A Very British Christmas cover art

A Very British Christmas

Twelve Days of Discomfort and Joy

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A Very British Christmas

By: Rhodri Marsden
Narrated by: Rhodri Marsden, Helen Keeley, Paul Tyreman
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About this listen

A twelve-stage sleigh ride through the best, worst, strangest and funniest parts of Christmas.

With cultural icons saluted, national habits dissected and personal reminiscences from those who’ve eaten all the mince pies and lived to tell the tale.

The essential Christmas stocking filler for anyone who’s ever spent their christmas on a deflating air bed in their parents’ spare room, wedged up against the washing machine come Christmas Eve and wondering why this Christmas, just like every year, doesn’t look like the ones on the telly.

©2017 Rhodri Marsden (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
Comedy & Humour Customs & Traditions Dysfunctional Families Relationships Social Sciences Celebration Winter Christmas Comedy
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Critic reviews

"Funny, touching and ludicrously British." (India Knight)

What listeners say about A Very British Christmas

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Hilarious

Fabulous! Laugh out loud in parts. Recommend to Scrooges and Santas alike. The author/narrator is so droll and the anecdotes are extremely familiar and funny.

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An Excellent Listen On The Run Up To Christmas !

A Wonderful book which is now one of my 'Every December' listens whilst making food and decorating the tree. Rhodri has a great turn of phrase and a voice that delivers each of them beautifully. I loved it.

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Great fun

lots of laugh out loud moments we can all relate to - very British and very funny

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1 person found this helpful

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Jolly bite sized Christmas nuggets

This is just the sort of thing I enjoy listening to in the run up to Christmas. It walks the line between sweet and cynical expertly and will be enjoyed if you become giddy with excitement before the first of December. If on the other hand you don’t quite get Christmas it may provide some solace as you hear the tales of others who feel the same way. But then, if you’re such a person you’re unlikely to be reading a review of a book called ‘A very British Christmas’ so you probably won’t see this.

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Great

really enjoyed listing to it! puts you in the mood for Christmas, I listened whilst doing my Christmas shopping

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Rather downbeat and depressing take on Christmas

Written in 2016 this is now rather out of date when it’s presented as about the modern British Christmas. Certain bits grate on a modern audience like the bit where he describes the time in history where Christmas was cancelled and it was against the law to gather in a church and for the clergyman to preach to his congregation , this he assures us is unthinkable in this day and age ! Also the author clearly prefers to concentrate on the dreadful Christmas’s people have had, not sure if this is to make people feel better about their awful Christmas’s , but it does make you wonder if this was the right person. To choose to write this particular book . It certainly failed to put me in the festive spirit.

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Tidings of comfort and joy - not quite...

Good enough but somewhat miserabilist overall. Tone was more matter of fact depressing than funny. To each his own, I guess.

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brilliant

loved this book, funny and entertaining. Will listen to it again and highly recommend it.

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Marvellous Merry Entertainment

I loved this book and I recommend reading it. It made me laugh out loud a whole bunch of times. It has chapters on the history of Chrimbo-ness, lots of British traditions as well as funny stories from actual people. I think I’ll read it every year in late November to get me in the Christmas spirit. Thank you Rhodri!

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3 people found this helpful