Dor Does Books

Lynne Truss is fabulous. This book, however, is not.

Basically, it lacks direction. A collection of essays on the six things society has embraced which will make you want to remain at home with the door barred, it takes its brief a little too intelligently, including quotes from anthropoligical texts such as Kate Fox's Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour alongside Truss's trademark middle-aged cat-lady rants. Coupled with the rather slight chapter headings it makes for an odd mix which doesn't quite work - sure, I get annoyed by stuff too, but there is a point where I stop analysing why it happens, usually because I need to cook the dinner.

Truss is a smart writer and she does hew some interesting aspects from a saturated (even for the original publication date) subject, but I don't see the point of this one. It's not really a funny book (although parts are amusing) and it's not really an educational book (although I learned something) and if it had been longer and I hadn't been taking a bath I would likely have quit.

Two stars, just for making me go and look up some of the texts she's mentioned