would be as appealing to him as cricket but I needn't have worried. Another very funny and engaging book.
Light entertainment with some more reflective bits
Review date: 2009-09-09 Rating: 8 out of 10
This is not a profound book but Simkins has a style that is distincive enough to keep the reader happily engaged throughout. A middle aged man's tour through France that does not pick stereotypical locations to explore (except around Cannes/Nice). His reflections on Lourdes and Vichy present a different viewpoint on unloved towns, and his attendance at Paris fashion shows is very funny. So, it's relatively light reading; nice for a journey or a few evenings on holiday outside a cafe, but not essential reading. 3.5 stars (but 4 rather than 3) on the Amazon scale.
Product Details/Specifications
Authors:
Michael Simkins
Recording label: Ebury Press
Manufacturer: Ebury Press
EAN: 9780091927530
Binding: Paperback
Dewey decimal number: 914.40484
ISBN: 0091927536
Number of items: 1
Number of pages: 312
Publication date: 2010-04-01
Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Published)
Similar Products
- What's My Motivation?
- Fatty Batter: How Cricket Saved My Life (then Ruined It)
- Serge Bastarde Ate My Baguette: On the Road in the Real Rural France
- I'll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany
- Tout Sweet: Hanging Up my High Heels for a New Life in France