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Tickling the English
Nostalgia, identity, eccentricity, gin drinking and occasional violence... these are just some of the themes that stand-up comedian Dara O Briain explores in "Tickling the English."
O Briain moved to England many years ago, but when he takes his show on tour around the country - from deserted seaside towns and remote off-shore islands, to sprawling industrial cities and sleepy suburbs - it's clear to him that his adopted home is still a bit of an enigma.
Why do the English pretend to be unhappy all the time?
Why can't they accept they rank about fifth, in everything?
And what's with all the fudge?
But this Irishman loves a challenge; he's certainly got the gregarious personality and the sure-fire wit to bring down the barriers of that famous English reserve, and to have a good old rummage inside. Swapping anecdotes with his audiences and spending time wandering around their hometowns, this nosy neighbour holds England up to the light, while exploring some of the attitudes he brought over here with him too.
As Dara goes door to door in search of England in this part-tour-diary, part-travelogue, the result is an affectionate, hilarious and often eye-opening journey through the Sceptered Isle.
O Briain moved to England many years ago, but when he takes his show on tour around the country - from deserted seaside towns and remote off-shore islands, to sprawling industrial cities and sleepy suburbs - it's clear to him that his adopted home is still a bit of an enigma.
Why do the English pretend to be unhappy all the time?
Why can't they accept they rank about fifth, in everything?
And what's with all the fudge?
But this Irishman loves a challenge; he's certainly got the gregarious personality and the sure-fire wit to bring down the barriers of that famous English reserve, and to have a good old rummage inside. Swapping anecdotes with his audiences and spending time wandering around their hometowns, this nosy neighbour holds England up to the light, while exploring some of the attitudes he brought over here with him too.
As Dara goes door to door in search of England in this part-tour-diary, part-travelogue, the result is an affectionate, hilarious and often eye-opening journey through the Sceptered Isle.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2009
53 people are currently reading
1385 people want to read
About the author
Dara Ó Briain
18 books43 followersDara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter. He has hosted panel shows such as The Panel, Mock the Week and Dara O Briain: School of Hard Sums.
He has also featured on Don't Feed the Gondolas, Have I Got News For You, QI, The Apprentice: You're Fired! and Stargazing Live. The Irish Independent described him as "Terry Wogan's heir apparent as Britain's 'favourite Irishman'". Writing for The Evening Standard, Bruce Dessau noted that "If you don’t laugh at Ó Briain, check your pulse, you must be dead."
Since January 2006, Ó Briain has taken part in the BBC Three Men in a Boat series, with Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones. The series, broadcast in a pair of episodes around new year in 2006 and then every year since 2008, has consistently had around 3 million viewers. In 2007, he was voted the 42nd greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 16th greatest stand-up comic.
He attended University College, Dublin (U.C.D.), where he studied mathematics and theoretical physics.
He has also featured on Don't Feed the Gondolas, Have I Got News For You, QI, The Apprentice: You're Fired! and Stargazing Live. The Irish Independent described him as "Terry Wogan's heir apparent as Britain's 'favourite Irishman'". Writing for The Evening Standard, Bruce Dessau noted that "If you don’t laugh at Ó Briain, check your pulse, you must be dead."
Since January 2006, Ó Briain has taken part in the BBC Three Men in a Boat series, with Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones. The series, broadcast in a pair of episodes around new year in 2006 and then every year since 2008, has consistently had around 3 million viewers. In 2007, he was voted the 42nd greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 16th greatest stand-up comic.
He attended University College, Dublin (U.C.D.), where he studied mathematics and theoretical physics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
April 14, 2013
No, no, no. This book actually made me angry. Marketed as an outsider's look at the nuances of national character, this is merely an extremely cynical attempt to cash in on a comedian's popularity, with nothing offered up in exchange.
O'Briain isn’t completely terrible when he tries a bit of Bryson-esque socio-historic analysis, but they are half-hearted and lazy with clear googled research. But what instead makes up the bulk of this book is hastily kept diary of a national tour, where O'Briain notes down some of the ad libs he is particularly smug about.
At some early stage of the book (which I cannot bring myself to pick up again to check the exact content), O’Briain states he once nearly named a tour "You Had To Have Been There", in reference to the challenge of effectively retelling a funny encounter. So why (why? WHY?), does he then write an entire book where he repeatedly tries to do just that? Both baffling and stupid.
