In Search of the English Eccentric
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Review
'A lovely, heartfelt paean to English eccentrics, by a member of the tribe. A funny, timely and moving encounter with a dying breed.'
(Jon Ronson )The new Michael Palin
(Tatler )'Hemming keeps up a stream of comic patter'
(Guardian )'Hilarious'
(Daily Mail )'Hemming makes some good points'
(Sunday Telegraph/ Seven )'Hemming is a kindly collector and a champion of people who live as they see fit'
(Metro )'Highly entertaining'
(Traveller )'Intelligent and encouraging'
(TLS )'Hemming makes a convincing case for the ways in which eccentrics benefit any society or era' (Financial Times )
'If nothing else this book confirms the old adage "there's nothing so strange as folk"
(Folkestone Herald & Dover Express )'Entertaining and thought-provoking ... Hemming unearths a surprisingly large array of delightfully odd characters'
(Cambridge Evening News )Product Description
The English eccentric is under threat. In our increasingly homogenised society, these celebrated parts of our national identity are anomalies that may soon no longer fit. Or so it seems. On his entertaining and thought-provoking quest to discover the most eccentric English person alive today, Henry Hemming unearths a surprisingly large array of delightfully odd characters.
He asks what it is to be an eccentric. Is it simply to thrive on creativity and non-conformity, and where does this incarnation of Englishness stem from? Hemming concludes that this tribe is, in fact, in rude health, as essential as ever to the English national identity, only they are no longer to be found where youd expect them.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A captivating book combining history, psychology and social commentary - and written with a playful, light touch. While there have been other books on english eccentricity, hemming's book throws open the subject by taking in modern characters in order to investigate what we really mean by the term. This is one of the best things about the books - too many other books on eccentricity merely look to the past. Hemming's takes in the victorian, animal loving eccentrics, but also introduces us to modern incarnations, such as Vivienne Westwood, the leopard man and a modern day King Arthur, among others.
Like the best sociological or historical books, hemming introduces arguments by way of stories and characters, so you never feel as though you are working to understand his points. His descriptions of his encounters with the eccentrics he meets are very well done - vivid and entertaining.
I read this book in a couple of weeks - partly because the journey hemming takes lends the book a good pace and makes it hard to put down - but also because i was keen to find out who the quintessential eccentric would be (you're in for a treat!).
But while i may have read it fast, many of Hemming's points have stayed with me - particularly his arguments on eccentricity and mental health which make for an unforgettable and poignant part of the book.
I bought this book expecting it to be a fun read - but it was much much more, broadening my understanding of the history of england, the history of psychology - and most importantly, the history of English Eccentrics.
Having read Hemming's other book - Misadventure in the Middle East - and loved it, i'm looking forward to seeing what his third will be.
Like the best sociological or historical books, hemming introduces arguments by way of stories and characters, so you never feel as though you are working to understand his points. His descriptions of his encounters with the eccentrics he meets are very well done - vivid and entertaining.
I read this book in a couple of weeks - partly because the journey hemming takes lends the book a good pace and makes it hard to put down - but also because i was keen to find out who the quintessential eccentric would be (you're in for a treat!).
But while i may have read it fast, many of Hemming's points have stayed with me - particularly his arguments on eccentricity and mental health which make for an unforgettable and poignant part of the book.
I bought this book expecting it to be a fun read - but it was much much more, broadening my understanding of the history of england, the history of psychology - and most importantly, the history of English Eccentrics.
Having read Hemming's other book - Misadventure in the Middle East - and loved it, i'm looking forward to seeing what his third will be.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I found In Search of the English Eccentric in the travel section of my local bookstore, but it is far more than a travel book. In the context of travel writing, the author exoticises his native Britain led by a quest for eccentrics. The travel is also across time, reviving dandies dustied with age, in an effort to update the concept of the eccentric from its Victorian roots.
Unlike a travel book, however, this is not a list of people or places to see. The book is carefully structured around themes and introduces us to characters who fail to meet the definition of eccentric as well as to those who come out triumphant. Questioning the concept of eccentric leads Hemming into provocative terrain regarding the relationship between eccentricity, madness, perversion and creativity.
Creativity is clearly a theme close to the heart of the author, who is an artist of his own right. Each chapter is illustrated with etchings made by Hemming in the manner of a 19th century botanist. And the narrative is peppered with metaphor, creating unexpected images at every page turn. The book also reads like theatre in parts, full of carefully recorded dialogue between Hemming and his subjects.
In short, this is a playful book with an entertaining approach to serious and well researched questions about the relationship of individuals to society. I highly recommend it.
Unlike a travel book, however, this is not a list of people or places to see. The book is carefully structured around themes and introduces us to characters who fail to meet the definition of eccentric as well as to those who come out triumphant. Questioning the concept of eccentric leads Hemming into provocative terrain regarding the relationship between eccentricity, madness, perversion and creativity.
Creativity is clearly a theme close to the heart of the author, who is an artist of his own right. Each chapter is illustrated with etchings made by Hemming in the manner of a 19th century botanist. And the narrative is peppered with metaphor, creating unexpected images at every page turn. The book also reads like theatre in parts, full of carefully recorded dialogue between Hemming and his subjects.
In short, this is a playful book with an entertaining approach to serious and well researched questions about the relationship of individuals to society. I highly recommend it.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wow - this was such a fascinating book! It shook up my ideas about difference and marginality. It portrays how the eccentrics' lives develop a contemporary notion of eccentricity without loosing the dimensions of the people. From the weightlessness of remembering what it is like to be childlike to issues of a national identity, it charts a journey of theoretical development with a sense of adventure and fun. Almost above all, the writing opens out moments in vibrant and vivid ways and manages to be both wide-ranging in its historical reach and yet also specific and intimate.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thrilling journey thorugh the eccentric willderness
As someone who already has an interest in the eccentric among us, I thoroughly enjoyed this insightful and often humorous tale of a man in search of some of the UK's most... Read more
Published 4 months ago by bawdy_otter
Eccentrics etc
Henry Hemming is an excellent writer: his study of English eccentricity is intrically researched and keenly observed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by SilentSinger
In search of the English Eceentric
I'm featured in the book as one of the Eccentrics - who swims in the Serpentine all year round - so of course I enjoyed reading it!
Published on 4 July 2009 by Mr. J. L. Hunter-coddington
In Search of the English Eccentric
Why did I like this book?
Roster of lively characters. Loveable puppy of an
inquisitor. Stunning panorama of a curious contemporary England. Read more
Roster of lively characters. Loveable puppy of an
inquisitor. Stunning panorama of a curious contemporary England. Read more
Published on 18 July 2008 by Mr. A. J. Braithwaite
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