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A Chip Shop in Poznan: My Unlikely Year in Poland
'One of the funniest books of the year' - Paul Ross, talkRADIO
Not many Brits move to Poland to work in a fish and chip shop. Fewer still come back wanting to be a Member of the European Parliament.
Ben Aitken moved to Poland in 2016 to understand why the Poles were leaving. He booked the cheapest flight he could find, to a place he had never heard of - Poznan. This candid, funny and off-beat book is the account of his year in Poland, as an unlikely immigrant.
Between peeling potatoes and boning fish, Ben spent time on the road travelling the country. He missed the bus to Auschwitz; stayed with a dozen nuns near Krakow; was offered a job by a Eurosceptic farmer and went to Gdansk to learn how communism got the chop. This is a bittersweet portrait of an unsung country, challenging stereotypes that Poland is a grey, ex-soviet land, and revealing a diverse country, rightfully proud of its colourful identity.
Not many Brits move to Poland to work in a fish and chip shop. Fewer still come back wanting to be a Member of the European Parliament.
Ben Aitken moved to Poland in 2016 to understand why the Poles were leaving. He booked the cheapest flight he could find, to a place he had never heard of - Poznan. This candid, funny and off-beat book is the account of his year in Poland, as an unlikely immigrant.
Between peeling potatoes and boning fish, Ben spent time on the road travelling the country. He missed the bus to Auschwitz; stayed with a dozen nuns near Krakow; was offered a job by a Eurosceptic farmer and went to Gdansk to learn how communism got the chop. This is a bittersweet portrait of an unsung country, challenging stereotypes that Poland is a grey, ex-soviet land, and revealing a diverse country, rightfully proud of its colourful identity.
356 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2019
112 people are currently reading
1088 people want to read
About the author
Ben Aitken
11 books137 followersBen Aitken was born under Thatcher, grew to 6ft then stopped, and is an Aquarius. He is the author of six books: Dear Bill Bryson, A Chip Shop in Poznan (a Times bestseller), The Gran Tour ('Both moving and hilarious', Spectator), The Marmalade Diaries, Here Comes the Fun and Shitty Breaks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
February 9, 2020
Terrible. The writer is not as charming or funny as he thinks (the book isn’t funny at all) and it’s indulgent, patronising nonsense. Also boring. Not even the ‘traces’ of insight promised on the cover. If I’d met him while living there I would’ve avoided at the outset.
June 20, 2021
3.6 ⭐
Много приятна книга, чрез която се доближих още повече до полската култура. Често съм ходила в Полша, по работа, и съм с прекрасни впечатления от тяхната натура, но никога не ми се е удавало възможност да науча повече за техните традиции и обичаи. Тази книга ме въведе буквално в тамошните домове, настани ме на техните маси и ме гости с местната кухня. Имаше и доста забавни моменти 🙂
Харесвам такива книги, които ми помагат да опозная различни светове и култури.
Много приятна книга, чрез която се доближих още повече до полската култура. Често съм ходила в Полша, по работа, и съм с прекрасни впечатления от тяхната натура, но никога не ми се е удавало възможност да науча повече за техните традиции и обичаи. Тази книга ме въведе буквално в тамошните домове, настани ме на техните маси и ме гости с местната кухня. Имаше и доста забавни моменти 🙂
Харесвам такива книги, които ми помагат да опозная различни светове и култури.
January 6, 2021
2/5 stars
As someone who very vaguely studied Poland's diaspora in England for geography, I was quite intrigued by the prospect of learning more about a country so antagonised by the British media. Whilst this book had lots of heart, it definitely wasn't the critical essay I was hoping for. Because the author decided to just describe his life in Poland in a diary like manner, there felt like no drive or forward movement in the novel. Each chapter feels inconsequential and trivial as they were all independent accounts of events, there was no plot or overarching development. This made it quite unmotivating to read as I wasn't particularly interested in the author's attempts to hike up a mountain in the dark Polish winter or failed romantic endeavours but more so the political and cultural environment. That being said, the discussions of politics is at the backdrop of the entire novel yet is fleetingly discussed. Moreover, I still don't feel like I got an idea of what Polish culture is except setting a place out for a stranger, ranging hospitality and 'weird' food (as an Asian, I personally think that we need to get over our meager limit on what 'food' should look like and just embrace others culture instead of bitching or making fun of how people made the most out of everything, but I digress).
