Not That It Matters

by A.A. Milne

The creator of Winnie-the-Pooh shares his musings on some of the matters of his day in this delightful collection of essays, short stories, and poems.  Not That It Matters is “a collection of essays from the end of that extraordinary silver age of English belles-lettres at the turn of the last century, when men such as Shaw and Belloc earned their daily bread by scribbling in newspapers and magazines about anything they could scrape a thousand or so words out socialism, dogs, the weather, how they celebrated Christmas, capital punishment, Wagner. For those who like this sort of thing, this volume is very nearly perfect. There are pieces on snobbery, oranges, cricket, bad fiction, ‘Smoking as a Fine Art’ (‘My first introduction to Lady Nicotine was at the innocent age of eight’), chess, thermometers, Holy Writ (‘Isaiah was the ideal author. . . . He kept to one style’), and—prophetically—those bores who fetishize ‘good brown ale’” (National Review).   “Milne writes on goldfish, daffodils, writing personal diaries, the charm of lunch, intellectual snobbery, and even what property program presenters would now call ‘kerb appeal’—but which was simply ‘looking at the outside of a house’ in Milne’s day. . . . It is still a delight and a joy to have Not That It Matters and its ilk waiting on my shelf.” —Stuck in a Book

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Classics, Humor, Anthologies, Short Stories

52 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1919

About the author

Alan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.

A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.

Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.

After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."

He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".

He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.

Reviews

[Ruthiella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not That It Matters is a collection of essays that a appeared in a variety of newspapers at the beginning of the last century, sort of an upper class, mild mannered Dave Barry of the 20’s. Many were charming and generally humorous in gentle, whimsical way, as you might expect from the author of Winnie the Pooh. Some were a bit dated such as the essay about the perfect walking stick or the one about pipe smoking and there is some use of some now un-politically correct language; but others felt just as current now as they must have been then, such as the essay titled “Intellectual Snobbery” about the shame one feels about reading popular fiction as opposed to the classics or the one titled “My Library”, about the eternal quandary of how to best arrange one’s books. These essays are probably best enjoyed a few at a time over days or weeks and not all in one go. I was able to check this book out from my local library, where it had been languishing in storage. The catalogue mark is from 1924 and I enjoyed thinking of all the people across the past 90 decades who had checked this book out before I did.

[Natalie (CuriousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Not that it matters' is a collection of Milne's early writing, a small selection of his articles between 1910 and 1912. The articles, or shall we say essays, vary on topics from chess, lunch, sorting one's library, snobbery, cricket, and alcohol. Really, you've got such differing themes and some that seem hardly worth an essay, like the goldfish. But you won't read this book for the topics themselves, you'll be reading it because it's Milne who discusses said topics. He has a skill in taking on basically any topic and turn it on its head, give you a comedic side of it, maybe question the obvious in it - to the point where he can actually make you think about things in new ways. Most of the time he is thoughtful, funny, and good at entertaining - while also notably capturing some of his contemporaries thoughts and feelings on the world. The context of his time is strongly woven into every single thing he writes, so that there are 'problems' or criticisms explored that would no longer have quite the same ring of relevance now as it did then. For example he talks of a 'dicky' (fake turtleneck) as being thought of as something disgraceful, in a longer discussion on class and how it's seen as lower class to be noticeably cheaper or lazier, than one's fellow man. While the sentiment might not be entirely gotten rid of, the specifics feels outdated for our current time. This is true for many of the essays; the central ideas often feel quite relevant, but some of the details feels like something lost in time, sometimes even a ring of nostalgia for things no longer in existence. But that is another point of charm for the modern reader, I would say.

All in all, if you are a Milne fan and you enjoy his writing, this is definitely something to get your hands on. While I definitely enjoyed Milne's autobiography immensely, the casualness of these essays - possibly as a consequence of it being early in his career as a writer - feels both fresh and all the more entertaining in light of his later works. The essays on book-related topics I found especially appealing; there's one about sorting one's personal library, another on author's names, yet another on writing and the monetary compensation for it. Actually there's a few essays on writing in particular, but then there's as mentioned before, many essays which discusses things like flowers, sports, architecture, weather, you name it. As a concluding note, quite the delight to read!

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3,5 stars

A collection of short stories about everything and nothing.

Writing style of A. A. Milne sits very well with me. Fun, bit sarcastic and thoughtful.

It was a pleasure to dip in and out of this stories throughout two afternoons although they were a bit too short for me to get emotionally invested.

