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Bottoms Up in Belgium: Seeking the High Points of the Low Land
Until 1993, Alec had never been to Belgium, so it came as some surprise whenin August that year he found himself at the altar of a small church in Flanders,reciting wedding vows in Flemish. It was the start, for better or for worse, of a long relationship with this unassuming and much maligned little country. He decided to put worldwide opinion to the test: is Belgium really as boring as people say it is? Immersing himself in Belgian culture – and sampling the local beer and ‘cat poo’ coffee along the way – he discovers a country of contradictions; of Michelin stars and processed food, where Trappist monks make the best beer in the world and grown men partake in vertical archery and watch roosters sing (not necessarily at the same time). This colourful and eccentric jaunt is proof that Belgium isn’t just a load of waffle.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 8, 2018
I quite liked his style, reminding a lot of Tim Moore. Some of the chapters held my interest more than others, but in an essay collection, that happens. Not really a book for tourists; those with travel narrative (including "My life as an expat in ... ") as genre of interest would likely appreciate it most.
October 10, 2015
There’s no denying that Belgium has a bit of a reputation of being a boring country. It’s the butt of a lot of “thick” jokes by its surrounding countries and rarely has a person been able to name ten famous Belgians.
I can only disagree with this opinion; I love Belgium. Its people are modest, friendly folk, Antwerp and Bruges are cities I never grow tired of looking at, its love for the art of making and drinking beer makes me extremely happy, and I can’t deny that I find the Flemish accent pleasant, sweet, even sexy. I grow more fond every day of living so close to Belgium’s borders, and luckily, I now have Alec Le Sueur as a companion against the endless Belgium-bashing.
Le Sueur, a Brit who married a Flemish woman in the early 1990’s, decided to attack the prejudices and put worldwide opinion to the test: is Belgium as boring as people say it is?
As a foreigner, he’s probably the best person to write about the country. Nobody describes Britain better than Bryson, and I needed the help of American Russell Shorto to rediscover how awesome the capital of my native country actually is.
By selecting random elements from the Belgian culture, Le Sueur discovers what makes Belgian chocolate great, how seriously they take their comic books, why grown men and cockerels hang out together at the local pubs every Sunday morning, that monks makes the best beers and that Belgian food can be both exquisite and utterly appalling.
It’s a bit of a mad dash through the country, its history and its people, and Le Sueur’s work can better be described as a collection of facts and trivia mixed with excerpts from his travelogue than any coherent book on Belgium and its culture. But his dry wit and choice to discuss the bad as well as the good make for a pleasant read and regularly brought a smile to my face while reading this book.
It’s questionable to me, though, how entertaining “Bottoms Up in Belgium” is to anyone who’s never set foot in this pleasant country. I enjoyed the book precisely for the reason that I enjoy the country; but people who’ve never seen the inside of a frietkot or can’t tell their Spirou from their Gaston Lagaffe, will probably be left puzzled by Le Sueur’s content.
As for myself, I wondered how many pages were reserved for each subject. Twenty pages are dedicated to the rather dry and humorless subject of the European Union, only to conclude that this is not an interesting part of Belgium; meanwhile, Le Sueur thinks the beer culture of Belgium is the country’s highlight, yet only describes it in ten hastily scribbled pages before quickly moving on.
Belgium deserves more love, and Alec Le Sueur gives it his all to let the rest of the world know so. Yet nothing beats the real thing, and I’d recommend visiting the country itself before picking up “Bottoms Up in Belgium” to enjoy it to its fullest extent.
I can only disagree with this opinion; I love Belgium. Its people are modest, friendly folk, Antwerp and Bruges are cities I never grow tired of looking at, its love for the art of making and drinking beer makes me extremely happy, and I can’t deny that I find the Flemish accent pleasant, sweet, even sexy. I grow more fond every day of living so close to Belgium’s borders, and luckily, I now have Alec Le Sueur as a companion against the endless Belgium-bashing.
