Book Review: Rules, Britannia by Toni Summers Hargis

In the book Rules, Britannia by Toni Summers Hargis a plethora of topics about life in the UK are discussed. Topics range from shopping and services to vacations and entertainment. I won’t talk about every topic discussed in the book as there are twenty-two chapters. There are many differences between the UK and Us, although many of them are subtle things. At the beginning of the book there are 3 chapters solely based on words or expressions that are unknown to Americans that might cause embarrassment, laughter, or confusion. There are also terms that Americans and the British might not share or that have different meanings featured at the end of each chapter. Some examples of such words or expressions that Hargis includes are palava, which means a fuss, argy-bargy, which means trouble, and naff, which means crass. She also provides helpful links dealing with the topic discussed at the end of each chapter. When it comes to shopping, there are differences, some of which are good, and some of which are bad. One of the good things is that malls (shopping centers) in the UK are more family accessible, offering a place for you to drop off your kids for an hour or two at a “crèche,” which is sort of like a daycare center, while you shop among other family friendly features. One of the downsides to shopping in the UK is that most stores are not very reasonable with their return policies. Entertainment is a bit different, with the theatre being a bigger deal than it is here. Also, you have to pay a license fee to watch TV whether it is on the internet or the television to support the BBC. After 9PM British television becomes quite raunchy, many of them showing nudity or having adult jokes. British people can be very passionate about their sports, specifically soccer (football). As for vacations, British people and Europeans in general, take more vacations (holidays) than most Americans. The British also typically book their holidays with a travel guide or go with a vacation package. Miscellaneous culture in the UK is very different from the US. British people tend to be more mild mannered than Americans and also speak more softly. They tend not to confront a person who they have a problem with or who has made them angry, instead choosing to ignore that person. According to Hargis, “[A] word you’ll hear a lot in the UK is ‘sorry,’ and it has a million and one uses” (221). You could be rushing through a busy area, knocking people around, but if you say sorry it makes it not as bad. British people also use sorry to apologize for things they didn’t cause, when someone didn’t hear you, or if you’re trying to get by someone. Things that we don’t necessarily consider very rude, such as being late or saying he or she when referring to someone in the room, are seen as quite rude in the UK. Some other general differences between our cultures are that people in the UK have a slower pace of life, like to voice their discontent, and go to bed and rise later than Americans typically do.
This book was wonderful! It provided me with so much knowledge about the UK, and I feel much more informed than I did before. It definitely had an insider feel to it, as the author grew up and lived in the UK for quite some time, and visits often. The real life stories from friends and her experience with the UK were great and made it more relatable. I think it gave better personal insight than a “travel book” would, as travel books typically just give facts and don’t have a personal feel. Each chapter went more in-depth than any articles that I’ve read have.
Hargis also provided humor in the book, making it more enjoyable than your average informational book. I really like the culture in general from what she described. This is a small thing, but I liked that she said the store workers don’t follow you around the store asking to help you. That and many other things she mentioned such as their quieter speaking tones are welcome changes. I found the word translations and websites at the end of each chapter very helpful. I really don’t have any problems with this book, and there is nothing I can think of that I would change about it. Everyone that plans on moving from the US to the UK should acquire this book and take it with them when they move. I certainly would.

Hargis, Toni. Rules, Britannia. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2006. Print.