The really offensive aspect of this book is how bland and unnecessary it is. To call it awful is a bit strong, but having seen how quick-witted and perceptive O'Briain can be in person just serves to make it apparent how shallow and insipid this is.
O'Briain isn’t completely terrible when he tries a bit of Bryson-esque socio-historic analysis, but they are half-hearted and lazy with clear googled research. But what instead makes up the bulk of this book is hastily kept diary of a national tour, where O'Briain notes down some of the ad libs he is particularly smug about.
At some early stage of the book (which I cannot bring myself to pick up again to check the exact content), O’Briain states he once nearly named a tour "You Had To Have Been There", in reference to the challenge of effectively retelling a funny encounter. So why (why? WHY?), does he then write an entire book where he repeatedly tries to do just that? Both baffling and stupid.
The really offensive aspect of this book is how bland and unnecessary it is. To call it awful is a bit strong, but having seen how quick-witted and perceptive O'Briain can be in person just serves to make it apparent how shallow and insipid this is.
July 30, 2019
Not quite what I was expecting from the blurb... however, an enjoyable enough read about moments from his tour with some observations about “the English” along the way.
March 24, 2010
Loved this book! The first time I saw Dara O Briain was when I was in Dublin on business, during one of the coldest and rainiest Decembers Ireland had seen in years. Which meant I was inside my hotel, watching all kinds of shows like "Badly Dubbed Porn" (no, I'm not making that up, its a real show that comes on around 7 pm) and all kinds of comedy shows. They LOVE comedy shows there! Dara was on three different programs that week, and while I've yet to see any of his stuff over here in the US, I do make it a point to catch his stuff on YouTube. In addition to being laugh out loud funny, there's also little bits of trivia that I'm dying to use someday, and hope that it doesn't fall flat. I'll try it out now. Did you know that Wicklow was the last county to be created in Ireland back in the 1600s? Or that St George is the Patron Saint of about 8 different European countries? And that he is actually Palestinian on his mother's side, and Turkish on his father's?
Well, I found that interesting, at least! The book is much funnier then those bits might lead you to believe. I highly recommend reading it, though as of March 2010, its not available in the US. I ordered it off of Amazon's UK site.
Well, I found that interesting, at least! The book is much funnier then those bits might lead you to believe. I highly recommend reading it, though as of March 2010, its not available in the US. I ordered it off of Amazon's UK site.
July 16, 2010
In London City airport when I picked this up, I'd thought that it was going to be a funny appraisal of the English as viewed from the East of Ireland. To be fair, it is that - but it is really a vehicle for O Briain to repeat some of the funnier exchanges with his audience on one of his mamouth tours of Britain (mostly England, as the title suggests). As a book of anecdotes and funny observations, this works & passes the time on the plane. It is worth reading just for the Rolls Royce bit, but if you've seen the DVD show of this tour (which was on TV in the UK a lot recently), you've seen a fair bit of what you'll read.
August 14, 2020
This turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag.
I thought it was going to be a Bill Brysonesque romp through England and the English.
But then it turned into a comedy tour diary.
And then he mentioned going to Dublin numerous times and even Perth.
Perth is not in England.
I understand the Dublin bit as Mr. O Briain is Irish so showing the juxtaposition of his experiences back in Ireland with his on English soil.
But Perth (and Edinburgh which gets mentioned though not told about)? That'd be in Scotland.
What the heck would that have to do with the English??
It also would suddenly have loads of historical facts thrown in which seemed a bit odd given the arrangement of this book.
In the end, it was neither fish nor fowl.
I still enjoyed reading it but it tried to do too many things at once.
I thought it was going to be a Bill Brysonesque romp through England and the English.
But then it turned into a comedy tour diary.
And then he mentioned going to Dublin numerous times and even Perth.
Perth is not in England.
I understand the Dublin bit as Mr. O Briain is Irish so showing the juxtaposition of his experiences back in Ireland with his on English soil.
But Perth (and Edinburgh which gets mentioned though not told about)? That'd be in Scotland.
What the heck would that have to do with the English??
It also would suddenly have loads of historical facts thrown in which seemed a bit odd given the arrangement of this book.
In the end, it was neither fish nor fowl.
I still enjoyed reading it but it tried to do too many things at once.
February 16, 2024
Although I found parts of this book funny, for me I only really laughed out loud every few chapters. The book had a lot of information in it but at times I had to almost force myself to keep reading because I did find some of it quite dry.