Le Sueur, a Brit who married a Flemish woman in the early 1990’s, decided to attack the prejudices and put worldwide opinion to the test: is Belgium as boring as people say it is?
As a foreigner, he’s probably the best person to write about the country. Nobody describes Britain better than Bryson, and I needed the help of American Russell Shorto to rediscover how awesome the capital of my native country actually is.
By selecting random elements from the Belgian culture, Le Sueur discovers what makes Belgian chocolate great, how seriously they take their comic books, why grown men and cockerels hang out together at the local pubs every Sunday morning, that monks makes the best beers and that Belgian food can be both exquisite and utterly appalling.
It’s a bit of a mad dash through the country, its history and its people, and Le Sueur’s work can better be described as a collection of facts and trivia mixed with excerpts from his travelogue than any coherent book on Belgium and its culture. But his dry wit and choice to discuss the bad as well as the good make for a pleasant read and regularly brought a smile to my face while reading this book.
It’s questionable to me, though, how entertaining “Bottoms Up in Belgium” is to anyone who’s never set foot in this pleasant country. I enjoyed the book precisely for the reason that I enjoy the country; but people who’ve never seen the inside of a frietkot or can’t tell their Spirou from their Gaston Lagaffe, will probably be left puzzled by Le Sueur’s content.
As for myself, I wondered how many pages were reserved for each subject. Twenty pages are dedicated to the rather dry and humorless subject of the European Union, only to conclude that this is not an interesting part of Belgium; meanwhile, Le Sueur thinks the beer culture of Belgium is the country’s highlight, yet only describes it in ten hastily scribbled pages before quickly moving on.
Belgium deserves more love, and Alec Le Sueur gives it his all to let the rest of the world know so. Yet nothing beats the real thing, and I’d recommend visiting the country itself before picking up “Bottoms Up in Belgium” to enjoy it to its fullest extent.
February 7, 2018
The book is fun to read, a bit ironic sometimes but in a good way. For me it was a particularly important book because I was born in Belgium but didn’t grow up there and, as a personal mission , I wanted to know more about Belgian culture. The book, which explores particularities from the tiny European country, fulfilled that wish in some ways, but not in others. I feel that it could have been way bigger and with more content; as it is, with those chapters, it seemed unnecessarily superficial.
All in all, though, I appreciated the book a lot. I realised I knew more about it than I originally thought, as the majority of the information was common knowledge to me, but the things I didn’t know were surprising and intriguing. I recommend it as a starting point for anyone interested in knowing more about Belgium :)
All in all, though, I appreciated the book a lot. I realised I knew more about it than I originally thought, as the majority of the information was common knowledge to me, but the things I didn’t know were surprising and intriguing. I recommend it as a starting point for anyone interested in knowing more about Belgium :)
August 4, 2021
От прочетените книги до момента от поредицата, тази на Алек Льо Сюр ми допадна най-много. Написана е по забавен начин, който на няколко пъти ме накара да се усмихна широко. Авторът има една страхотна ирония в писането, едно много хубаво чувство за хумор, с което те води през страниците на книгата и ти не усещаш как поглъщат жадното всичко.
Основната цел на Алек с „Тост за непознатата Белгия“ е да ни покаже, че всъщност това не е толкова скучна страна, колкото всички си мислим. Да, не можем да се сетим някой известен белгиец или като цяло каквато и да е любопитна информация за страната, но всъщност се оказва, че Белгия определено не е скучна. И Алек е тук, за да ни го покаже.
Още в началото на книгата той ни представя спорт, свързан с надпяване, за който аз не подозирах. Споделя ни любопитни неща за символа на Белгия Манекен Пис и забавните, на моменти абсурдни, легенди за статуята. Разказва за ни за това какво е направил ЕС за Белгия и какво Белгия за ЕС. Белгийската музикална сцена ни е представена по един много различен начин, а любимият ми конкурс „Евровизия“ си има отделна глава в тази книга.