Besides the subpar structure and lack of an exploration or depth on the effects of British antagonization of Poland and Polish politics, this book just screamed PRIVILEGE to me. Despite being an immigrant, the author, being a presumably straight white man, gets away with a lot of behaviour that I just know, most minorities could never even think about eg. literally going to a stranger's house in the middle of the night to have dinner, having a beer with a racist bigot to 'understand his perspective', sleeping on the sidewalk etc. There was an altercation in the beginning and throughout the novel about Islamaphobia yet the author never seems to recognise how much he is able to get away with. The almost constant appraisal of being British itself is made fun of and never acknowledged. Maybe it's my liberal snowflake beliefs but I feel like there should've been a greater discussion of privilege in a novel about immigrants, status quo and persona.
This novel seems to be more cathartic for the author than anything else. His recounts of existentialism and general "what is my purpose in life" puncture the novel in an unexpectedly touching way. And whilst I appreciate the glimpses of Poland that we get (a whole tour around the country), unfortunately, the meandering and low-key first world problem experiences described in the novel didn't provide the indepth look into what living in Poland is really like, that I wanted.
This book would've been much better if it was more argumentative instead of descriptive but I can understand that the author wasn't trying to make a huge political statement but rather just describe what happened and lead you to believe what you want- a key theme near the end (I liked the discussion of the glamourisation of news and its harmful effects). It just wasn't what I expected.
As someone who very vaguely studied Poland's diaspora in England for geography, I was quite intrigued by the prospect of learning more about a country so antagonised by the British media. Whilst this book had lots of heart, it definitely wasn't the critical essay I was hoping for. Because the author decided to just describe his life in Poland in a diary like manner, there felt like no drive or forward movement in the novel. Each chapter feels inconsequential and trivial as they were all independent accounts of events, there was no plot or overarching development. This made it quite unmotivating to read as I wasn't particularly interested in the author's attempts to hike up a mountain in the dark Polish winter or failed romantic endeavours but more so the political and cultural environment. That being said, the discussions of politics is at the backdrop of the entire novel yet is fleetingly discussed. Moreover, I still don't feel like I got an idea of what Polish culture is except setting a place out for a stranger, ranging hospitality and 'weird' food (as an Asian, I personally think that we need to get over our meager limit on what 'food' should look like and just embrace others culture instead of bitching or making fun of how people made the most out of everything, but I digress).
Besides the subpar structure and lack of an exploration or depth on the effects of British antagonization of Poland and Polish politics, this book just screamed PRIVILEGE to me. Despite being an immigrant, the author, being a presumably straight white man, gets away with a lot of behaviour that I just know, most minorities could never even think about eg. literally going to a stranger's house in the middle of the night to have dinner, having a beer with a racist bigot to 'understand his perspective', sleeping on the sidewalk etc. There was an altercation in the beginning and throughout the novel about Islamaphobia yet the author never seems to recognise how much he is able to get away with. The almost constant appraisal of being British itself is made fun of and never acknowledged. Maybe it's my liberal snowflake beliefs but I feel like there should've been a greater discussion of privilege in a novel about immigrants, status quo and persona.
This novel seems to be more cathartic for the author than anything else. His recounts of existentialism and general "what is my purpose in life" puncture the novel in an unexpectedly touching way. And whilst I appreciate the glimpses of Poland that we get (a whole tour around the country), unfortunately, the meandering and low-key first world problem experiences described in the novel didn't provide the indepth look into what living in Poland is really like, that I wanted.
This book would've been much better if it was more argumentative instead of descriptive but I can understand that the author wasn't trying to make a huge political statement but rather just describe what happened and lead you to believe what you want- a key theme near the end (I liked the discussion of the glamourisation of news and its harmful effects). It just wasn't what I expected.
February 9, 2020
The English 75% of me:
I don’t want to be rude about this book, because I am not convinced that the author is really ok, and someone should probably check in on him. It was interesting at times, but frustrating at others, and a bit of a struggle to finish.
The Polish 25% of me:
Do not trust a word this man says; he doesn’t like pierogi, but you only find out 200 pages in. Poland did not ask for your opinion but I suppose you do acknowledge that at the end.
I don’t want to be rude about this book, because I am not convinced that the author is really ok, and someone should probably check in on him. It was interesting at times, but frustrating at others, and a bit of a struggle to finish.
The Polish 25% of me:
Do not trust a word this man says; he doesn’t like pierogi, but you only find out 200 pages in. Poland did not ask for your opinion but I suppose you do acknowledge that at the end.
