What is a book or a movie that I could read/watch to give me an idea of what life is like in England?

Question

I mean, I know that experiencing it and reading about it are completely different things. But, I just want an idea of what its like to live there and about the culture. Any suggestions? I've never seen the Bridget Jone's diary...is it any similar? No offense meant if its not. Thanks for the answers!

Thanks for the answers!

Answer 1

Click this link..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England

Answer 2

Thing is, England may be small but it is astonishly varied, so that a book like Bridget Jones Diary will give a chic lit view of London but that's about it.

I'd suggest Bill Brysons' Notes from a Small Island. He's an American who has lived here, on and off, for years. He sees us, isn't blind to our faults but loves the country anyway. The books doesn't cover London much, it's more a gentle wander round the country. You won't get much be way of Chapter and Verse (try the "Rough Guide to Britain" for a tourist guide, but you should have a gently informative laugh with Bill.

Answer 3

There is no one book that could make you understand British life. The culture is a mix of old English (politeness and queues) and American gangsta. To live in England is to be at the gateway to the world, from England you can travel to the greatest cities in Europe and still be home by tea time!

England is made up of.....

Football (Soccer)
Cricket
Cups of tea
Fish and chips
Green lawns
Tower blocks
Horses
Chavs in Novas
And Eastenders!

Visit England and you'll be amazed at the diverse culture!

Answer 4

"Bend it Like Beckham". It is about girls playing football (soccer). English people are mad on that sport so it represents us quite well. It has Keira Knightly in it. Also shows England's multi-culturalism.

"Secrets and Lies" is about a white woman meeting the black daughter she gave up for adoption when she was young. It's got the black lady out of "Without a Trace" in it. Very funny, very sad and gives you a slice of life from England.

Bridget Jones is a good film, but I'm not sure how much it would tell you about British culture.

Answer 5

i dont think you'll find any one film or book to sum it up... as someone else said, england is very diverse, especially considering the size of the island! Its not all tea & biscuits.

what you could do is get an appreciation (or at least hopefully some understanding!!) of Bristish quirks & humour etc - watch some of those Brit-flick movies... also the Guy Ritchie films: Lock Stock, Snatch, Revolver...
the UK soaps like Eastenders & Coronation St might be a bit depressing for you! But you can always laugh at them like many of us do.

British humour does tend to be quite different from americans... so dont be offended too easily, we can be quite dry & sarcastic.

Check out these sights I recommend to all people coming over from US - they are very funny in parts & helpful for you to get our vocab...!
english2american.com
effingpot.com

BUT, if you still want something very Britsih....
check out Lily Allen.... her new albun is very London - she has a great cockney accent - the songs are so real to what many yong people know & see every day... her lyrics are hilarious... Id say at the moment, she's representing all the way!
http://www.lilyallenmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic

Answer 6

Movies: The suggestion of "Bend it like Beckam" is a good one.
Billy Elliot (but its more rural England)
"Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the WareRabbit" (OK, not typical british culture, but you get to learn some of the humour!)
"The Full Monty"
"The Avengers"
(I haven't seen the last one, but I hear it's ok)

Maybe watch some of the soaps. "East Enders" can be seen on American T.V. such as PBS. "Coronation Street" is available in Canada, and perhaps in the States.
On cable, you might be able to get BBC international.

Answer 7

the position the pink fern grows even if I have not yet seen the action picture if there is one. the wind blows backwards through mary downing hahn which has no action picture yet ought to. huge call of kazan through eva ibbotson which also has no action picture. the former kingdom sequence/ trilogy through garth nix, on the present time i do no longer imagine it has a chain of videos or maybe the first action picture yet scifi channel is supposedly makeing them or so i examine. ella enchanted. i furnish you with a caution although that once you've seen the action picture staring anne hathaaway you should nonetheless examine the e book. that's not merely more beneficial positive than the action picture yet is likewise very diverse. especially the romance and the ending and hattie and nicely each and every thing. they just about rewrote it interior the action picture! the alice books through phyllis renolds naylor are staggering and are about conventional human beings which i imagine you need because you pronounced the sisterhood of the travelling pants. i love this author and he or she has yet another sequence it really is my fav. it really is called shiloh. that sequence has video clips even if the alice books do no longer.... one of those shame! little women is a classic and has a spread of videos starting from cartoons to quite videos. huckleberry fin is powerful alongside with tom sawyer. i even if do no longer recomend the clique books- too shallow 4 my flavor for this reason i do no longer fancy them. there's a sequal to the sisterhood of the travelling pants. it really is called summer of the second one sisterhood. i'm confident yiou have already examine eragon and hp so... um... lifetime women channel has strong video clips. there is one in certain about a lady named gracie yet i fail to keep in mind the call.

Answer 8

I would not recommend Harry Potter novels if that is what you are thinking, but that is like trying to find out about America by reading Tom Clancy novels, lots of fiction. Try James Herriot for country life, but for real city life I do not know.

Answer 9

if you can watch the english soap called eastenders on cable you will se how it is. its the best place to live, so full of energy.

Answer 10

Brave Heart!!!!