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

… which is such a very apt title for this absolutely wonderful collection of short essays by AA Milne. Because the topics of all of these essays are things that don’t really matter (or at least most people wouldn’t think they do): why daffodils are the best flowers of spring, the pitfalls of playing chess, what indoor games should be and shouldn’t be, why cricket shouldn’t be ‘brightened up’, why playing golf is so much more satisfying than cricket or tennis, why a house is more convenient than a flat, the ‘Declined-With-Thanks’ club, on oranges and peaches and other golden fruit—and oh, lots of other things.

I have, of course, read Winnie the Pooh, but that was all my acquaintance with AA Milne. This delightful little book makes me want to read much more by him—because he’s so much fun. He picks commonplace little topics and puts a hilarious spin on them (that bit about the ‘puss moth caterpillar making faces at young birds’ had me cracking up—and that’s only one of innumerable examples). So hilarious, in fact, that I was in a dilemma even as I read this book: to ration it out, spreading out the laughs over several days, or to read it all up quickly because it was so much fun? I ended up opting for the latter.

Great book, with shades of PG Wodehouse and Jerome K Jerome (in his Three Men in a Boat avatar).

[Mary Grace McGeehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milne was a well-known and prolific writer of books, essays, and plays before he wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories and poems in the mid-1920s. This 1919 collection of lighthearted essays, originally published in Punch, holds up better than most humor of the era. I groaned when I saw in the table of contents that there was an essay about golf, but it ended up being one of my favorites. Golf is the perfect sport, Milne maintains, because the worse you are, the more you get to play. In other essays, like the one about how the first day of summer is no cause for celebration because from then on the days get shorter, he runs out of steam well before the end. All in all, though, an enjoyable read.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

These lovely little essays about everything (and at the same time nothing in particular) are perfect for whiling away a quiet afternoon with a cup of coffee. Even if you're not currently experiencing a quiet afternoon with a cup of coffee, Milne's sweet flow of prose will help you feel as if you are. Particularly memorable are his fussy little essay on fruit and the surprisingly barbed closing essay regarding the narrow-minded scope of understanding demonstrated by armchair critics.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is collection of essays on different subjucts ranging from writing to golf to Santa Claus. This is not a volume I would read again, but I did laugh and smile in places. A.A. Milne has a way with words. If you are looking for a free Kindle with short essays to read, you will enjoy this.

[Steve Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Judging from the comments made by others here, I may need to revisit this series of essays someday. But as it was, I just didn't find myself very interested in them the other night and set the book aside for something else.

[Natalie Johansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who only reads A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh stories is really missing out on his wonderful essays! This is such a charming collection of essays, and worth every moment spent reading it.

[Christy Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is great! The paragraph spacing is not. This book is an anthology of essays, or rather articles, as the author calls them. Many articles were rather humorous. Some articles were outdated, such as the article about squeaky collars, with the argument being that successful men do not wear squeaky collars. I was confused until I remembered that men once wore separate stiff collars over their collarless shirts, which was the style of the day when the article was written.

However, it is the spacing from one article to the next that I take issue with. The spacing of articles was basically non-existent to the point where each title appears as a new sentence of the previous article. There is no delineation in spacing, font size, offset, italicizing, or emphasis in this printing. It was rather frustrating and quite confusing while trying to read this book. I blame the printer, not the author. I found the same book on Google Books, and that book has each new article beginning on a separate page, with the title emphasized in bold font, as it should be.

[Sterlingcindysu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick free read for Kindle from Amazon. Milne wrote more than Winnie-the-Pooh! Here he compliments Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows over his adult works, seven years before writing W-t-P. He recognized a kindred spirit!

I recently read Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow which is similar to this, essays just on everyday life. Idle Thoughts was written in 1886, this one in 1919. But so much applies to today, such as Christmas decorations coming early or having dreams of missing an exam.

The college pipes with white spots he speaks of--

[Gail Sacharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love A.A. Milne for his books of poetry & stories of Christopher Robin & Winnie-the-Pooh, but, since I've started reading his other works, I also love him for his humor & outlook on life. I don't imagine many people would be aware that he also wrote for grown ups. This book is a simple collection of random essays on all kinds of subjects. Since it was published in 1920, it's old fashioned, very British, upperclass, & quite amusing. From the life of a goldfish to the merits of flat-living vs. house-living & an assortment of other musings in between, it is full of cleverness & humor. Each essay is no more than 4-6 pages so it's an easy to read book, best done in small doses so you can savor the meanings of each one. I enjoyed it very much.

[Sagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of relaxing, witty (and naturally funny) articles by A. A. Milne.

The best authors are those who, when their work is read by the public, make them feel as though it was written keeping them in mind. Almost every article in the book has been written in a way the common man can associate himself with.