July 4, 2019
After a recent phase of reading about the holocaust and the Polish people’s dark and troubled past, I was ready to introduce a lighter period of literature into my life and the ‘Chip Shop in Poznan’ was right up my street and a good segway into a glimpse of post war, post-communist Poland.
Ben’s journey to discover the relationship between Poland and Britain and why so many Poles were leaving home, which just happened to be during the year of the referendum, was so colourful and witty that I literally couldn’t wait to meet the next chapter.
It was littered with humour and so descriptive that I could easily believe I was already there alongside Ben (in between peeling spuds and boning cod) as he staked out the various towns, cities, pubs and bars, meeting the queerest and dearest of folks, eating the weirdest concoctions and experiencing all the wonderful and sometimes dangerous (female) encounters along the way. I particularly enjoyed Ben’s stint as an ESL teacher, having personally supported non English speaking students, I found his newly acquired skills and experiences familiar and hilarious!
Images previously embedded in my head of a grey and gloomy Poland were wiped out and replaced with colour, humour, a little suspense and a bit of an education, moving it higher up my list of ‘places to visit before I die’.
A Chip Shop in Poznan is great value for money if you want a travel guide, a history lesson, a therapy session and a ‘laugh out loud’ turn pager!
Ben’s journey to discover the relationship between Poland and Britain and why so many Poles were leaving home, which just happened to be during the year of the referendum, was so colourful and witty that I literally couldn’t wait to meet the next chapter.
It was littered with humour and so descriptive that I could easily believe I was already there alongside Ben (in between peeling spuds and boning cod) as he staked out the various towns, cities, pubs and bars, meeting the queerest and dearest of folks, eating the weirdest concoctions and experiencing all the wonderful and sometimes dangerous (female) encounters along the way. I particularly enjoyed Ben’s stint as an ESL teacher, having personally supported non English speaking students, I found his newly acquired skills and experiences familiar and hilarious!
Images previously embedded in my head of a grey and gloomy Poland were wiped out and replaced with colour, humour, a little suspense and a bit of an education, moving it higher up my list of ‘places to visit before I die’.
A Chip Shop in Poznan is great value for money if you want a travel guide, a history lesson, a therapy session and a ‘laugh out loud’ turn pager!
April 19, 2021
I came to the author from his previous travel book: Dear Bill Bryson: Footnotes from a Small Island, which I believe should be read before this one, if possible, as an introduction.
Going to start with the reason for above opinion... at times, author struck me as (what an American might call) a frat boy: making enough to get by for rent and drinking. However, that's me, and I know it's not the story of being a Mormon missionary in Poland! Still, occasionally I did hope there'd be more... insight, shall we say. Overall, there was.
Aitken includes interactions with a very wide range of folks, including ones who didn't speak (much) English from across the country (he makes several "field trips" to other cities). As a slight spoiler, there's a Christmas custom of an empty place at each table for a (hungry) stranger, so he "invites" himself to a random family's dinner!
Definitely worth purchasing a copy for those who think they'd like it!
Going to start with the reason for above opinion... at times, author struck me as (what an American might call) a frat boy: making enough to get by for rent and drinking. However, that's me, and I know it's not the story of being a Mormon missionary in Poland! Still, occasionally I did hope there'd be more... insight, shall we say. Overall, there was.
Aitken includes interactions with a very wide range of folks, including ones who didn't speak (much) English from across the country (he makes several "field trips" to other cities). As a slight spoiler, there's a Christmas custom of an empty place at each table for a (hungry) stranger, so he "invites" himself to a random family's dinner!
Definitely worth purchasing a copy for those who think they'd like it!
August 27, 2023
Mixed feelings on this one.
The starting point is super interesting with a Brit going to Poland at Brexit times, forming his own opinion on Poland and trying to live a real polish life.
The things he encounters and endeavors he undertakes (the Christmas dinner) are interesting and could be at times hilarious.
However it was also not super easy to read somehow, I usually read a book like this in several days, this I read over the course of two months. I could not continue it for many pages at a time. The writing style was very often too much of an attempt to be funny, so that the desired light touch became a bit strained. Aggravated by the author using the same type of style figures often; putting people on the wrong foot (when you over do that people start thinking you are arrogant too), struggling through some hardship. Anyway it never felt fully alive.
And I also did not like his “preacher” persona when he talks about EU, racism and many other things. Even though I fully agree with him on these points a book like this is not the platform to share your political views and other convictions (do not feed bread to the ducks people, do not!) and show offs on what he has read; at these moments I always put the book away again.
