What do you think?
Rate this book
The Henry Root Letters
The Henry Root Letters
252 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 1980
1 person is currently reading
93 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 21, 2017
I wish to protest most strongly about everything: Henry Root, the splendid, splenetic creation of eccentric lush and journo William Donaldson (1935-2005), is a self-made, spittle-flecked oddball who writes brazen and demented letters to the famous, powerful and rich. Supposedly a wet fish merchant from Fulham, he is an avatar for a lot of the to-the-right-of-Attila-the-Hun, Thatcher-supporting, mildly racist, entitled, liberal-baiting mansplaining that was de rigeur and absolutely unchallenged in the Spectator/Private Eye yachts and casinos circles that Donaldson frequented. (For a reminder of the flavour of the times, see Private Eye's disgusting homophobia under conceited old plop Richard Ingrams - the least of which is a regular cartoon called The Gays by Michael Heath, which at least had the virtue of being occasionally funny.)
Donaldson's ghastly creation wrote outrageous, threatening, scurrilous and outlandish letters to public figures, praising, insulting or attempting to bribe them. His heroes were few, but those who were, to Root's mind, "sound" - principally Mrs Thatcher, the Dowager Lady Birdwood and James Anderton, "God's Cop", the self-appointed guardian of Greater Manchester's morals.
Time has not been kind to Root. Not only have so many of the people approached here faded from the memory that one can't quite remember why they were laughable, but some of the attitudes verge on bullying and prejudice in a way that's now well beyond the bounds of acceptability by today's mores.
When he hits a target full on, or when the target responds with good grace or a sense of humour, it's hilarious, however. Kenneth Kendall, the elegant and generous newsreader who later went on to host Treasure Hunt following Anneka Rice's arse round Great Britain, answered Root's impertinent enquiry about his dental health with wit and elegance, returning the preferred pound note with the answer that his dentist should supply the Polygrip at his own expense, and supplying an autographed photo for Mrs Root. Esther Rantzen doesn't come out quite so well - there's a disagreement about whether the BBC should pay Root for some unusable script material, and Rantzen sends the same response to two different letters - the first from Root praising the show, the second, again thanking him and saying how much they appreciate viewer contributions is in response to his missive which says simply, "Dear Esther, You're a fat idiot and your show's a disgrace." (Angela Rippon, by contrast, comes out of this rather well.)
If further recommendation be needed, then surely there is none finer than Glenda Slagg/Linda Lee Potter: "About as funny as pushing somebody fully clothed into a swimming pool."
Donaldson's ghastly creation wrote outrageous, threatening, scurrilous and outlandish letters to public figures, praising, insulting or attempting to bribe them. His heroes were few, but those who were, to Root's mind, "sound" - principally Mrs Thatcher, the Dowager Lady Birdwood and James Anderton, "God's Cop", the self-appointed guardian of Greater Manchester's morals.
Time has not been kind to Root. Not only have so many of the people approached here faded from the memory that one can't quite remember why they were laughable, but some of the attitudes verge on bullying and prejudice in a way that's now well beyond the bounds of acceptability by today's mores.
When he hits a target full on, or when the target responds with good grace or a sense of humour, it's hilarious, however. Kenneth Kendall, the elegant and generous newsreader who later went on to host Treasure Hunt following Anneka Rice's arse round Great Britain, answered Root's impertinent enquiry about his dental health with wit and elegance, returning the preferred pound note with the answer that his dentist should supply the Polygrip at his own expense, and supplying an autographed photo for Mrs Root. Esther Rantzen doesn't come out quite so well - there's a disagreement about whether the BBC should pay Root for some unusable script material, and Rantzen sends the same response to two different letters - the first from Root praising the show, the second, again thanking him and saying how much they appreciate viewer contributions is in response to his missive which says simply, "Dear Esther, You're a fat idiot and your show's a disgrace." (Angela Rippon, by contrast, comes out of this rather well.)
If further recommendation be needed, then surely there is none finer than Glenda Slagg/Linda Lee Potter: "About as funny as pushing somebody fully clothed into a swimming pool."
March 22, 2009
Thinking of making a complaint??? read this first,...its inspiring
June 21, 2014
Bogus letters galore to a collosal range of public figures. Totally hilarious especially when you read the responses from the fools who took him seriously.
March 7, 2020
I read this when it first came out. Very funny!
September 24, 2024
What an old cod Mr Root is. And how rude! 3 stars
January 5, 2014
Crossposted at Booklikes
Root first came to my attention more years ago than I care to admit when I was in Denmark and saw the televised version of Root into Europe. It was so funny. Finally, I remembered that I hadn’t read the letters, so here I went.
I have to agree with the closing things idea.
For those who don’t know, the Root letters were actually sent to the people they are addressed to, and many of those people did actually write back. This was in 1979 so before email. There were these things called envelopes and you used stamps.
Root wrote the BBC – I think Monty Python had his number, the Queen, Prince Charles, various publishing houses. He love Thatcher and believe hanging should be brought back.
In short, he was the British version of Sarah Palin – but people apparently took him seriously (with the exception of Cambridge). A well off fish salesperson, Root forced his ideas, scripts, and books on everyone. He thinks models are for one thing only, and believes that he can coach a football team.
Reading the letters more than twenty years on is rather sad and funny. Funny because of the writing, but sad because I can’t see this being done with email. The letters aren’t really dated, with the exception of certain BBC television stars and the one to the South African Ambassador.
Really funny.
Root first came to my attention more years ago than I care to admit when I was in Denmark and saw the televised version of Root into Europe. It was so funny. Finally, I remembered that I hadn’t read the letters, so here I went.
I have to agree with the closing things idea.
For those who don’t know, the Root letters were actually sent to the people they are addressed to, and many of those people did actually write back. This was in 1979 so before email. There were these things called envelopes and you used stamps.
Root wrote the BBC – I think Monty Python had his number, the Queen, Prince Charles, various publishing houses. He love Thatcher and believe hanging should be brought back.
In short, he was the British version of Sarah Palin – but people apparently took him seriously (with the exception of Cambridge). A well off fish salesperson, Root forced his ideas, scripts, and books on everyone. He thinks models are for one thing only, and believes that he can coach a football team.
Reading the letters more than twenty years on is rather sad and funny. Funny because of the writing, but sad because I can’t see this being done with email. The letters aren’t really dated, with the exception of certain BBC television stars and the one to the South African Ambassador.
Really funny.
February 5, 2017
Back in 1979, people with too much time on their hands could send actual letters to leading politicians, judges and other luminaries of light entertainment, and expect a reply. The sender of these letters – a cantankerous crusader against pornography and modernity, and for hanging and Mrs. Thatcher – is a comic invention. But the replies are real. Together, they provide a powerful impression of what life must have been like in late-Seventies Britain for a retired trader in wet fish, seeing his country overrun by lesbians, lefties and other losers.
May 6, 2022
Sending Harriet Harman a pound to buy a pretty dress still makes me laugh now. Or saying that Henry Root Junior thought Cliff Richard was working behind the makeup counter at Boots makes me think, but for "Congratulations" go he.
I love this book and his laugh out style at trying to rankle celebrities and people in the public eye. Just as good were a few who took the time to read his letters and send back equally funny replies. Published in 1980, what would Henry Root of the wet fish emporium make of the A to Z listers of today. Look under any stone and I'm sure you'll find one
I love this book and his laugh out style at trying to rankle celebrities and people in the public eye. Just as good were a few who took the time to read his letters and send back equally funny replies. Published in 1980, what would Henry Root of the wet fish emporium make of the A to Z listers of today. Look under any stone and I'm sure you'll find one
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews