Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #242694 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
Clean air, good schools, big gardens, low stress - the whole farm-fresh, quality-assured lifestyle - if you too have ever wondered whether this might be the answer to your urban woes, read on. You know that Aga you coveted? It will soon reveal itself to be a living, breathing antichrist waging a slow-burn, personal vendetta against you. And that dream of horny-handed self-sufficiency? If you've got the patience to make it through to the end of the baffling seed packet instructions, you'll be doing well. As for the children, will they spend all their time outside, making catapults from twigs and fishing with jam-jars? Will they hell. They'll be slumped indoors watching telly, cursing the day they were wrenched away from their friends in town...

Customer Reviews

the funniest book about the countryside since Cold Comfort Farm
Like Judy Rumbold, I am struggling with my husband's mid-life crisis, which has taken the form of wanting a house in the country. A friend gave me this book, and I spent the whole of Christmas reading extracts out aloud to him, while the newly-acquired wreck did everything she described. Quaint beams on which to brain yourself? Check. Malfunctioning Aga that collapses on Xmas day? Check. Children who do not want to go out on bracing walks round garden the size of a small European principality, but who spend the whole time watching TV or asking when they can return to London? Check.
Actually, while this is the funniest book about the delusions city folk have about country life, I think Rumbold wasn't exactly lucky in her choice of location. So far the natives are incredibly friendly (that's the West Country, rather than beastly East Anglia for you) and while not sharing her craving for boutiques in the middle of corn fields, there are even a surprising number of interesting small shops. Just read it before you think of living there permanently, and forget about raising chickens.

We are not amused
I found this completely unfunny, and I too have made the move and found it initially difficult, as per the author - although clearly without the pots of money. She is patronising, stereotyping and totally whingeing. In every chapter I just felt like yelling at her 'if you don't like it here go home!'. She is bordering on insulting to the poor souls she has thrust her prejudices upon in East Anglia. There is nothing new, clever, witty or insightful in what she writes. She picks on well worn themes and flogs a dead horse in an over exaggerated way to try to make it funny. 'Wife in the North' knocks spots off this book.

Home is where the Aga and dog live !
Funny, heart warming and so, so down to earth.

I can really say that this book is a sure fire winner for anyone wondering about moving to the country, it really is a warts and all sort of book.

Aga's really are the best bit though, really are dual purpose (airing clothes, cooking and keeping the dog warm. (Be prepared though for falling over said dog when trying to get food out of oven). As the kitchen is normally the warmest part of the house, dogs know what is best,(cracks and holes in beams, uneven draughty floorboards) in most other rooms apart from kitchen. And no these don't get filled in and repaired as this then
doesn't give us country folk something to moan about (cost of LPG excessive) surely if this expense was written about all those townies would be heading back home, as it can be as costly as having a mortgage. But as Judy writes everyone has to put their behind on it, so cost per behind well, not a lot, and farmhouse kitchens are the hub of the home.

Yes, you also have to have a dog, one that manages to get as much cow/horse muck on its fur as at all possible, and slobber all over your nicely cleaned white kitchen appliances, and visitors (you will never notice the slobber marks when nobody is visiting but when someone calls round they will be there in full view, almost with a neon sign glaring look slobber, slobber marks! and not just on the appliances either.

Found it really enjoyable as a book you an read a chapter at a time, so easy to fit in without feeling guilty about not doing other jobs.

I am now passing it on to my husband, as think he will enjoy it, especially the chapter about commuting....(next time you are on the train commuting you will look and see certain people as mentioned in the book).

I think that I found it more enjoyable as I made the move from town to country nine years ago, and it is so truthful, down to earth and really is what living in the country is like. You either love it or hate it, either that or go and have a big bonfire ..... great for stress relief, so my husband says.

By the way could somebody please tell that dammed owl to stop bumping into the roof in the middle of the night, and the starlings to stop building nests in the eaves. Keep being woken up at all hours of day and night.

Brilliant present for anyone thinking of moving to the country, you will be tempted to read it yourself though.

Doesn't say anything about mice or rats though, and they seem to think that they own the loft sometimes, I wonder if they have squatters rights?