Since the idea of the book is nice and the things that happen interesting I would recommend reading this book, however one chapter at a time, and some other things in between.
The starting point is super interesting with a Brit going to Poland at Brexit times, forming his own opinion on Poland and trying to live a real polish life.
The things he encounters and endeavors he undertakes (the Christmas dinner) are interesting and could be at times hilarious.
However it was also not super easy to read somehow, I usually read a book like this in several days, this I read over the course of two months. I could not continue it for many pages at a time. The writing style was very often too much of an attempt to be funny, so that the desired light touch became a bit strained. Aggravated by the author using the same type of style figures often; putting people on the wrong foot (when you over do that people start thinking you are arrogant too), struggling through some hardship. Anyway it never felt fully alive.
And I also did not like his “preacher” persona when he talks about EU, racism and many other things. Even though I fully agree with him on these points a book like this is not the platform to share your political views and other convictions (do not feed bread to the ducks people, do not!) and show offs on what he has read; at these moments I always put the book away again.
Since the idea of the book is nice and the things that happen interesting I would recommend reading this book, however one chapter at a time, and some other things in between.
July 29, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging and soul baring book. It's also VERY funny.
The premise is brilliant - do to the Eastern Europeans what they do to the Brits - come over legally and work hard at the jobs we don't want. Unfortunately Ben would be the first to admit that his work ethic and time keeping makes the balance a little uneven.
And only in Poland would they make him debone whole, frozen cod and peel and slice potatoes in a fish shop. Or dry cows (love that mistranslation). Or teach English phrasal verbs to infants.
Travel writing at its finest, Bill Bryson meets Philomena Cunk meets Mark Lawson.
The premise is brilliant - do to the Eastern Europeans what they do to the Brits - come over legally and work hard at the jobs we don't want. Unfortunately Ben would be the first to admit that his work ethic and time keeping makes the balance a little uneven.
And only in Poland would they make him debone whole, frozen cod and peel and slice potatoes in a fish shop. Or dry cows (love that mistranslation). Or teach English phrasal verbs to infants.
Travel writing at its finest, Bill Bryson meets Philomena Cunk meets Mark Lawson.
July 3, 2020
Being of Polish background I was really looking forward to reading this book. The concept seemed interesting and I found the beginning of the book amusing, especially the chapter on teaching English to Polish students. However, further on the writing got very boring, with whole chapters describing insignificant events, uninteresting characters and too many hangovers. Not funny at all...
September 3, 2022
this book is a good example on why the british are not particularly liked in europe. i have bought the book sold on the seemingly interesting concept of ‘reverse migration’ of a brit to poland, however this entire book has just screamed ‘privilege’ to me. it was neither really introspective or as funny as the author thought he was being. personally he just seems like a bit of a dick, but is so lazy that can’t even full commit to that.
also, being polish myself, some facts and translations were not correct and i found it weirdly frustrating - was it that hard to double or triple check with one or two of the 700k poles living in the uk during the edit?
usually it would take me a day or two two finish a book of this calibre, but i struggled with this one over the course of two months. was it worth it? not sure. maybe i’m being bitter, but i’m writing this as i have just finished reading ‘the chip shop’, so i blame my mood on the book.
also, being polish myself, some facts and translations were not correct and i found it weirdly frustrating - was it that hard to double or triple check with one or two of the 700k poles living in the uk during the edit?
usually it would take me a day or two two finish a book of this calibre, but i struggled with this one over the course of two months. was it worth it? not sure. maybe i’m being bitter, but i’m writing this as i have just finished reading ‘the chip shop’, so i blame my mood on the book.
July 24, 2021
2.5 stars. This book is very much like the stereotypes of the English abroad and I did cringe quite a bit reading it. That being said there were a few funny moments and I feel bad just giving it 2 stars only.
March 16, 2020
Really liked this. It showed me Poland from a completely different angle, one which I hope to experience for myself one day.
Thought it was going to have more detail in certain areas- more in depth conversations etc. Answering the questions asked. But after reading it I think the detail is there it’s just more spread out. Focused more on people.
Gave me a good view into modern life in Poland. Political and social standings in Poland.
Descriptions and the way he noticed little things and him commenting what he took photos of was cool. Felt like I was there amongst the people and different events.
Some bits were cringe.
Enjoyed the narrative voice.
Funnnyyy. Modern travelling.
Thought it was going to have more detail in certain areas- more in depth conversations etc. Answering the questions asked. But after reading it I think the detail is there it’s just more spread out. Focused more on people.
