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George Mikes

    15 februari 1912 – 30 augustus 1987

    George Mikes, een Brits auteur van Hongaarse afkomst, wordt geroemd om zijn geestige en inzichtelijke commentaren op nationale culturen en eigenaardigheden. Met het oog van een journalist voor detail en het hart van een humorist, ontleedde hij maatschappelijke normen en stereotypen met zachte satire. Zijn werken bieden een unieke lens om de absurditeiten en overeenkomsten van menselijk gedrag over grenzen heen te bekijken. Mikes' vermogen om amusement en begrip te vinden in culturele verschillen maakt zijn schrijven zowel onderhoudend als tot nadenken stemmend.

    George Mikes
    The Land of the Rising Yen
    Switzerland for Beginners
    How to be God
    How to be a Guru
    Any Souvenirs?
    How to be an alien : level 3
    • Prison

      A Symposium

      • 216bladzijden
      • 8 uur lezen

      Exploring the concept of enforced separation from normal life, this work examines various forms of imprisonment, including mental asylums, hospitals, political prisons, and concentration camps. Through a detailed analysis of different prison experiences, it seeks to uncover valuable lessons learned over time. First published in 1963, the book delves into the psychological and societal impacts of isolation, offering a profound reflection on the nature of confinement and its implications for human existence.

      Prison2023
    • George Mikes has written many successful books on a variety of interesting subjects, but one so successful as those on the subject most central to his own experience: his adopted country. The first of these came out in 1946: the ever famous "How to be an Alien." Later he enlarges the picture with "How to be inimitable" and "How to be Decadent." All three books were illustrated by the master of the cartoonists’ art, the late Nicolas Bentley. Here they are, all in one volume, which will make life much easier for today's would-be Brits than it was for those who pervaded them. It is said that a few of the latter actually failed to become indistinguishable from the genuine British article because they found it too tiresome to seek out three separate books: a misfortune that need never again occur to anyone.

      How to Be a Brit1985
      3,9
    • Presents a satirical discussion of the advantages of a life in poverty and humorous advice on the enjoyment of poverty

      How To Be Poor1984
      3,6
    • England

      • 200bladzijden
      • 7 uur lezen
      England1980
    • English humour for beginners

      • 160bladzijden
      • 6 uur lezen

      If you want to succeed here you must be able to handle the English sense of humour. So proclaims George Mikes' timeless exploration of this curious phenomenon. Whether it's understatement, self-deprecation or plain cruelty, the three elements he identifies as essential to our sense of humour, being witty here is a way of life. Perfectly placed as an adopted Englishman himself, Mikes delivers his shrewd advice - helpfully divided into 'Theory' and 'Practice' - with a comic precision that does his chosen country proud. Drawing on a trove of examples from our rich comic canon, from Orwell (Every joke is a tiny revolution) to Oscar Wilde, this is the essential handbook for natives and foreigners alike. Mrs Kennedy: I don't think, Mr Churchill, that I have told you anything about my grandchildren. Winston Churchill: For which, madam, I am infinitely grateful

      English humour for beginners1980
      3,0
    • Das Vergnügen, dekadent zu sein

      • 120bladzijden
      • 5 uur lezen

      Seit über 40 Jahren lebt der aus Budapest stammende George Mikes in London. Seitdem hat er nicht aufgehört, die mehr oder weniger liebenswerten Eigenschaften der Engländer mit leicht angespitzter Feder, aber immer wohlwollend und spritzig-amüsant aufs Korn zu nehmen. Hier zieht er Bilanz, wobei er feststellt, dass die Dekadenz weiß Gott keine leichte Sache ist, die Engländer sie aber bravourös beherrschen. Ob Mikes sich mit Allerweltsthemen wie Essen, Trinken, Sex oder Shopping befasst, immer verbindet er feinsinnigen Humor mit der ihm eigenen Lebensklugheit. Besonders die typisch englischen Themen, z.B. "Wie man in Ruhe in Panik gerät" oder "Wie man ein Empire verliert", machen die Lektüre zu einem einzigartigen Lesevergnügen.

      Das Vergnügen, dekadent zu sein1979
    • So ein Katzenleben ...

      • 160bladzijden
      • 6 uur lezen

      Eine der angenehmen, unkomplizierten Bücher über das Zusammenleben von Mensch und Tier.

      So ein Katzenleben ...1979
      4,3
    • How to be decadent

      • 96bladzijden
      • 4 uur lezen

      Over thirty years after George Mikes penned his classic guide for foreigners in Britain, he has felt compelled to create a new edition. This updated version addresses the evolving nature of British identity and culture, recognizing that even the British can change significantly over three decades. Key sections explore themes such as How to Lose an Empire, Become a Colony, and Stop Being an Island, offering fresh insights into these contemporary issues. Familiar topics, like sex, receive more nuanced treatment than before, requiring more than just a brief mention. Navigating London has also grown increasingly complex, and the evolution of language presents its own challenges. While natives may experience some blows to their self-esteem, they ultimately find themselves basking in a sense of self-congratulation. Mikes's enduring relationship with his adopted country shines through, alongside the perfect illustrations by Nicholas Bentley that complement his humor. Together, they create a work that rivals Mikes's most famous writings, capturing the unique chemistry that defines his perspective on Britain.

      How to be decadent1977
      3,8
    • Gedanken sind zollfrei

      • 159bladzijden
      • 6 uur lezen

      Gedanken sind zollfrei - Erfahrungen in Bayern, Österreich, Jugoslawien und Ungarn - bk807; Droemer Knaur; George Mikes; pocket_book; 1975

      Gedanken sind zollfrei1975
    • Switzerland for Beginners

      • 92bladzijden
      • 4 uur lezen

      Hands up, those in the new first class who don't know George Mike's method of instruction. He mixes the sugar- i.e. the humour - so thoroughly that they become one substance, both delightful and nourishing. You will get a great deal of entertainment from this book, and it's the entertainment in itself which will teach you a great deal about Switzerland. Each chapter is illustrated by the witty Swiss artist, Godi Hofmann

      Switzerland for Beginners1974
      3,4
    • Any Souvenirs?

      Central Europe Revisited

      • 184bladzijden
      • 7 uur lezen

      Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso

      Any Souvenirs?1971
      3,8
    • 1960. First Edition. 91 pages. Yellow jacket over cloth. Pages and binding are presentable with no major defects. Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. Overall a good condition item. Boards have mild shelf wear with light rubbing and corner bumping. Some light marking and sunning. Unclipped jacket has light edge-wear with minor tears and chipping. Mild rubbing and marking.

      How to be Inimitable1966
    • George Mikes says, 'the English have no soul; they have the understatement instead'. But they do have a sense of humour - they provide it by buying over three hundred thousand copies of a book that took them quietly and completely apart, a book that really took the Mikes out of them.

      How to be an Alien: a handbook for beginners and advanced pupils1965
      3,9