Customer Reviews

England, England

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A character in a Graham Swift novel complains that England is degenerating into a "high-class" Disneyland. In "England, England," Julian Barnes takes that none-too-original idea as the germ for his satire on modern-day Blighty. The problem is that a novel idea does not always add up to a great novel. I was actually reminded more of H. G. Wells' "Tono-Bungay" than of anything by Swift when I read this novel, and the potential is there for a pointed satire on "Cool" Britannia. However, the satire in "England, England" never really develops. I had the feeling, when I got to the end, that the middle third of the novel was missing. I am a great fan of Julian Barnes and have never before felt that any of his novels were underwritten. This time, however, I was left wanting more. Sir Jack Pitman, the book's most interesting character, is caught in flagrante about halfway into the book and practically disappears from its pages, leaving Barnes to focus on the near-colorless Martha Cochrane, who, as the little girl that grew beans competitively and worked jigsaw-puzzle maps of Britain, is meant to represent the salt of her native earth. Unfortunately for Barnes' readers, she lacks piquancy altogether. There are lots of laughs along the way, including a set piece involving a latter-day Dr. Johnson, who takes his role as the Great Cham in Sir Jack's theme park to heart and develops a commercially unhealthy fatalism, but the whole of "England, England" is much less than the sum of its parts.

England is in decline and rather than deal with reality, Sir Jack Pitman (who appears to me to be based on Robert Maxwell) decides to take over the Isle of Wight and create a Disney style England as an independent state. The state of course is for tourists and the pursuit of money, offering the complete England in a sanitised and scaled down version with first class accomodation and no need to travel around to see it.

During the course of the book Sir Jack has the upper hand, loses it through blackmail, is humiliated and then gains it again through bribery, all in hilarious fashion.

Barnes utilizes dry wit and satire most effectively to tell his tale, exposing powerful corporate heads as meglomaniacs, amoral and of course corrupt beings with no soul. Nothing much new in that of course, except for the exceptional skill that Barnes employs doing so.

However as you move through the book you begin to compare the modern high speed world with a now bygone simple age. I found the comparison compelling and while I am not prepared to give up my computer and flat screen tv I confess to being a little wistful about a slower and simpler life.

I have no hesitation in recommending Mr Barnes, give him a try and I don't think you will regret it.

Like some other reviewers, I wonder if the middle of this novel got lost somewhere between writer and publisher. The idea itself was fascinating, especially since I just returned from Las Vegas where you can visit several European cities, Egypt, Rome, New York and probably other venues I missed. That part of the book was well done.

But what happened to the people? All kinds of interesting characters were introduced and then completely dropped. None of their stories were developed, which was disappointing.

This book, as previous reviews point out, develops a great scenario. It puts the reader into a future in which England is falling apart but simultaneously a replica England (replete with Beefeaters, Robin Hood and Dr. Johnson) on the Isle of Wight becomes a huge commercial success, overtaking the original.

The idea is powerful, the imagery vivid, some of the figures engaging, including the female protagonist, and the scenario can be fun, England's entire history condensed into a theme park.

It is, alas, not Julian Barnes' best book. Barnes has a tendency to go for the crude snapshot, which profoundly damages the nuance that he is capable of. I realize that some people find an occasional crass moment refreshing, but I'm personally quite put off.

Also, the theme of a Robert Maxwell-like figure taking over an island and manufacturing pretty history, making it only available to credit-worthy customers is alright, but don't expect a profound examination of authenticity and replica, whatever the blurb says. Part of this examination goes under in a clichéed pirate-capitalist, the rest never fully develops because Barnes goes for the obvious. The corporate intrigue does not unfold as a story, either. For that, the novel is too concerned with the replica scenario, and simultaneously spinning too much around a fairly trite setup. Reading the newspaper about Enron is more exciting than this.

There are people who profoundly like this book, and I understand why. It is okay as a read, but it left me much colder than some of Barnes' previous novels. Some of the stylistic tricks are the same as they used to be, and previously they worked better. I normally dog-ear every page where I find something remarkable. There are lots of dog ears in my copies of some of Barnes' other novels, not a single in this one.