Gave me a good view into modern life in Poland. Political and social standings in Poland.
Descriptions and the way he noticed little things and him commenting what he took photos of was cool. Felt like I was there amongst the people and different events.
Some bits were cringe.
Enjoyed the narrative voice.
Funnnyyy. Modern travelling.
May 18, 2023
A roughly ten hour unabridged audiobook. It's rare to get only 1 star from me. But im disappointed from all angles. 1- not funny at all... not a single laugh, or even a snicker out of me. 2. Boring and dull. Out of the entire book I found perhaps 30-45 minutes of it interesting, mostly centered on his showing up unannounced to have a Christmas Eve dinner with a family.
September 11, 2019
A seemingly endless journal of insignificant events of the authors dull tedious experiences. The only way I could finish this book was with 8 rounds of .45acp
June 2, 2020
This book had a promising premise, however became mundane and nonsensical. After the outcome of the Brexit vote (which the author did not vote in), the book became quite politically charged.
January 14, 2021
I love moving to new places, especially new countries where I don't really speak the language. There is something exciting yet comforting in being somewhere new, being lost on a new map, finding a supermarket or a bus stop.
Reading Ben's book made me want to move abroad. His book is partly about Poland, partly about feeling disconnected from others and partly about Ben. There's a bit of Brexit in there, too (but not too much).
An enjoyable book about an Englishman moving to the land of my birth, which made me laugh out loud at times.
Reading Ben's book made me want to move abroad. His book is partly about Poland, partly about feeling disconnected from others and partly about Ben. There's a bit of Brexit in there, too (but not too much).
An enjoyable book about an Englishman moving to the land of my birth, which made me laugh out loud at times.
December 27, 2019
As a Polish person I think this boom was full of stereotypes. The narrative seemed to emanate a sense of entitlement, which put me off finishing the book.
September 5, 2019
Every year hundreds of Poles move to the UK, but why? What is so special about Britain that they do so? In a strange twist of Immigration, Aitken sets off to discover for himself through moving to Poland for a year. In Poland he recounts his experiences of showing up uninvited to a stranger's house on Christmas, discovering how bad he is at making fish and chips as well as teaching, and visiting Auschwitz. I really enjoyed this book especially as soon I will be going to Poland myself. It was light-hearted and a fun read.
August 29, 2019
I was glad of having the end of this book to read on such a shameful day in the UK. I definitely need to seek out his 'Dear Bill Bryson' tour of Britain and I thought it brave of him to admit that he had not, because of the language barriers, been able to get under the skin of Poland and the Polish in the same way.
This is one of those engaging rambling, waffling, flaneur-ish books that is deceptively meaningful, quietly passionate. Aitken took his curiosity as the EU referendum approached to go and investigate Poland and why Polish people come to the UK, and to do so by living there for a year and doing minimum wage jobs. It was sobering in the acknowledgements to realise he is doing minimum wage jobs back here whilst writing - I sincerely hope he's a more diligent carer than he is a preparer of cod.
This is one of those engaging rambling, waffling, flaneur-ish books that is deceptively meaningful, quietly passionate. Aitken took his curiosity as the EU referendum approached to go and investigate Poland and why Polish people come to the UK, and to do so by living there for a year and doing minimum wage jobs. It was sobering in the acknowledgements to realise he is doing minimum wage jobs back here whilst writing - I sincerely hope he's a more diligent carer than he is a preparer of cod.
March 13, 2024
One of the main problems I usually have with travel books is that they are commonly written by white males who can afford to put themselves in hilarious (unsafe) situations. They also usually don’t acknowledge the fact, and hint that everyone could do what they are doing.
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That’s not the case with this book. All topics are narrated with sensitivity, and Askitt is often able to take a step back and admit his ignorance on a topic or even to explain complex thoughts in a light and funny manner.
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That’s not the case with this book. All topics are narrated with sensitivity, and Askitt is often able to take a step back and admit his ignorance on a topic or even to explain complex thoughts in a light and funny manner.
July 4, 2019
Ben Aitken is definitely great at chopping potatoes but he's even better at slicing apart and serving a surprising mixture of stories from the country at the "heart of Europe". A sincere, mischievious and hilariously funny journal of strange and absolutely normal encounters that made me wish to visit Poland, even though I'm Polish.
October 8, 2024
Overall a decent if lacklustre travel book, which ends up being more of an autobiography than anything else.
The author limits his experience through getting mostly drunk rather than discovering Poland.