Also, the book talks about how the English love rioting and reference the Tonypandy riots, which were not in England.
Also, the book talks about how the English love rioting and reference the Tonypandy riots, which were not in England.
January 4, 2021
Interesting stuff.
May 23, 2011
I am a big fan of his and have seen quite a few of his live shows. the book had huge potential but it wasn't as good as i thought it would be.
it is well written and enjoyable but the format didn't work for me. he kept listing people that he talked to during the shows at the beginning of a chapter but then he wouldn't mention them or the jokes/stories at all while talking about that particular show. Having seen some of the actual shows he talks about in the book i found some of the stories and jokes he chose to put on paper very odd. He left out some of his best stuff!
it is well written and enjoyable but the format didn't work for me. he kept listing people that he talked to during the shows at the beginning of a chapter but then he wouldn't mention them or the jokes/stories at all while talking about that particular show. Having seen some of the actual shows he talks about in the book i found some of the stories and jokes he chose to put on paper very odd. He left out some of his best stuff!
March 9, 2019
This is part tour diary, part look at the English psyche from an outsiders perspective, part guide on the different towns of Britain. All in all, it’s a bit of an off mis-mash that doesn’t have a cohesive structure.
I do like O’Briain as a comedian but I think here, he’s maybe bitten off more than he can chew. It’s not that the book isn’t well written because it is, it’s just that I’m not too sure why the book was written in the first place. It doesn’t add much to the canon that already exists. Unless you want to have near constant comparisons to the Irish. Then this is the book for you.
I do like O’Briain as a comedian but I think here, he’s maybe bitten off more than he can chew. It’s not that the book isn’t well written because it is, it’s just that I’m not too sure why the book was written in the first place. It doesn’t add much to the canon that already exists. Unless you want to have near constant comparisons to the Irish. Then this is the book for you.
February 25, 2011
I enjoyed this book although I was disappointed to find that it was mostly stories from Dara's stand-up tour of the UK, peppered with a few of his own stories & opinions & some facts from other author's publications- it was sold as an insight into the "English" psyche. Still funny & still informative, just not what I was led to expect from the sleevenotes!!
January 23, 2010
A quirky, off-beat book intelligently-observed and well-written. Observations of the English gleaned from this top Irish-born comedian whilst on tour in the UK. Lots of well-researched anecdotes. Not a comedy book but a joy to read.
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January 8, 2016
[Quick, short review from memory before I re-read and re-review at a later date:
He's a great comedian and this isn't a biography, it's an Irish man trying to work out what makes the English laugh. It was a nice insight but I don't think it really went anywhere. Might re-read for another go.]
He's a great comedian and this isn't a biography, it's an Irish man trying to work out what makes the English laugh. It was a nice insight but I don't think it really went anywhere. Might re-read for another go.]
March 15, 2019
It is a fun book about following a comic on tour. Don’t expect belief changing insights but it does re-affirm a liberalist world view that rather than nationalism we should celebrate individuals more. And is funny!
January 22, 2015
Really enjoyed this, did what it said on the tin... Tickled me!
November 4, 2018
I like Dara O'Briain more than I find him funny, so I was drawn to this mainly for its 'Watching the English' tone (you can tell the date it was published by the fact this title was topical). I didn't really feel that this book was really about that though, and was more a diary of unscripted comedy as he moved from club to club on one of his tours. Not awful, but not hilarious and not what I'd hoped.
The struggle I have is that O'Briain claims to have thought up the idea before his tour based on listening to a phone-in. So in theory this is not a diary with a bit of padding to give it a USP, but the stated aim. But most of the identity elements seems to be sourced from other books and surveys, and whilst it would be disingenuous to claim he didn't have any of his own input, it was certainly less personal than I'd expected, and 'Watching the English' did both aspects better.
The majority of the book was therefore what it was like for Dara O'Briain to do his act in different towns and venues. Sometimes this was funny, there were often revealing nuggets into what it's like to perform but often I came across a punchline and thought 'I guess you had to be there'. As above, I'm not a huge fan and haven't attended a gig of his but he seems more of a performer than a writer, and I haven't been dissuaded from this view.
The conclusion is therefore a bit of a cop out. In brief, a national identity is virtually impossible to nail down and we should cherish individuality. All very right-on, but the only real insight was that cities tend to have more identity than suburbs, and his suggestion was that having sports teams means that people are already used to uniting behind a local sense of identity. A genuinely original take but not one to hang a theme around. And that Tayto thing certainly didn't translate well to print.