While some may take this to be a one-joke book (wooing an international tourist economy by recreating all of England's most famous, market-tested landmarks into a more manageable, mini-England on the Isle of Wight), I find it to be a clever lens through which the reader can observe and consider the foibles of modern Western (not just British) society. On the way it raises many interesting questions: What is the role of memory in personal and national identities? Why and how do we seek to exercise control over others? How are we shaped by the roles we assume (regardless of our motives for accepting these roles)? When is what we choose to believe about reality more powerful than reality itself? And let's not forget, What is the role of sex in history?

While this book by Julian Barnes does not have any of the understated poignancy that I enjoyed and expected to find after reading FLAUBERT'S PARROT, it is clever and engaging in its own way. A fun read if you can handle the artifice.

a welcome return to form for barnes after the somewhat throwaway "porcupine" and the disappointing, not-fun-to-read "cross channel." this one has been well-received in the UK and for good reason. second in ambition only to "parrot" and "10 1/2 chapters." in part, contemporary sociopolitical satire aimed at england; in part, an ambitious attempt to trace the arc of a woman's life from cradle to grave, with all the shifts in narrative voice that evolution entails. if you have even a passing interest in or familiarity with england, the satire component that constitutes the bulk of the book is laugh-out-loud funny -- consistently better than the good bits in "porcupine." the biographical storyline is not as uniformly successful/convincing but has more emotional weight and does have its great moments of emotional truth (shades of "metroland" and the sad meaning of <<je t'aimes bien>>), particularly in its exploration of the possibility, and then the reality, of a life without lasting love or attachment. no hollywood ending here. but far too good to pass up.

As a confirmed Anglophile and fan of anything relating to England, the concept of this book caught my attention. An entrepenuer wants to locate all of England's tourist attractions onto the Isle of Wight in an attempt to create an idealized England. Why should tourists have to travel all around the nation when they can visit every attraction and quintessential moment of history in one location? (Even if those attractions aren't necessarily the originals.)

Barnes' narrative begins with the memories of its main character Martha as she tries to figure out the truth and the lies of one's memory. This introductory chapter is a well-written examination into how we construct the memories of our youth. The novel then tries to examine how we construct the memories of our history and national identity. Martha works for Sir Jack Pitman and helps him develop his idea of the perfect England. They renovate the Isle of Wight to include attractions such as Big Ben, the Tower of London and a scaled down Buckingham Palace, complete with King and Queen. There are, of course, cream teas and various pubs, along with a crew of actors who re-enact the Battle of Britain, Robin Hood and his Merrie Men and other famous acts of history that are essential to one's notion of what makes England, England.

Yet things are not perfect on this idealized island that becomes known as England, England. While tourism booms on the island, Old England falls apart with its main industry gone. Barnes examines what happens to memory when it is molded to fit expectations instead of historical accurracy. While at times uneven, and with a few storylines that seem unnecessary, "England, England" succeeds in its examination of the role memory plays in each of our lives, and in the shaping of our past and present.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, given that England seems to be well on its way to becoming one big theme park, almost overflowing with so-called "experiences" to milk tourists. But Barnes doesn't quite deliver on the promise, although the writing is good and the book has its funny moments. I enjoyed the list of essential English traits and objects- only notable ommission was the Beatles (if I remember correctly). Having said this, the book is still worth reading, although I enjoyed The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters more.

I was disappointed with the development of the Created England. I felt that more description should have gone into the societal development than into character development. I was really looking forward to reading the book. Although I found it to be contrived and predictable, it was entertaining to some degree.

Barnes is cute, totally lacking in substance. The characters are thin, the plot silly and the writing pretentious. The only good part of this time-wasting novel is that in which Barnes has Samuel Johnson say a number of lines in his own words. Now if we had had much more Johnson and much less Barnes, we'd have had something worthwhile.