Finally, despite his efforts, the author carries with himself a sense of British superiority (naive and self-centered), which he thinks he limits with pseudo-intellectual remarks (ugh)
The author limits his experience through getting mostly drunk rather than discovering Poland.
Finally, despite his efforts, the author carries with himself a sense of British superiority (naive and self-centered), which he thinks he limits with pseudo-intellectual remarks (ugh)
July 4, 2019
It's a great pleasure seeing your own country through the beady-eyes of an author who decided to leave a' comfort zone' to gain a true life experience. I couldn't help laughing. His observations are very accurate. Great ready.
September 10, 2019
This was OK. I really didn't like the writing (or much care for the author as a result) and almost stopped reading it about 40ish pages in. But I persevered and it got a bit better. Some interesting bits about Poland, but not enough.
October 4, 2019
Most of this travelogue is set in Poznan, a fabulous city I adore and have been to many times, the rest of the book reports from various places in Poland.
It's a great book, the enthusiasm the writer has for Poland and people in general really shines through.
It's a great book, the enthusiasm the writer has for Poland and people in general really shines through.
August 26, 2019
A light-hearted read that provided continuous good laughs. Very much enjoyed the footnotes that elaborate on the thoughts had at the time of writing.
September 12, 2019
Interesting and insightful but a bit lacking in depth and description.
A bit like this review...
A bit like this review...
April 11, 2020
An Englishman in Poland is the same as any Englishman abroad. Obnoxious, has a high opinion of himself as a foreigner and surprise surprise thinks England is superior to Poland.
January 29, 2022
Nice idea, but poor execution - some charming moments can be found
Short review (full review below)
Halfway through reading, I decided to take a look through all the reviews. I wasn't surprised to see the mixed opinions; I myself found some of the book's content questionable and expected there might be others who agreed with me. However, I think whether you enjoy this book or not depends on whether you like the author and his style of writing. This is something you cannot determine until you try his book. Therefore, if you are interested in Poland and want to read the authors' memoirs of his time there, I would recommend you to give it a go.
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Full review (long read)
===============================================
Context for the review
I can note several similarities between myself and the author. For example, we are close in age (I am a few years younger); we are from similar parts of the United Kingdom; and we have both experienced the 'reverse immigration' that is the focus of this book (I moved to Warsaw in 2020 for work). I feel that this gives me a unique position to offer my opinion on this work.
On the other hand, I also have to recognise that the author has done something that I could not even dream of achieving. He has successfully published his experiences, which is an incredible feat in itself. Writing any book is a challenge, but in my opinion, writing a non-fiction book is even more difficult; especially a memoir, where you are effectively the main character and therefore directly the subject for any criticism. I also admire that the author is so comfortable going up to people and just asking them questions, which is something I would certainly struggle with. This is something I think everyone should take into account when forming their critique of this book, and I would like to start by thanking the author for giving us a view into his time and experiences in Poland.
Structure
Overall, I liked the structure of the book. The chapters were relatively short and easy to digest, so it was easy to pick up the book and read for a short time. Visits to other cities were kept within chapters, which was a nice touch and avoided any confusion. Some chapters seemed to be more filler than anything else, but I liked how they still had a theme. I wasn't so keen on the chapter titles; each one is taken from dialogue or something that was written in that chapter. Some are from very memorable passages, but others are poor representations of the chapter. The diary style is okay, but it felt heavily edited in some places. I really enjoyed the footnotes, which often added some welcome exposition to the main text and complimented the diary style.
Style
In general, I like the author's style of writing and the book was very easy to read. In particular, I really enjoyed how well the author could describe a scene he was observing or participating in; this is a really nice touch for a memoir because it makes it feel like you're there, experiencing these things with him. One thing I wasn't keen on was the frequent inclusion of quotes and passages from other writers, and from philosophers and famous personalities. I think the author was too reliant on these to add meaning or credibility to his work, and it at times felt more like I was reading a Wikiquotes page. Overall though, I did find it easy to read and would consider reading something else by the author.
Content
Unfortunately, the content of the book is what I had the biggest problem with. To preface this section, I would like to make it clear that the blurb claims many things about the book which I find to be slightly deceptive. I believe in this case that it is the publisher who is more at fault, so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, in case it was tainted by false promises. One such promise is the quote on the front cover that claims this is 'One of the funniest books of the year'. It's perfectly fine for a memoir to not be funny and, for what it's worth, there were even a few funny moments. However, and I say this knowing humour is subjective, the contents of this book do not seem like they were designed to be funny. Traces of insight were also promised, but making vague statements and then alluding to some deeper meaning is not insightful, at least not to me. In fact, several of the promised elements of the book come in the last quarter, with little of the earlier content featuring on the advertisement. This may have to do with how the author comes across in the first half of the book...