Разбира се и тук няма как да минем без храна, която в Белгия е много вкусна и в много големи количества. А какво е книга посветена на тази страна без да се изследва подробно и напитката, с която е известна – бирата. За тази тема дори има приложение в края на книгата, което обаче ще ви оставя сами да разберете какво е.
За мен най-любопитно беше обаче (и това ще е единственото нещо, което ще ви издам от книгата) е, че се оказа, че Белгия е страната, в която има най-много артисти, които се занимават с комикси. Това изкуство е на голям почит в страната, въпреки че определено не я свързваме с тази дейност. Например знаехте ли, че „Смърфовете“ са белгийски комикс?
И когато към всички тези любопитни факти, се прибави един страхотен, четивен стил на писане, който те и забавлява, се получава една наистина лека, разтоварваща книга, която ви препоръчвам с две ръце.
Основната цел на Алек с „Тост за непознатата Белгия“ е да ни покаже, че всъщност това не е толкова скучна страна, колкото всички си мислим. Да, не можем да се сетим някой известен белгиец или като цяло каквато и да е любопитна информация за страната, но всъщност се оказва, че Белгия определено не е скучна. И Алек е тук, за да ни го покаже.
Още в началото на книгата той ни представя спорт, свързан с надпяване, за който аз не подозирах. Споделя ни любопитни неща за символа на Белгия Манекен Пис и забавните, на моменти абсурдни, легенди за статуята. Разказва за ни за това какво е направил ЕС за Белгия и какво Белгия за ЕС. Белгийската музикална сцена ни е представена по един много различен начин, а любимият ми конкурс „Евровизия“ си има отделна глава в тази книга.
Разбира се и тук няма как да минем без храна, която в Белгия е много вкусна и в много големи количества. А какво е книга посветена на тази страна без да се изследва подробно и напитката, с която е известна – бирата. За тази тема дори има приложение в края на книгата, което обаче ще ви оставя сами да разберете какво е.
За мен най-любопитно беше обаче (и това ще е единственото нещо, което ще ви издам от книгата) е, че се оказа, че Белгия е страната, в която има най-много артисти, които се занимават с комикси. Това изкуство е на голям почит в страната, въпреки че определено не я свързваме с тази дейност. Например знаехте ли, че „Смърфовете“ са белгийски комикс?
И когато към всички тези любопитни факти, се прибави един страхотен, четивен стил на писане, който те и забавлява, се получава една наистина лека, разтоварваща книга, която ви препоръчвам с две ръце.
November 10, 2019
Fun read before our trip -- gave me a feel for the country with an added dose of brevity and humor. My favorite sections were (not surprisingly) on beer and chocolate.
June 25, 2015
I am a bit of a Belgophile. I go there most years for at least a few days and spend way too much time sampling different Belgian beers and eating wonderful Belgian food. Yet I am constantly met with the question, "Belgium? But isn't it...boring?" After years of arguing on behalf of the interestingness of Belgium I was happy to find a book in my library which devoted itself to exactly that topic. Always happy to find other people waving the flag for the Belgian cause, I of course had to read it. (By the way - this is not the only book about the interestingness of Belgium - Harry Pearson's "Tall Man in a Low Land" is also a gem you should check out.)
Alec le Sueur's book investigates some of the stranger aspects of Belgian history and culture in search of the "interesting", to counterpoint the claims of the uninitiated that Belgium is boring. He does have the advantage of being married to a Belgian, which gives him a greater insight into the country than occasional visitors like myself would have. Hence the whole chapter dedicated to the art of "chicken singing".
From the Atomium to Belgian Beer, from Belgium's darker history to the mythical origins of Manneken Pis, from Eurovision song contest to "chicken singing", Le Sueur takes you down a lesser-travelled but always interesting path. I found myself making notes while reading - "must remember to check this out on our next visit"; sometimes chuckling, sometimes choking at the sadder and more tragic chapters. Some chapters (on Belgian music for instance) moved from chuckles to choking very quickly.
