Mr. Rosenblum's List: Or Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman

by Natasha Solomons | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0340995661 Global Overview for this book
Registered by LindyLouMac of Tywyn, Wales United Kingdom on 10/31/2010
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by LindyLouMac from Tywyn, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, October 31, 2010
Product Description: Amazon.co.uk
List item 2: Never speak German on the upper decks of London buses.

Jack Rosenblum is five foot three and a half inches of sheer tenacity. He's writing a list so he can become a Very English Gentleman.

List item 41: An Englishman buys his marmalade from Fortnum and Mason.

It's 1952, and despite his best efforts, his bid to blend in is fraught with unexpected hurdles - including his wife. Sadie doesn't want to forget where they came from or the family they've lost. And she shows no interest in getting a purple rinse.

List item 112: An Englishman keeps his head in a crisis, even when he's risking everything.

Jack leads a reluctant Sadie deep into the English countryside in pursuit of a dream. Here, in a land of woolly pigs, bluebells and jitterbug cider, they embark on an impossible task...
About the Author
Natasha Solomons was born in 1980. Her first job, aged nine, was as a shepherdess, minding the flock on Bulbarrow hill. Since then, she has worked as a screenwriter with her husband, and they are currently working on the adaptation of MR ROSENBLUM'S LIST. She is also researching a PhD in eighteenth-century poetry. She lives in Dorset.

Journal Entry 2 by LindyLouMac at Viterbo, Lazio Italy on Monday, August 8, 2011
My husband was given this copy as a Birthday present this time last year, he read it straight away pronouncing it brilliant and that I should definitely be reading it. I usually avoid books for at least awhile if they have a lot of hype surrounding them and this one seemed to pop up everywhere. According to its front cover the film was already on the way by the time the paperback was published! I would of course like to see the film at some stage so thought it was about time I read the book, as I always do so if possible. Seeing the film first absolutely ruins a book for me, as there is no point in using my visual imagination while reading. A charming and funny story but I also found it sad.
At the heart of this novel is a little, literally as only 5ft 3”, German immigrant Jack Rosenblum. Arriving in England in 1937 along with his wife Sadie and one year old daughter Elizabeth, wanting to blend in and become a member of the English middle classes. With the help of the pamphlet the refugees were presented with on arrival he intends to study and use all the information listed to become a perfect English Gentleman. He realises that this leaflet just skims the surface when it comes to fitting in so he starts to add his own addendums the most important of which he feels is that ‘An Englishman must be a member of a Golf Club’. Poor Jack despite his careful copying of everything British there is no Golf Club to be found that will accept his membership. The rest of the novel is taken up with his attempts to build his own golf course in the heart of the Dorset countryside and shows how by doing so he succeeds in alienating himself from both the locals and his roots. His wife Sadie is confused by his attitude as she does not want to forget the family and country they left behind.

I felt this novel provided not just a picture of the problems of one set of immigrants to Great Britain before the Second World War but a description of the dilemmas facing all immigrants even nowadays.
As the actual original leaflet states ‘Be loyal to England your host’

Author information and a video can be found on LindyLouMac's Book Reviews

Journal Entry 3 by LindyLouMac at Bookmooch.com, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 3, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (10/7/2011 UTC) at Bookmooch.com, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Dear Finder of this book,

I'm so glad it has found a home with you. I hope you enjoy reading it and that you might take a few moments to jot down here what you thought about the book, or about finding it, or about bookcrossing.

You don't have to join or sign up or anything to bookcrossing to leave a comment here but if you do join, you will receive emails to alert you when others make a journal entry for this book and track its travels across the world. If you decide to join bookcrossing, now that you have discovered the site, I'd be delighted if you would mention me - LindyLouMac - as the person who introduced you to the site.

Happy reading

LindyLouMac

Journal Entry 4 by Quaesitor at City of Westminster, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, October 22, 2011
Thanks for the mooch - it's on my bedside list!

Journal Entry 5 by Indwelling at Clifton, Bristol United Kingdom on Friday, June 16, 2017
Hi Everyone,
I recently found this book in the Co-op store in Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8. (U.K). I am looking forward to reading it soon - thanks to whoever left it there. I will leave it somewhere else interesting when done reading.
Blessings xxx.

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.