With this we reach what seems to be the biggest problem people are having with this book. I have read many reviews which complain about the author and his personality, whilst others seem to not mind. As I stated before, for the author to put himself out into the public is admirable and I don't think it should be met with excessive judgement. However, some things in the book should simply have been left out. I don't see why it was necessary for the author to spend so much time detailing his smoking and drinking habits or describing his daily hangovers with such vividity. This, along with more extreme examples (bringing beer into a nunnery, trespassing into conferences, and using his friend's favourite things as ashtrays), paints the author in a bad light no matter how fondly you look upon him. It completely baffles me how anyone, let alone the author, would let this stuff into the final version.
Another strange inclusion is the 'bumpy romance' referenced on the blurb. Not only does this romance come across as a bit shallow and one-sided, but it serves absolutely no purpose in the storyline and is left completely unresolved. Why on earth did this feature so heavily in the final draft? And so much so that it even got put on the blurb! I couldn't help but cringe every moment the romance interest was mentioned by the author (a lot); and I can only hope the author got permission from the romance interest to publish her name and their interactions.
Then we get onto the issue of politics in this book. The referendum to leave the EU is featured heavily in the book and on the blurb. I have no issue with an author giving their political opinion and I suspect that the author and myself share the same opinions on many topics. However, the politics in this book are lazy and uninspired; they are exactly the same opinions that millions of others repeat without thinking. The moments where politics come out seem completely out of place and incredibly preachy. The most uncomfortable aspect of this however, comes from the fact that the author admits to not taking part in the referendum. So how should he expect us to take his opinion seriously when he does not even take it seriously enough himself? (Strangely, one of the funniest scenes features the author giving a tedious political monologue to someone who leaves before he can finish)
Having said all this, there were several parts of the book that I really enjoyed. I liked the chapters in Krakow and Konin; and reading about Hubert's farm, Jerzy on the mountain, and Christmas with the Polish family was all very enjoyable. However, the author summed up his experience by stating that Poland was like anywhere else. Whilst I agree that the stereotypes of Poland we have in the UK are lazy and false, I actually believe Poland is not like anywhere else. I don't believe anywhere is like anywhere else. Poland has charming facets, strange quirks, and very alien customs (to me); but every day, I can find or learn something completely new. It is a unique country, as is the United Kingdom, and although there are things I don't like about either country, I love them both. Living here has changed the way I view both countries dramatically and I just wish the author had included more of his personal growth and more of the things that make Poland unique. I was disappointed that the book ended with barely any resolution and the quote of another author/poet in place of the author's own words.
Conclusion
Overall, the book had a really nice concept and was easy to read. However, the content seemed a little lazy and inconclusive. I would try another book by the same author, but for me this one was a challenge to get through.
Short review (full review below)
Halfway through reading, I decided to take a look through all the reviews. I wasn't surprised to see the mixed opinions; I myself found some of the book's content questionable and expected there might be others who agreed with me. However, I think whether you enjoy this book or not depends on whether you like the author and his style of writing. This is something you cannot determine until you try his book. Therefore, if you are interested in Poland and want to read the authors' memoirs of his time there, I would recommend you to give it a go.
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Full review (long read)
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Context for the review
I can note several similarities between myself and the author. For example, we are close in age (I am a few years younger); we are from similar parts of the United Kingdom; and we have both experienced the 'reverse immigration' that is the focus of this book (I moved to Warsaw in 2020 for work). I feel that this gives me a unique position to offer my opinion on this work.
On the other hand, I also have to recognise that the author has done something that I could not even dream of achieving. He has successfully published his experiences, which is an incredible feat in itself. Writing any book is a challenge, but in my opinion, writing a non-fiction book is even more difficult; especially a memoir, where you are effectively the main character and therefore directly the subject for any criticism. I also admire that the author is so comfortable going up to people and just asking them questions, which is something I would certainly struggle with. This is something I think everyone should take into account when forming their critique of this book, and I would like to start by thanking the author for giving us a view into his time and experiences in Poland.