If you like Belgium, if you have lived in Belgium, if you have spent time with Belgians, then you will enjoy this book. If nothing else, it's worth making a copy of the recommended beers list at the back of the book as a reference and remembering his advice: "No more Stella until all other available beers have been tried." In a country with some thousands of different beer brands, there is plenty to keep you interested.
Alec le Sueur's book investigates some of the stranger aspects of Belgian history and culture in search of the "interesting", to counterpoint the claims of the uninitiated that Belgium is boring. He does have the advantage of being married to a Belgian, which gives him a greater insight into the country than occasional visitors like myself would have. Hence the whole chapter dedicated to the art of "chicken singing".
From the Atomium to Belgian Beer, from Belgium's darker history to the mythical origins of Manneken Pis, from Eurovision song contest to "chicken singing", Le Sueur takes you down a lesser-travelled but always interesting path. I found myself making notes while reading - "must remember to check this out on our next visit"; sometimes chuckling, sometimes choking at the sadder and more tragic chapters. Some chapters (on Belgian music for instance) moved from chuckles to choking very quickly.
If you like Belgium, if you have lived in Belgium, if you have spent time with Belgians, then you will enjoy this book. If nothing else, it's worth making a copy of the recommended beers list at the back of the book as a reference and remembering his advice: "No more Stella until all other available beers have been tried." In a country with some thousands of different beer brands, there is plenty to keep you interested.
September 16, 2015
I picked this book up at an English language bookstore in Brussels. It was hard to turn down a book that seeks out the unique and valuable things Belgian culture has to offer (and which are little-known to the rest of the world). In fact, while describing the book to my husband, we had some fun trying, as the author did, to name ten unique and interesting things about Belgium. To Belgium's eternal credit, we did far better than either of us could manage with neighboring Luxembourg. If you have ever visited Belgium or plan to do so, or want to research rooster singing contests, this is a happy book to pick up. Noteworthy is the author's list of Belgian beers at the back which makes a strong argument for a repeat trip to the country. I also feel a sudden urge to research a similar chocolate list of my own.
December 17, 2018
As a Belgian but having been an expat most of my life I am always interested in these kind of books.
But the book disappointed me. The guy clearly thinks he's very funny but his style is borderline cynical and dare I say sometimes disrespectful instead of ironic. And please, what's the point of adding these beer notes.. please correct the typos and please note that the language is called Dutch not Flemish. Belgium is indeed not a load of waffle but I am afraid this book is.
But the book disappointed me. The guy clearly thinks he's very funny but his style is borderline cynical and dare I say sometimes disrespectful instead of ironic. And please, what's the point of adding these beer notes.. please correct the typos and please note that the language is called Dutch not Flemish. Belgium is indeed not a load of waffle but I am afraid this book is.
December 20, 2020
Got a couple of things for my bucket list now!
August 27, 2021
С голям интерес започнах да чета книгата. По стечение на обстоятелствата живея от една година в Белгия и книгата си беше като предизвикателство за мен. Хайде да видим какво съм успяла да науча и какво ми е убягнало. Много ��обро и успешно от моя гледна точка описание на държавата. Естествено, че имам разминаване с автора по някои моменти, но все пак всичко е въпрос и на вкус. Но определено има доста сериозно представяне на Белгия. Описанието в никакъв случай не е сухо и скучно, напротив преплетено е с много хумор и ирония. Забавлявах се докато я четох. Маркирах си доста моменти, събития и какво ли не за повече проверка и изследване. Определено е забавно четиво ако ви предстои пътуване да Белгия.
April 6, 2019
A quick grab in Brussels airport - and a quick read.
It’s full of facts and stories, some with references to youtube which makes it an interactive read and some discoveries are actually much fun as the penguins from Jeux Sans Frontières. Hillarious, really!