Writers who write humorous articles/stories have a keen sense of observation, which is what the reader gets a taste of while reading this book. The subtle digs taken at people or prevalent societal practices is sure to elicit a chuckle or two from the readers. Fans of P. G. Wodehouse or Thorne Smith will particularly enjoy this collection of articles.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed

I don't really know what I was expecting from this boom except that I had so enjoyed reading the Winnie the Pooh books to my daughter. I had hoped that this would have the same quirky,silly humor we loved . but instead I'm not sure what to even call these short stories

[Lucy]

I don't think I can give 5 stars to something so essentially trivial, but this is a very enjoyable collection of essays - magazine extracts, I think, Punch maybe. For dipping into rather than taking at a gulp, too much at a time and you start to see the workings.

[John L. Cardos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical Indeed

These short essays on a wide range of topics interesting to the author's time and audience. If you have read some of Mr. Milne's other works you will appreciate his whimsy. Some of these are quite clever even for the 21st century. But, I suspect not for everyone

[Kerensa Cracknell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming collection of essays

A charming collection of short essays by A. A. Milne on subjects as varied as fruit, caterpillars, professions, golf, and authors. I love the old-fashioned language - glad that’s not been made politically correct.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected!

This book is about nothing and about everything .
It is exactly what it says it will be, whimsical musings. I loved it. The author is interesting and clever. It is easy to see how this mind gave us Pooh bear and friends.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed some of the essays, and not others. Still I wanted to read his take on simple topics.

[Kate]

My kind of gentle humor. Pooh Bear philosophy for grown ups.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short essays written for what I think was a regular newspaper column. Some had some humour but most were from a different time with different perspectives.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

You see the difficulty. If you arrange your books according to their contents you are sure to get an untidy shelf. If you arrange your books according to their size and color you get an effective wall, but the poetically inclined visitor may lose sight of Beattie altogether. Before, then, we decide what to do about it, we must ask ourselves that very awkward question, "Why do we have books on our shelves at all?" It is a most embarrassing question to answer.

Alan Alexander Milne è l'autore della serie di libri dedicati a Winnie-the-Pooh (sì, proprio lui!), pubblicati negli anni Venti. Di recente ho scoperto che scrisse moltissimo altro: romanzi, non fiction, articoli e soprattutto opere teatrali. Alcune pubblicazioni (questa inclusa) sono disponibili gratuitamente presso il sito Gutenberg Project.

Not That It Matters è una raccolta di articoli originariamente pubblicati dalla rivista Punch dal 1910 al 1919. Gli argomenti sono i più disparati ma i vari articoli hanno sicuramente in comune un tranquillo e inglesissimo senso dell'umore che permette di goderseli tutti, anche quelli che affrontano le tematiche più assurde.

E' davvero difficile spiegare di cosa parla questo libro: di come ordinare i propri libri, della gioia della scrittura o della vita nelle periferie residenziali: argomenti piccoli e confortevoli insomma, su cui non è necessario essere completamente serie, ma in modo bonario e pacato Milne si può permettere di sorridere ed ironizzare.

http://robertabookshelf.blogspot.it/2...

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Milne book for adults. Like most collections of essays, some are good, some are not so good. These were G-rated, and comfortable like an old sweater. Some could be called charming. There was no edge here - Milne is as sharp as a butter knife. But isn't that what we're looking for from the God of the Hundred-Acre Wood? A few essays were not to my taste or written on topics that either didn't interest me (golf) or that I just didn't understand ("Who's Who" about the peerage), but most were pleasant diversions. I'd be interested in reading a novel by Milne written for an adult audience.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love British humor! The old-fashioned kind, of course. This audiobook was a collection of little articles written by A. A. Milne (the author of the Winnie the Pooh stories!) for a newspaper. Short and sweet, some of them are pretty clever, and many of them still apply to life now 100 years later. Great to listen to, but the Librivox readers were hit and miss. Some were fantastic, some were SO hard to listen to.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is not much I can say, other than A.A. Milne just "gets" me. This book of essays and editorials is all at once a call to manners and civility from an era long gone, as well as a reminder that human beings haven't really changed that much. What's old is new again. Now seriously, I'm off to go make tea and walking sticks "new" again.

[Rift Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book of essays so much! Each one is amusing and entertaining, they all make me smile!

[M L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little collection of short essays provides some insight into Milne's musings and interests, bringing to life the quotidian interests of an influential era not long ago.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very charming collection of essays - meditations on life. Milne has a very gentle way of analyzing the minutiae in a compelling light.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and hilarious and whimsical in that quintessentially English sort of way

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My appreciation for Milne's essays grows with every one I read. Such fun. I highly recommend him.