The struggle I have is that O'Briain claims to have thought up the idea before his tour based on listening to a phone-in. So in theory this is not a diary with a bit of padding to give it a USP, but the stated aim. But most of the identity elements seems to be sourced from other books and surveys, and whilst it would be disingenuous to claim he didn't have any of his own input, it was certainly less personal than I'd expected, and 'Watching the English' did both aspects better.
The majority of the book was therefore what it was like for Dara O'Briain to do his act in different towns and venues. Sometimes this was funny, there were often revealing nuggets into what it's like to perform but often I came across a punchline and thought 'I guess you had to be there'. As above, I'm not a huge fan and haven't attended a gig of his but he seems more of a performer than a writer, and I haven't been dissuaded from this view.
The conclusion is therefore a bit of a cop out. In brief, a national identity is virtually impossible to nail down and we should cherish individuality. All very right-on, but the only real insight was that cities tend to have more identity than suburbs, and his suggestion was that having sports teams means that people are already used to uniting behind a local sense of identity. A genuinely original take but not one to hang a theme around. And that Tayto thing certainly didn't translate well to print.
July 27, 2019
I mostly enjoyed this book about Dara touring his show around the UK and Ireland, and his observations on English society. I say ‘mostly’ because he almost lost me at one stage of the book with his rant about English people’s attitudes and treatment of animals and how they compared to the Irish. He basically poo pooed the English for being ‘sentimental’ and championed the Irish for all the wrong reasons. He also tried his hand at using the comparing support for animal versus human charities argument. Yeah, that old, unoriginal and disingenuous tactic.
I’ve seen him live once. And whilst he was funny, he was very different compared to on TV. Live, he speaks way too fast. Couple that with the accent and I found myself struggling to understand some of the show. He is about to tour Australia again but not my city this time. Probably due to poorer ticket sales here. I noticed the show I went to was not even close to sold out and about 2/3 of the crowd were Irish. I don’t think as many Australians have heard of him as other UK comedians.
After reading this book, I’m finding myself not as unhappy about him not coming back to my city.
I’ve seen him live once. And whilst he was funny, he was very different compared to on TV. Live, he speaks way too fast. Couple that with the accent and I found myself struggling to understand some of the show. He is about to tour Australia again but not my city this time. Probably due to poorer ticket sales here. I noticed the show I went to was not even close to sold out and about 2/3 of the crowd were Irish. I don’t think as many Australians have heard of him as other UK comedians.
After reading this book, I’m finding myself not as unhappy about him not coming back to my city.
May 18, 2018
This is a book I've had lying around for years and finally got around to reading. Now that I've finished it, I maybe didn't need to be in such a rush. O'Briain is thoughtful and humerous but unfortunately comes across as pretty dull. This book isn't so much a look at what defines British humour (which I grew up with and highly respect as the most sophisticated form of humour around) but a journal of O'Briain's very inconsistent reception from different audiences while touring around Britain. Considering that he likely put the best sheen on the success of his gigs, it really doesn't come through that his gigs are anything more than a slog for both him and his audiences. I don't think I've been to see him in Vicar Street and off the back of this book, I won't be going any time soon.
April 14, 2019
I enjoyed this book. It was funny and true to English life. The anecdotes and people Dara met made it an amusing and revealing read. I would read more of the same again. It was just mislabeled in the blurb.
The book is a tour diary that barely deviates from this. It does talk about some English history and how the country has changed but the major theme is Dara's tour. I would have still read it and enjoyed it if I knew that from the start but it would be disingenuous to give it a higher than 3 star rating when the blurb misleads the reader from the start.
Recommended for those who like tour diaries but not for those who expect what the blurb promises.
The book is a tour diary that barely deviates from this. It does talk about some English history and how the country has changed but the major theme is Dara's tour. I would have still read it and enjoyed it if I knew that from the start but it would be disingenuous to give it a higher than 3 star rating when the blurb misleads the reader from the start.
Recommended for those who like tour diaries but not for those who expect what the blurb promises.
December 19, 2023
Dara sets out a simple premise to suss out the English. This ought to be good, one thinks, have the Irish fella give it to us.
And yet, Dara sums up the fruitlessness of the whole thesis succinctly at the end
"...all these discussions about national character, all the generalisations...is a lot less instructive...than just talking to individuals"
As it's our differences rather than our similarities that make things interesting.
