How to Be an Alien (Penguin Joint Venture Readers)

One of the best ways to get to know a country is by understanding its humour. That is why I was so pleased when I came across the book "How to be an Alien" in the university library. By reading this warm book from the Hungarian author, Mikes Gyorgy, or if you prefer George Mikes, you can hit three birds with one stone (yes it is a big stone). Readers get to know the peculiarities of English people through Hungarian humour while having a good time. Although he is not from England, it is no question that he is an expert on English people - what was to be a two-week holiday in England for him in 1939 became a field trip for a lifetime. The book contains Mikes` serious discoveries and explanations about British life, whereby my fellow-countryman teaches the world about English mentality. The main problem is that except for me, nobody wants to take him seriously. So much so, that even the illustrations to this scientifically supported "instruction book" created by Nicolas Bentley, were humorous. It became so popular, that the publisher even brought out a new version of the book with a simpler style for non-English mother tongue readers. Now I will put back this pearl to the row of light readings, where you can find others, which have also unfortunately been misunderstood, including the fine pieces of work of the Hungarian-Israeli writer Ejfraim Kishont. As more and more people enjoy these books as a humorous offering, all I can do is to stand by my beliefs in silence as I recommend "How to be an Alien" laughingly to young people and to old, to British and to the rest. Throughout I am just waiting desperately for someone to realise that it is true that: a. the English really do drink tea with milk, while they talk very excitedly about the monotonously pouring rain, b. they do not loose their temper even when they stand all by themselves for hours in a queue at a bus stop, and c. they always travel on the wrong side of the road. When this finally happens, this book will be placed in the reference section of libraries around the world, and will become compulsory reading.