Middle England

pick

This is the third in the series that started in 70's Birmingham with the lives of teenage boys in The Rotters club. Now in their 50's Coe through the lives of Benjamin, his friends and family from 2010 -18 shows how England splits into a country at war with itself, intolerant + unforgiving. As with satire at times funny but uncomfortable, yet i will be going back to bk 1 (read yrs ago) soon. And realised qualifies for
#readingenvysummerreading

31 likes1 stack add

Dolly

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

so-so

My choice for Fifth place out of the six books I read for the #BookTubePrize was Middle England. It wasn‘t a bad book. Others liked it and it‘s moving on to the next round.

My notes: Brexit info - family & love relationships- humor- boring.

So far : 5. Middle England✨
6. Patsy✨

42 likes

Dolly

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

This book is called Middle England. Middle England has deckled edges. I do not like deckled edges. I fumble every blasted time I turn the page- there are 429 pages. I‘m one third of the way through this book and I‘m almost ready to search who invented DECKLED EDGES and say horrible things about him/her on every social media site I know. Growling in frustration should not be part of reading 🤯😁

Lcsmcat Are the tops deckled too? That‘s how I solve this problem - by turning them from the top. I share your frustration! 5y

Dolly @Lcsmcat Yes, I have to turn them from the top, but top and bottom edges are soft and fuzzy and the inner surface of the pages stick together enough so a sliding pinch in opposite directions (as one might do to open a plastic produce bag) doesn‘t work either. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤨 As soon as I turn the page I start working on the next. (edited) 5y

Lcsmcat 😡 5y

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8little_paws I don't like them either! 5y

rwmg 😡 I have refused to buy books before now because they had deckled edges. 5y

Dolly @rwmg Boycott! Boycott! Boycott! 😂 5y

rwmg @Dolly I asked the assistant in various shops for an undeckled copy. If enough of us do that perhaps word will filter back to publishers that the reading public doesn't like them. 5y

Bookishlie 😞 I like deckled edges. I think they make the book look classier. 😐 sorry 5y

Dolly @rwmg Some do like them but darned if I know why. The older I get the crabbier I am about nonsense in or on books like covers where the author‘s font is much larger than the title or hard to read titles and fonts. Dear Publishers, Don‘t make me struggle to read your title or books! 5y

Dolly @Bookishlie Oh goodness, don‘t apologize, I‘m just a crabby old lady. 👵🏼😊 5y

BarbaraBB I really like deckled edges even though I keep struggling to turn pages. Great point about the author‘s names! (edited) 5y

Hooked_on_books Oh this made me laugh! I actually think deckled edges look quite attractive, but they aren‘t functional at all. 5y

Suet624 Love this post. 5y

Dolly @BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books @Suet624 Kinda like the high heels of the book world. 🤓 5y

arlenefinnigan I love deckled edges. My copy of this does not have deckled edges. Perhaps we should swap. 😂 5y

Dolly @arlenefinnigan I‘m only now realizing there are options. My copy was grabbed from a distant library but now I see one in my own public library and I‘m curious to check the pages. Always learning! I do like deckled edges in stationary so it must be a functional dislike and not a visual one. 😉 5y

50 likes1 stack add16 comments

Sanghamitra

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

pick

The history of last decade in England through the eyes of characters of all ages, ideologies and backgrounds. The Brexit divide that broke families, formed unlikely alliances and made a nation of two rather than one. The thrill of watching the London Olympics and the perplexity of the Brexit day. I moved to this country exactly a decade ago and so it‘s my immigrant history as well.

TrishB I enjoyed this book 👍🏻 5y

Sanghamitra 👍 5y

2 likes2 comments

TrishB

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

pick

Good things about this book: it was the last eight years of my life.
Bad things about this book: it was the last eight years of my life!!
Reliving the Brexit referendum was painful. But the small minded, insidious backlash was spot on and sadly continues. The whole thing is on ongoing shit storm....with an end date in sight. Great read.
#booked2019 #bookgiftedtoyou

Cinfhen, BarbaraTheBibliophage, alisiakae

BarbaraTheBibliophage Ooh. I need a break from US politics. Maybe I‘ll give your politics a spin! Great job on getting a prompt completed too! 6y

Cinfhen Would an ignorant Yankee like me get the nuances of this book, Trish??!!? 6y

TrishB @BarbaraTheBibliophage if you like politics generally you‘ll enjoy - the people story behind it is great and universal! 6y

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TrishB @Cinfhen ahhh you‘re not ignorant! I think the people story is universal and you don‘t need to particularly know anything other than people and their insecurities! 6y

Cinfhen I‘m a little uninformed about British/European politics 🙄 6y

TrishB @Cinfhen you could still read - it just might not be as terrifying!! If it‘s not your thing it may not be as enjoyable (!) 6y

Izai.Amorim Meanwhile I doubt brexit will happen. Much Ado about nothing. Three lost years. While they were brexiting, did the country fall apart yet? 6y

TrishB @Izai.Amorim we all carried on! 6y

Izai.Amorim 👍👍 Will there be enough place in hell for all the Bexiters and their enablers? I've heard the devil is setting an Express line for all Brexiters holding iconic blue passports.😂 6y

eraderneely @BarbaraTheBibliophage I‘m an American in England. I need a break from both!!! 6y

TrishB @Izai.Amorim I‘ll be waving as they go past 😁 6y

TrishB @eraderneely you‘re excused 😁 6y

127 likes1 stack add12 comments

TrishB

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

Lunch break at 2.15 with no lunch 😔 but the book is great, if excruciating!!

Reviewsbylola Beautiful cover and it sounds interesting. 6y

Leftcoastzen I spy with my little eye a Numan mug! 6y

TrishB @Reviewsbylola really enjoying it 👍🏻 6y

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TrishB @Leftcoastzen I may have a mouse mat and calendar too.... 6y

batsy I loved Rotters Club... I need to read this! 6y

TrishB @batsy I‘ve not read that one! This one was on my Christmas list. I‘m really enjoying it though. 6y

128 likes1 stack add6 comments

Minervasbutler

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

pick

Coe brings his Rotters Club characters up to the present with this splendid dissection of Brexit Britain. Perhaps the only weak point is that while Coe is good on the rage and disillusionment that underpinned Brexit, he fails to present a really sympathetic exponent of the Leave camp. (A tough ask, I realise). Vies with Perfidious Albion as the best Brexit novel to date.

93 likes1 stack add

Minervasbutler

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

It's hard to satirise the clusterfuck and madness that is Brexit but Coe makes a pretty good fist of it lol

69 likes1 stack add

Minervasbutler

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

‘Rail replacement service‘, ‘Kettering‘, ‘Nuneaton‘. Were there five more dispiriting words in the English (or any other) language?
I guess not lol

TrishB 😂😂 6y

62 likes1 comment

Eyejaybee

Middle England | Jonathan Coe

pick

Another marvellous novel from Jonathan Coe, and perhaps the first that I have read which attempts to engage with the impact on Britain of the result of the Brexit referendum. Very amusing, too. See my Goodreads review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2597066786. #fiction #book #books #bookstagram #jonathancoe #middleengland #politics #brexit #humour #dauntbooks

9 likes1 stack add

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