I bought this book an age ago in a pre-brexit world and so the discussions on racism and nationalism hit differently now and if you don't give a shite for Dara I don't think you'll get much mileage but it's an easy read rumination of a comic on tour.
And yet, Dara sums up the fruitlessness of the whole thesis succinctly at the end
"...all these discussions about national character, all the generalisations...is a lot less instructive...than just talking to individuals"
As it's our differences rather than our similarities that make things interesting.
I bought this book an age ago in a pre-brexit world and so the discussions on racism and nationalism hit differently now and if you don't give a shite for Dara I don't think you'll get much mileage but it's an easy read rumination of a comic on tour.
January 24, 2018
Not quite sure if this is meant to be the diary of a tour, with a few bits copied and pasted from wikipedia thrown in, or a few bits copied and pasted from wikipedia woven loosely around the diary of a tour.
There are one or two vaguely interesting little snippets in it, but nary a smile was raised.
Suspect this is "what you do with a load of tired out old gags after they've been on tour for too long" - stick what's left of them in a pretty uninspiring book, but flog the asset for all it's worth. But in this case, sorry Dara, You're Fired.......
There are one or two vaguely interesting little snippets in it, but nary a smile was raised.
Suspect this is "what you do with a load of tired out old gags after they've been on tour for too long" - stick what's left of them in a pretty uninspiring book, but flog the asset for all it's worth. But in this case, sorry Dara, You're Fired.......
February 3, 2019
Bought at a branch of WHSmith in Gatwick Airport on the way back from a birthday trip to London. I like mr. Ó Briain's style and observations, and was not disappointed. Even though some of the anecdotes got a bit "Ya had to be there" at times, I still found myself laughing out loud on the plane a few times.
I need to get a hold of a new copy - my first "drowned" at Roskilde Festival 2011 in a downpour.
I need to get a hold of a new copy - my first "drowned" at Roskilde Festival 2011 in a downpour.
January 11, 2022
This was a brilliant book and a really fun read. In some ways this book is a review of Dara's season which was really interesting in itself, learning how the trade works and how a show is developed. However, the observations on the English psyche are insightful and well thoughtout. All in all, a great read and highly recomended.
As an aside, it was interesting reading this book (from 2009) after the happenings of the last few years...
As an aside, it was interesting reading this book (from 2009) after the happenings of the last few years...
April 1, 2018
This is the second time I've read Tickling The English and I'm sure it's a book I'll go back to again and again. Dara's take on the English is candid, thought-provoking and often hilarious, to the point that I had to stop reading as I couldn't see the words through the tears of laughter. Highly recommended 5/5
August 13, 2020
The guy is a comedy legend, as such you would have thought this book would be hilarious. It does have some laugh out loud moments but essentially it felt more like a book about life on tour... Which is fine I even like those kind of books but well I was hoping for funnier. Oh well can't win them all.
July 3, 2021
I struggled to read this and based on other reviews, I wasn't the only one.
I put it down when he mentioned the Jim Davidson joke. As a comedian who I feel has always been a little ahead of his time, this joke felt distasteful and fairly out of character but I suppose this is what you get from a behind the scenes look at a funny man.
I put it down when he mentioned the Jim Davidson joke. As a comedian who I feel has always been a little ahead of his time, this joke felt distasteful and fairly out of character but I suppose this is what you get from a behind the scenes look at a funny man.
September 12, 2022
Part tour diary, part exploration of the English psyche this book is incredibly well balanced. At no stage does it settle in to lecture the reader but instead it keeps itself ticking along, with enough laughs and intriguing thoughts without ever giving up the entirety of the bait. With the structure of a comedy routine there is even a finale which is teased throughout and is incredibly funny.
May 7, 2017
Waste of time. I thought this would be an insight into Dara's "adventures" in the UK (or, more specifically, England) but it's not. It's a blow-by-blow of the tour he was on at the time. Not interesting in the slightest and straight into the charity bucket!
September 2, 2018
Very entertaining- especially as an English person living in Dublin! Highlights of a now long-ago tour, with a smattering of what being English is all about, it has made me look forward to my first time seeing him live this week, at Vicar Street.
November 4, 2023
Very dated pre Covid travels around the UK whilst on tour. Some of the reflections are funny and written with affection. My 'before I go to sleep book' - you can dip in and out - not sure that I would read the book quickly as very samey in parts.
September 10, 2017
Funny, insightful and a great companion to Dara's stand-up shows
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews