Rifling Through My Drawers

by Clarissa Dickson Wright

With her inimitable wit and outspoken views, Clarissa Dickson Wright opens her diary and takes us on a journey around Britain with this unrivalled collection of stories and anecdotes from her ever-eventful life. As celebrated cook and champion of the countryside, Clarissa's year includes being propositioned by a burly greyhound courser, meeting the Chairman of the Sandringham branch of the WI, a fishing terrier called Kipper and taking on the Health & Safety officials at a rain-drenched County Show. Criss-crossing the country she introduces us to long-forgotten traditions and colourful local festivals as she meets up with extraordinary characters and friends old and new. Entertaining, poignant, but never politically correct, RIFLING THROUGH MY DRAWERS is a breath of fresh air and proves once again why Clarissa is one of the nation's true treasures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Cooking

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright is an English celebrity chef and food historian who is best known as one half, along with Jennifer Paterson, of the Two Fat Ladies. Having trained as a lawyer, at the age of 21, Dickson Wright passed her exams and became the country's youngest barrister. She is also one of only two women in England to become a guild butcher.

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one doesn't really stand alone, strongly suggest reading her memoir Spilling the Beans first. She held my interest most when focusing on food, but even then there was enough politics and hunting that didn't thrill me, even when I agreed with her political point at the time. Really a book geared towards "Clarissa completists" looking to go through her entire output than general interest.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that entertains and educates. Clarissa lets us follow her through the year 2008. I enjoy the chatty, thoughts straight off the top of her head with no filter, way that Clarissa wrote. Being a life-long city dweller I learnt lots about the countryside. I also learnt that Pid is the Celtic god of rain and was amused by a story about Lord Boothby. It covers an eclectic range of topics and recommends a lot of foodstuffs.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Clarissa's writing very much, enough to skip over and/or ignore the places where she has a rant I don't agree with.

[Alayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up in an op shop thinking that it looked interesting. It was less interesting than it looked - a lot of stuff about upper class English people and their hunting, shooting, fishing culture and a lot of rants about the anti-hunting, shooting and fishing people! The recipe at the end of each chapter was interesting but that's about it. Unless you are a huge fan of Clarissa Dickson Wright, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and readable. Dickson-Wright has moved in lofty circles, circled the drain and come out the other side. A Barrister, alcoholic, cook, author and campaigner for the countryside and outdoor sports; she has triumphed over personal adversity.

I shall have to find and read her earlier book 'Spilling the Beans' to close the circle.

[Janet Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a chapter a night. My attention span is going. I'm old. :) Very entertaining and informative. When she got lost in that no go city it scared me. Our country isn't our own any longer I'm afraid.

[Rebecca Boreham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty rambling, stream of consciousness thoughts. I did learn a bit more about hunting and dogs, but felt it lacked substance.

[The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disagree with some of Clarissa's opinions, but what a storyteller! Thoroughly entertaining.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but a tough act to follow Spilling the Beans!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clarissa Dickson Wright writes as she speaks, which is to say forthrightly! There are moments of repetition in the book as a result of this (and really where is her editor?) but overall I enjoyed this read. It's essentially a commentary through a year of her life - chapters standing as months.
She and I agree on many many things (although not all) so for me this book was a pleasant conversation with a friend in which we talk about the country, food, life and getting along. If you're a member of PETA, vegetarian, have a soft spot for a fox or have never spent time in the mud - then this is going to bore the pants off you. There are 12 recipes included which I'm looking forward to trying - her standard country/anglican type fare. There's also some fierce honesty regarding her history of alcoholism and for that alone one has to admire her. At no time does she excuse her behaviour but rather she simply states the facts and moves on. I like Ms Dickson Wright and her determination to stand up for what she sees as good and right in the UK. We disagree heartily on PM Thatcher and the Afghan/Irag wars and she appears to have an inexplicable soft spot for John Major, but I can live with that - so I can live with this book.

[Juliana Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I can quite confidently say that Clarissa Dickson Wright and I would not get on. As an anti-blood sport, vegetarian labour voter I think I represent to her all that is wrong with the world today.

However, despite being a fully paid up member of the Fluffy Bunny brigade, I can still find it within my soul to say that I enjoyed this book. Clarissa has many interesting anecdotes and weaves them together in an unconventional fashion to still make a coherent whole.

I heartily disagree with much if not most of what Clarissa says and I found myself frankly cringing at some of her viewpoints. I would like to point out to Miss Dickson-Wright that I'm pretty healthy and don't seem to be suffering any ill effects from my vegetarianism and I'm also a rural girl born and bred - but still think that fox hunting and hare coursing are pretty barbaric and can't really be justified by the old survival of the fittest argument.

Nonetheless, an enjoyable book even though I'm clearly not converted to this rather opinionated lady's way of thinking - sorry Clarissa!

[Fran Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Clarrisa takes us through a year of her life, filled with hunts, and book signings and TV appearances. She is outspoken on the issues that she cares about, preserving the countryside and outdoorsy sports like fox hunting and trout fishing and coursing (following the greyhounds as they chase hares through the wild).

She is opinionated and, though I can't say I agree with all of her unfounded theories -- such as that immigrant vegetarians are for more unhealthy once they come to Britain because they no longer have access to the protein in the rat feces that is prevalent in their legumes at home, but not in the washed beans in the UK -- she still is a fun lady to read. She is happy to spout her philosophies of everything from wild turkeys to the best pub grub available, and will spend 20 pages just movie from one train of thought to the next.

Sad that such a larger-than-life personality was taken from us so soon.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one for vegetarians or any anti hunting types! It was a very easy read with lots of recommendations of good food producers that I have made a note of. The recipes at the end of each chapter were a nice touch too. An interesting peek into a year of her life, although I agree with another reviewer that it needed a darn good editing in places.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a year in the life of....but as I listened to it on audio read by the author who I really admire from 2 Fat Ladies and Clarissa and the Countryman. Sadly I found it very boring and monotonous - Sorry Clarissa!

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I loved the cooking show Two Fat Ladies. However, for me, reading her work wasn't nearly as enjoyable as watching her - maybe because I'm in the U.S. There were certainly some great nuggets, but most read like a nondescript diary to me.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year in the life of Clarissa. She's opinionated but I don't always have her same opinions but that's okay. She includes recipes but they seem rather random. This was good bedtime reading - interesting but not a pager turner.

[Madeleine McDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting nuggets about country life and I'm with her a hundred percent about knowing where our food comes from and what goes into it. Overall, a disjointed and rambling read, with a lot of padding.

[Steve Castley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Clarissa's chatty style but at times she becomes a bit repetitive. She gives a very pro hunting account of life in rural England and she is very scathing of so many rules and regulations. It was a fun read.

[David John Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lady

One of nature's eccentrics top class raconteur a good cook also supported
Countrywide activities and first class cook sadly no longer with us but,what a legacy thank you Clarrissa

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good editing would have helped this book. I didn't finish it.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 2 out of 5]

funny old ramble - I did finish it, and found it mildly entertaining, but it's not that great.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat entertaining and easy enough to read. Her quite nasty, anti-Labour, comments were extremely irritating though and ruined the book for me.

[Claire Scannell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly unPC lady with a distinct stream of consciousness writing style, I really enjoyed it however and must go back and watch more Two Fat Ladies.

[Tianne Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clarissa continues with her story in a further book and gives more insight into her on and off screen life. Goes well with Spilling the Beans but not on its own

[Marie Flanigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love listening to Clarissa Dickson-Wright, but unfortunately this audio version is quite brief and disjointed. It was enjoyable to listen to, but their simply wasn't enough of it.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be an excellent read for all you Anglophiles out there. It is amusing and tells great tales of country life by a huge supporter of hunting and eating well.

[Rick Schoen]

Loved it! Full of Clarissa's opinions and observations. A great read.

[Hermien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but she does go on a bit about her political/social views.