The Cat That Could Open The Fridge: A Curmudgeon's Guide To Christmas Round Robin Letters

by Simon Hoggart

The advent of the home computer has made Christmas round robin letters ubiquitous. Where once the hot news about Tamsin's A levels would be sent in a short note, now it's not unusual to get a letter that includes several pages of misery -emergency operations, dead relatives, sackings, rainy holidays and so forth -decorated with jolly snowmen and smiling Santas. Some people go further and send out whole booklets. Computers have also made it possible to include photographs of the family eating pate in their Provencal garden, or sitting in a hot tub in California.
Simon Hoggart gets hundreds of round robin letters sent to him every year and has collected the funniest, most irritating, most surreal extracts into this hilarious short book. Along the way he considers why people hate these letters so much and what they tell us about the British middle classes. What, exactly, lies behind the impulse to write about Roger's decision to cycle to work for health reasons, or Jeremy's trip to Tasmania, or the replacement pet rabbit?

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Comedy

145 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the books in my daughter's Christmas collection.

3 Stars = It was okay.

[John Frankham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across this in a communal bookcase two weeks ago in Sept 2023, and have just read it. It turns out that I read it five years ago. No memory of it!

Rating still 2*!

A few early giggles from this excoriation of Xmas round-robin letters, but the substance itself is so dull that the book is overlong at 144 pages, and the criticism of the smug by the ultra-smug author. A newspaper article would suffice.

The GR blurb:
The advent of the home computer has made Christmas round robin letters ubiquitous. Where once the hot news about Tamsin's A levels would be sent in a short note, now it's not unusual to get a letter that includes several pages of misery -emergency operations, dead relatives, sackings, rainy holidays and so forth -decorated with jolly snowmen and smiling Santas. Some people go further and send out whole booklets. Computers have also made it possible to include photographs of the family eating pate in their Provencal garden, or sitting in a hot tub in California.
Simon Hoggart gets hundreds of round robin letters sent to him every year and has collected the funniest, most irritating, most surreal extracts into this hilarious short book. Along the way he considers why people hate these letters so much and what they tell us about the British middle classes. What, exactly, lies behind the impulse to write about Roger's decision to cycle to work for health reasons, or Jeremy's trip to Tasmania, or the replacement pet rabbit?'

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of Round Robin Christmas letters from the time it became fashionable to make fun of them. Quite amusing but, like the follow up, does not seem as funny now as it did then

[Dark-Draco · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mildly amusing book about those cringe-worthy round robin letters that apparently people send with Christmas cards - I can't say I have ever received one, but then again, I have a lot of penpals so would just see it as a letter ;) Unfortunately, I did think the joke palled a little bit and the book became a bit repetitive - but probably my fault for reading it one go instead of dipping in and out of it when the mood took me. Still made me smile and helped the Christmas spirit evolve!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guardian columnist Simon Hoggart loathes Christmas "round robin" letters. So, of course, people send them to him by the dozen. In this volume, he has compiled some of the smuggest, most tedious and irrelevant details that certain people have felt compelled to share with their poor recipients, some of whom are virtual strangers. Hoggart has interposed these extracts with his own witty and often caustic commentary.

This was a quick read, a silly little "filler" book, perfect for reading between more serious titles. My favourite chapter was "Oh dear, what a plonker!", in which we read the comments of the letters' recipients.

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a laugh and this was the most humorous book I had on the shelf. Whilst hilarious in places, in others I didn't feel it was funny and actually thought it rather cruel.

[P A · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mean spirited snarky book, that while ridiculing boring round Robin letters manages to be more boring than even it's subject matter could manage.

Could have been an amusing article, ended up a terrible book.

[Pjyuu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.9 🌟

Funny

[Ruth Marriott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who would have thought a book about boring letters would be boring?

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of the worst letters that people send out at Christmastime--you know, the "how our family is doing" newsletter things that are either ridiculously braggy or ridiculously complainy. Names have been changed to protect the guilty.

I laughed out loud when I read one mother's brag, which went something like this: "We went to the parent-teacher conference, and Suzannah's teacher said, 'You've brought me a little jewel, and all I have to do is polish it!'"

[Annie Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already own this book and bought it for a friend. Brilliant, funny, clever and revealing. Such a shame that email and tweeting has killed the Christmas round robin.

[Reena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas funnies.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gleeful, annual re-read.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend bought me this book many years ago after me ranting at length about such letters. I still receive one , extremely boring, narcissistic letter every year and had to re read this if only to assuage my irritation. Contemplating sending this to the letter writer but possibly too subtle.
Entertaining read,at least I am not alone in my irritation.