*Watched in horror as someone helps themselves to the last roast potato?
*Broken out in hives at the suggestion that you 'Introduce yourself...' over Zoom?
*Been extra dramatic while rubbing in the shop's hand sanitiser, so everyone knows how thoroughly decent you are?
. . . then you may be suffering from VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS
Very British Problems are sweeping the nation like never before. They are in our homes, in our Zoom calls, in the queue for the supermarket, in our schools, cafés, parks, rivers, cities, towns, villages, glove boxes, sock drawers . . Basically, they're inescapable. There is no vaccine. There is no cure. So there we have it, we're stuck with the malady of Britishness for the foreseeable. Nightmare, isn't it?
Ah, well. Could be worse.
Not quite sure how, though, off the top of my head. Any thoughts?
Rob Temple is a journalist and founder of the @SoVeryBritish Twitter account, which now has more than one million followers, and a consultant on the official Channel 4 Very British Problems series.
Originally from Peterborough, he recently moved from South London to the countryside to provide more storage space for his rapidly expanding collection of inedible hot sauces and to be alone with his thought(s). He’s not that keen on hot drinks but is fine with just water if that’s okay?
Like binge-reading the fb page. I love his sense of humour and giggled my way through the book, highlighting half of it never to get around to actually quote it. Go, visit the fb page, it's fun. Not in a "well, this is fun" way. I truly enjoyed it.
More excellent, amusing and uncannily accurate observations on the behaviour of British personages. With the added bonus of some fun facts about food and inventions! (Basically if you enjoyed the first three books or the VBP social media accounts, you'll enjoy this.)
This is just as fun as the others. Bit repetitive as it is the 4th book. What I do enjoy is that the chapters can differ in format from time to time. Easy to either binge in an hour or so or read a bit from time to time when you get a few minutes. Just like the others. If you liked them, you’ll like this.
(I’m reviewing as a whole the 4 titles: Very British Problems: Making Life Awkward for Ourselves, One Rainy Day at a Time; Very British Problems Abroad; Very British Problems Volume III: Still Awkward, Still Raining; Very British Problems: The Most Awkward One Yet)
Hilarious episodes and short stories with an imaginative and curious common theme: how British people behave in multiple situations with their idiosyncrasies, awkwardness and self-consciousness, among a multitude of social conventions and cultural norms. The result is brilliant, mainly because - British or not - we can identify many of these traits in our own lives. The ones we are unfamiliar with and cannot grasp are equally funny, and we perceive them as part of an identity the author proudly owns. So entertaining.