Customer Reviews

Dear Henry: Letters from the Lowlands

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I have personally witnessed the great nation of the Netherlands reduce a great Englishman to a quivering wreck. Make that two Englishmen, and two quivering wrecks.

So it was sort of a relief to see so many of my pet hates (pet peeves in US speak) splashed across the pages of this short but sweet book.

The mindless perkiness, the mandatory kissing rounds, the coffee culture, the national sport that is greed, mopeds, typical Dutch rudeness, and many more aspects of living in Nederland are therapeutically dealt with in the letters. If it had been me writing, I'd not have been half as friendly, or half as clever. It takes discipline not to tackle the subject of living in Holland with a proverbial sledgehammer.

Indeed, when a country brings one to remark that one would only go back there with enriched uranium, it's time for some damage control.

So rather than physically and gruesomely attack the next 16-year-old moped-riding, chain-smoking, opinionated, see-through-blond, overfed and overcaffeinated youth that crosses my path, by beating him with a wheel of aged Gouda, I will retreat to some private place with a cup of hot tea and my copy of 'Dear Henry.'

I enjoyed reading the book tremendously. Brian's humour is in the great English tradition of geniuses like Ben Elton, Tom Sharpe and John Cleese. Not to mention Benny Hill. Oh, no sorry, I mean: don't mention Benny Hill. As to the ending, a touch of the surreal. Really, could it be, would it work? Could a real Englishman do what Henry did?

A must read for anyone who wants to enter the collective psyche of those two great peoples, the English and the ummm.... ummm... for anyone who wants to enter the psyche of those two strange peoples, the English and the Dutch.

I enjoyed reading the book tremendously. Brian's humour is in the great English tradition of geniuses like Ben Elton, Tom Sharpe and John Cleese. Not to mention Benny Hill. Oh, no sorry, I mean: don't mention Benny Hill. As to the ending, a touch of the surreal. Really, could it be, would it work? Could a real Englishman do what Henry did?

A must read for anyone who wants to enter the collective psyche of those two great peoples, the English and the ummm.... ummm... for anyone who wants to enter the psyche of those two strange peoples, the English and the Dutch.

As a (former) Dutchman, I found it interesting to read the experiences from a Britsh'immigrant' to Holland. I liked the British style of humor, but did not always understand what his problem was. However, I myself was shocked to learn that now bicyclists in Holland are always right, makes me think twice to ever drive a car again in Holland.
Being an immigrant myself to the US I could write simular stories about my experiences in the US, it is just what you are used to.
The end was kind of disappointing to me, Brian is obviously too much attached to Britain to be able to live in another country, because that requires to accept a different lifestyle.
Nevertheless I enjoyed reading the book, brought back some memories of the time that I lived in The Netherlands.
It brings it all in perspective.