The idea of the book is to find interesting things about Belgium as author is concerned with how boring and unsexy is this destination. It is filled with british ignorance, especially in the first chapters but then as the author slowly explores the country it gets better.
This book is good for some fun facts, figures and highlights, and at the very end the author convinces himself Belgium is actually an interesting place. Voilà.
It’s full of facts and stories, some with references to youtube which makes it an interactive read and some discoveries are actually much fun as the penguins from Jeux Sans Frontières. Hillarious, really!
The idea of the book is to find interesting things about Belgium as author is concerned with how boring and unsexy is this destination. It is filled with british ignorance, especially in the first chapters but then as the author slowly explores the country it gets better.
This book is good for some fun facts, figures and highlights, and at the very end the author convinces himself Belgium is actually an interesting place. Voilà.
May 2, 2019
If Belgium is on your travel list, I highly recommend this book. Part travel guide, part memoir,
Le Sueur’s search for the high points is a good natured, often hilarious (especially the chapter on Belgium’s place in the Eurovision contests, ) introduction. It was written in 2014 so some info is already a bit out of date, but worth reading mainly for his approach and astute observations on this small but important European Union country.
Le Sueur’s search for the high points is a good natured, often hilarious (especially the chapter on Belgium’s place in the Eurovision contests, ) introduction. It was written in 2014 so some info is already a bit out of date, but worth reading mainly for his approach and astute observations on this small but important European Union country.
January 6, 2022
It was a hit and miss for me. Some of the strong points of this book are the passion with which the author talks about small, uninteresting Belgium. It is very clear that the author loves this country and has done a great deal of research into some of the topics. However, the personal experiences parts of the book were at times a bit too much for me and I found myself wanting to skip large chunks of description of Formula 1 or festival attendance portions.
February 11, 2023
Very funny book. Had not really ever thought much about Belgium this book has made me aware that belgium is interesting. The people are resilient (survived so many wars), proud (many national heroes), aggressive (cycling, refuse to be subservient to French, English, German), unique (bird sports). Even Hitler as a young soldier was greatly affected by his frontline stay in Belgium. Easy to read and informative.
* I especially enjoyed to Sinterklaas /Crusade connection.
* I especially enjoyed to Sinterklaas /Crusade connection.
April 15, 2018
Living in The Netherlands and having read the dutch equivalent, i was very curious about this book. I learned quite a few things about Belgium and was more impressed with the second half of the book than the slightly too giddy first part. Docked a point for too much forced humour in the early chapters.
September 15, 2019
Reminds me of A Xenophobes Guide to Belgium, this "guide" describes the quirky side of Belgium as observed by a British expat, married to a Belgian girl... Funny and informative, that's how we like it !
June 19, 2020
I was-prior to COVID-planning a trip to Belgium and found this book highly recommended. It's wry observational humor. It was enjoyable, helpful to learn more about the culture and history of the people. I did skip some of the beer and comic chapter, but not the chocolate!
January 8, 2025
The author is a Brit who married a woman from Belgium. This is a lighthearted look at different cultural elements of Belgium, from auto racing to comic strips to atrocities perpetrated in the Congo.
January 9, 2021
An interesting book for those who would like to taste a bit more of Belgium. A good introduction to a lot of thematics that end making Belgium a very interesting culture
November 3, 2021
Belgium
November 8, 2021
hilarious account of an otherwise boring country
October 8, 2022
Unfortunately, this is just rather dull and doesn't inspire a trip to Belgium in the slightest.
February 4, 2023
Very fun book!
May 17, 2024
Entretenido libro para descubrir algunas curiosidades sobre Bélgica y comprender la idiosincrasia de los habitantes de dicho país.
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June 24, 2023Author clearly thinks he’s the smartest man in the room. The is the literature equivalent of licking your own backside….it’s nothing more than a smarmy love letter to himself. A decent beer in Grand Place is one of life’s joys and he slated it….garbage.
January 4, 2020
Picked up this book at the airport and after a quick flipping through the pages I thought it would be interesting to see what a foreigner's experience in my country was like :).
