Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life The thankless art of being correct
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley October 15, 2019
Author Kitty Flanagan
Distributor: Allen and Unwin
ISBN: 9781760875305
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Release Date: August 2019
Website: https://www.allenandunwin.com
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What started out a joke, could be easily considered as the breakthrough book on modern day etiquette, as delivered by comedienne Kitty Flanagan in her latest book, 488 Rules for Life, a book which could possibly become the arbiter of modern day manners, for those who care to discover that there are indeed manners, or at least rules for just about everything in life, whether you knew it or not.
As she rightly says when she was presented with the fact that there were ONLY twelve rules for life, ‘That’s madness, I have more than twelve rules just for the bathroom.’ And yes, she really does, as you will soon discover.
Feeling it was her next mission in life, Flanagan set out to write down all the many rules she considered as essential to being able to survive the modern times we all live in, with a modicum of decorum, as well as preventing continually annoying at lot of people.
After some considerable though she has made finding the right rule out of the 488 very easy, as the book is clearly divided into sections which contain the basics and then the more complex aspects of the rules, which you may not already know, and if you do will simply reinforce the veracity of the rule!
Now some of this is tongue in cheek, but some of it is not, as you will discover in the section Fruit, which has its own ‘sealed section’ for reasons which will become clear once you have availed yourself of this advice, and why not. In all the etiquette books and society standards over many, many years, fruit was always an issue to be addressed.
There is another ‘sealed section’ devoted to Wedding Speeches which, as most of you have been to a wedding or three in their time, probably needs no explanation, but is something that should be presented to anyone in danger of committing a terrible social ‘faux par’ by not following all the rules!
Funny, irreverent, and poking fun at the rules, or rather lack of rules in today world, rules which over generations, even centauries have set the stands by which society operates and setting the boundaries many dare never cross for fear of social ostracization, 488 Rules for Life contains so many elements of truth about how we, as a modern society, go about living what we consider a pretty courteous life!
By the end of this ‘comprehensive guide to modern behaviour’ Flanagan’s hope is that you will be a better person, and understand all the rules. By doing so you will also help others become socially law abiding citizens of the world who manage to do the almost impossible, change society and by doing so, will make it a far less irritating place in which to live and carry out what should now be considered as the essential rules to guide you through life, hassle free, with the confidence to know you got it right!
Note: Flush Pause Check (FPC) about the loo: No bare bums on tables – not what you thought, its about parenting: and a final word as rule 372 states: If you tell guest not to bring anything, don’t be annoyed when they don’t bring anything!!!!!!
No, you’re not finished. There are more rules after this one………
You got it! Right!