Structure
Overall, I liked the structure of the book. The chapters were relatively short and easy to digest, so it was easy to pick up the book and read for a short time. Visits to other cities were kept within chapters, which was a nice touch and avoided any confusion. Some chapters seemed to be more filler than anything else, but I liked how they still had a theme. I wasn't so keen on the chapter titles; each one is taken from dialogue or something that was written in that chapter. Some are from very memorable passages, but others are poor representations of the chapter. The diary style is okay, but it felt heavily edited in some places. I really enjoyed the footnotes, which often added some welcome exposition to the main text and complimented the diary style.
Style
In general, I like the author's style of writing and the book was very easy to read. In particular, I really enjoyed how well the author could describe a scene he was observing or participating in; this is a really nice touch for a memoir because it makes it feel like you're there, experiencing these things with him. One thing I wasn't keen on was the frequent inclusion of quotes and passages from other writers, and from philosophers and famous personalities. I think the author was too reliant on these to add meaning or credibility to his work, and it at times felt more like I was reading a Wikiquotes page. Overall though, I did find it easy to read and would consider reading something else by the author.
Content
Unfortunately, the content of the book is what I had the biggest problem with. To preface this section, I would like to make it clear that the blurb claims many things about the book which I find to be slightly deceptive. I believe in this case that it is the publisher who is more at fault, so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, in case it was tainted by false promises. One such promise is the quote on the front cover that claims this is 'One of the funniest books of the year'. It's perfectly fine for a memoir to not be funny and, for what it's worth, there were even a few funny moments. However, and I say this knowing humour is subjective, the contents of this book do not seem like they were designed to be funny. Traces of insight were also promised, but making vague statements and then alluding to some deeper meaning is not insightful, at least not to me. In fact, several of the promised elements of the book come in the last quarter, with little of the earlier content featuring on the advertisement. This may have to do with how the author comes across in the first half of the book...
With this we reach what seems to be the biggest problem people are having with this book. I have read many reviews which complain about the author and his personality, whilst others seem to not mind. As I stated before, for the author to put himself out into the public is admirable and I don't think it should be met with excessive judgement. However, some things in the book should simply have been left out. I don't see why it was necessary for the author to spend so much time detailing his smoking and drinking habits or describing his daily hangovers with such vividity. This, along with more extreme examples (bringing beer into a nunnery, trespassing into conferences, and using his friend's favourite things as ashtrays), paints the author in a bad light no matter how fondly you look upon him. It completely baffles me how anyone, let alone the author, would let this stuff into the final version.
Another strange inclusion is the 'bumpy romance' referenced on the blurb. Not only does this romance come across as a bit shallow and one-sided, but it serves absolutely no purpose in the storyline and is left completely unresolved. Why on earth did this feature so heavily in the final draft? And so much so that it even got put on the blurb! I couldn't help but cringe every moment the romance interest was mentioned by the author (a lot); and I can only hope the author got permission from the romance interest to publish her name and their interactions.
Then we get onto the issue of politics in this book. The referendum to leave the EU is featured heavily in the book and on the blurb. I have no issue with an author giving their political opinion and I suspect that the author and myself share the same opinions on many topics. However, the politics in this book are lazy and uninspired; they are exactly the same opinions that millions of others repeat without thinking. The moments where politics come out seem completely out of place and incredibly preachy. The most uncomfortable aspect of this however, comes from the fact that the author admits to not taking part in the referendum. So how should he expect us to take his opinion seriously when he does not even take it seriously enough himself? (Strangely, one of the funniest scenes features the author giving a tedious political monologue to someone who leaves before he can finish)
Having said all this, there were several parts of the book that I really enjoyed. I liked the chapters in Krakow and Konin; and reading about Hubert's farm, Jerzy on the mountain, and Christmas with the Polish family was all very enjoyable. However, the author summed up his experience by stating that Poland was like anywhere else. Whilst I agree that the stereotypes of Poland we have in the UK are lazy and false, I actually believe Poland is not like anywhere else. I don't believe anywhere is like anywhere else. Poland has charming facets, strange quirks, and very alien customs (to me); but every day, I can find or learn something completely new. It is a unique country, as is the United Kingdom, and although there are things I don't like about either country, I love them both. Living here has changed the way I view both countries dramatically and I just wish the author had included more of his personal growth and more of the things that make Poland unique. I was disappointed that the book ended with barely any resolution and the quote of another author/poet in place of the author's own words.
Conclusion
Overall, the book had a really nice concept and was easy to read. However, the content seemed a little lazy and inconclusive. I would try another book by the same author, but for me this one was a challenge to get through.
February 1, 2020
On page 171 the word stationary is used instead of stationery. Normally that would be enough for me to deduct a star, but I'm going to make an exception this time.
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