It is true our quirky country is not so well known even to our neighbors, so this book provides more insight for those interested or planning to move to Belgium.
While you would expect chapters on Beers, chocolate, the European Union, summer festivals (Zomerfestivals with one M), etc in a book about Belgium I certainly did not expect a chapter on Formula1 or cockerel singing (did not even know it was a thing), so I learned a bit myself as well on my own country while reading.
I found the chapters on the EU and Eurovision lengthy and boring. On the other hand how can one make a topic on institutions and bureaucracy entertaining? And as for the Eurovision I must not be that Belgian since I have no interest in it whatsoever :).
The music part could have been so much better, it is unfortunate the author was at Pukkelpop the wrong year.
This is not a book for tourists with some quick best tips and introduction to Belgium, it is more for people interested, or potential expats to get a feel of what's to come :).
The book gives a good glimpse at the Belgian culture, but it is mostly based on flemish culture which is different from the Walloon one, as a Belgian I have to say this.
The book all in all is rather pleasant to read and the author has a nice dry wit humor which made it enjoyable.
Note to the author : What is wrong with Gueuze beer? I actually like it
It is true our quirky country is not so well known even to our neighbors, so this book provides more insight for those interested or planning to move to Belgium.
While you would expect chapters on Beers, chocolate, the European Union, summer festivals (Zomerfestivals with one M), etc in a book about Belgium I certainly did not expect a chapter on Formula1 or cockerel singing (did not even know it was a thing), so I learned a bit myself as well on my own country while reading.
I found the chapters on the EU and Eurovision lengthy and boring. On the other hand how can one make a topic on institutions and bureaucracy entertaining? And as for the Eurovision I must not be that Belgian since I have no interest in it whatsoever :).
The music part could have been so much better, it is unfortunate the author was at Pukkelpop the wrong year.
This is not a book for tourists with some quick best tips and introduction to Belgium, it is more for people interested, or potential expats to get a feel of what's to come :).
The book gives a good glimpse at the Belgian culture, but it is mostly based on flemish culture which is different from the Walloon one, as a Belgian I have to say this.
The book all in all is rather pleasant to read and the author has a nice dry wit humor which made it enjoyable.
Note to the author : What is wrong with Gueuze beer? I actually like it
February 20, 2014
Very funny book written by an Englishman who married a Belgian lady and who shares his impressions of Belgium with his readers. Splendid combination of British humor with Belgian… what should I call it … peculiarity. The author has the quest to seek all that is interesting about Belgium and takes us on a tour going from the expected beer & food, over Congo and Napoleon, music, sports and even the Eurovisionsongcontest. I found it highly amusing to read how Belgium and its people are perceived by foreigners. Nice perspective. Funny stories and perspectives. Yet at the same time, the book remained shallow from time to time and I regret the fact that his chapter on music was dominated by the storm at Pukkelpop in 2011. Though truly sad, this is by no means representative of Belgian music as a whole. Funny intermezzo. Easy read.
November 16, 2016
I studied in Belgium for a couple of years and since day one I loved the country, so when I saw this book I bought it without hesitation. It’s a good book with interesting facts of the country, some well known and others not so much (even for Belgians), for example none of my friends knew about the rooster singing competitions. The only problem for me was the author’s sense of humor, I know he is British but I have never been able to deal with the obnoxiousness and bitchiness of the British humor; but with a couple of deep breaths and a roll of eyes between chapters I was ready for the next one.
February 27, 2014
I loved this book. I am an expat living in Brussels and can identify with many of the Belgian quirks and foibles Le Sueur writes about in a way that made me laugh. I'd never heard of rooster singing and haven't been to the Formula One down in Spa yet but after reading this book I've decided to spend more time visiting other parts of the country than just Brussels. I couldn't agree more with his observations on Manneken Pis - and the mole legend is brilliant. Very funny book - best I've read so far on Belgium.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews