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The Importance of Being Eton
Whatever your thoughts about Eton, they are likely to be strong: a symbol of class and privilege or a bastion of outdated ideas. Old alumnus Nick Fraser draws on his own experiences, the anecdotes of pupils and teachers past and present, and the recollections of the famous and infamous to evaluate the school.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 28, 2013
He spends the whole book talking about his school, and his culture, while insisting he is not a part of it. But, all through the book, with his elitist views, and his judgement, he criticises the Eton students elitist views and judgement...
Really?
So, basically, he is an Etonian who thinks he is too good, or possibly BETTER, then... Eton.
Sigh.
And... He fails at making himself sound like ANYTHING but a spoiled Etonion.
Really?
So, basically, he is an Etonian who thinks he is too good, or possibly BETTER, then... Eton.
Sigh.
And... He fails at making himself sound like ANYTHING but a spoiled Etonion.
March 14, 2015
Normally, I, as an American, would be unlikely to read this book as it deals with a peculiarly British educational and societal institution that has little direct impact on an American's life. However, recent circumstances have drawn my life into that of Eton and so I have taken much more interest in the subject to see if the media and literary stereotypes match up to my own impressions.
Fraser was at Eton in the 1960's and he freely admits that the school has changed between then and 2006, when the book was written. Modernity and academic excellence are now prevalent whereas in Fraser's time, the transition was underway (he was beaten for infractions whereas that was all stopped in 1972).
One of the blurbs states that this book is an elegy and I think that is apt. There is some mourning for the past, and plenty of mourning over his own life and how it evolved during Eton and in the immediate few years afterwards (before it would appear, he came to terms with the experience).
The book goes back and forth over the decades, describing Eton as it was and Eton as it is (2006). The bulk of the book describes how Old Etonians (graduates) from the 50s and 60s fared or were treated in the ranks of power in the British establishment. Whether newly-minted graduates will have similar experiences, we can only wait for time to tell.
This is by no means a book with a single point of view, Fraser has much to admire about Eton as well as doubts and questions. As he was there, he is well positioned to tell the tale, but, I would suggest, it is a tale most relevant to his contemporaries born in the 1950's. He himself does not know if the same tale would be told of Eton boys born in the noughts.
Fraser was at Eton in the 1960's and he freely admits that the school has changed between then and 2006, when the book was written. Modernity and academic excellence are now prevalent whereas in Fraser's time, the transition was underway (he was beaten for infractions whereas that was all stopped in 1972).
One of the blurbs states that this book is an elegy and I think that is apt. There is some mourning for the past, and plenty of mourning over his own life and how it evolved during Eton and in the immediate few years afterwards (before it would appear, he came to terms with the experience).
The book goes back and forth over the decades, describing Eton as it was and Eton as it is (2006). The bulk of the book describes how Old Etonians (graduates) from the 50s and 60s fared or were treated in the ranks of power in the British establishment. Whether newly-minted graduates will have similar experiences, we can only wait for time to tell.
This is by no means a book with a single point of view, Fraser has much to admire about Eton as well as doubts and questions. As he was there, he is well positioned to tell the tale, but, I would suggest, it is a tale most relevant to his contemporaries born in the 1950's. He himself does not know if the same tale would be told of Eton boys born in the noughts.
August 24, 2014
Nick Fraser's book is a hybrid of memoir and journalism. He aims to explain or at least enlighten us on what Eton is and why Eton has such a unique place in British society and culture. Fraser left Eton in the mid-1960s, so he has vivid stories and experience from that era, which he combines with modern-day interviews of other OEs and staff.
My take on the book is coloured by the fact that I too went to Eton, though 20 years later. So I found lots of nostalgic enjoyment in revisiting people, places and themes from my own adolescence. Although I also found that while Fraser's view of the Eton experience and mine overlap in important ways, there are also many things that are a very long way from my memories. It is unclear whether this is because of the reforms of the intervening 20 years, or something else.
The best parts of this book are the personal narrative about Fraser and his experience, and his meander through the history, customs and anecdotes of the school. I think this material would be enjoyable to the general reader, and it is engaging and holds the interest well.
Less satisfying is his attempt to actually answer the question of why Eton is important. While some of his research and argument is definitely on point and compelling, overall I think he doesn't make a complete case and I was left wanting more on this topic.
Overall, an enjoyable read, especially if you want to understand more about British culture.
My take on the book is coloured by the fact that I too went to Eton, though 20 years later. So I found lots of nostalgic enjoyment in revisiting people, places and themes from my own adolescence. Although I also found that while Fraser's view of the Eton experience and mine overlap in important ways, there are also many things that are a very long way from my memories. It is unclear whether this is because of the reforms of the intervening 20 years, or something else.
The best parts of this book are the personal narrative about Fraser and his experience, and his meander through the history, customs and anecdotes of the school. I think this material would be enjoyable to the general reader, and it is engaging and holds the interest well.
Less satisfying is his attempt to actually answer the question of why Eton is important. While some of his research and argument is definitely on point and compelling, overall I think he doesn't make a complete case and I was left wanting more on this topic.
Overall, an enjoyable read, especially if you want to understand more about British culture.
July 11, 2014
This books provides no real insight and is too uninterested in the very question of class, making it a pointless exercise in wankery.
June 5, 2020
I am always interested in observations about life at Eton and the stereotypical Etonian traits. That said, this particular book was poorly organized and edited.
May 18, 2025
A distressing ride, indeed!
Having been born in a backwater Caribbean town, I would have never been close to acceptance; this sort of “education” . I would have never wished this brutish education for neither of my sons.
Having been born in a backwater Caribbean town, I would have never been close to acceptance; this sort of “education” . I would have never wished this brutish education for neither of my sons.
October 10, 2017
Boring beyond belief.
November 22, 2025
Nick Fraser’s The Importance of Being Eton is less a book about a school than about an ecosystem. About a quiet, persistent culture that has seeped into the bloodstream of British life. Through Eton, Fraser examines how certain values (say restraint, irony, charm, detachment) become invisible codes of belonging, passed from one generation of the elite to the next.
As an insider turned observer, Fraser writes from that fascinating space between belonging and dissent. He knows the codes, yet no longer obeys them. His tone hovers between nostalgia and disillusionment, never quite certain whether Eton is a grand illusion or the last surviving expression of a coherent national myth.
What makes the book compelling is its anthropology. Eton becomes a lens through which to read the British establishment itself. The belief in the quiet authority of understatement, the confidence born from early hierarchy, the lifelong ease with power. These are not taught directly, but absorbed, like an accent.
Fraser never entirely resolves his ambivalence, and that’s the book’s quiet strength, but judging on other reviews it could be a deal breaker for some readers.
A sharp, elegant reflection on a system that hides its influence behind good manners.
As an insider turned observer, Fraser writes from that fascinating space between belonging and dissent. He knows the codes, yet no longer obeys them. His tone hovers between nostalgia and disillusionment, never quite certain whether Eton is a grand illusion or the last surviving expression of a coherent national myth.
What makes the book compelling is its anthropology. Eton becomes a lens through which to read the British establishment itself. The belief in the quiet authority of understatement, the confidence born from early hierarchy, the lifelong ease with power. These are not taught directly, but absorbed, like an accent.
Fraser never entirely resolves his ambivalence, and that’s the book’s quiet strength, but judging on other reviews it could be a deal breaker for some readers.
A sharp, elegant reflection on a system that hides its influence behind good manners.
January 12, 2019
After a hiatus I’ve returned to reading and reviewing. I’m still reading The Aeneid but am reading shorter books in between.
This book is a short memoir by Nick Fraser of his time at Eton. He also reflects on what it is to ‘be Eton’.
Undoubtedly the most most famous school in the world (apologies to Wykehamists, Harrovians etc), Fraser considers how it affects the boys who attend.
What baggage does an Etonian carry through life? There are those who embrace all it brings, and those who abjure their previous allegiance to the place.
The book is full of insider information and anecdotes which take the reader into the rarefied world of Eton, but also exposes it less than salubrious aspects.
If you have an interest in education and people’s experiences of it there is plenty to enjoy in this book.
This book is a short memoir by Nick Fraser of his time at Eton. He also reflects on what it is to ‘be Eton’.
Undoubtedly the most most famous school in the world (apologies to Wykehamists, Harrovians etc), Fraser considers how it affects the boys who attend.
What baggage does an Etonian carry through life? There are those who embrace all it brings, and those who abjure their previous allegiance to the place.
The book is full of insider information and anecdotes which take the reader into the rarefied world of Eton, but also exposes it less than salubrious aspects.
If you have an interest in education and people’s experiences of it there is plenty to enjoy in this book.
April 4, 2014
Books are much like people: there's either an immediate connection or there's no connection whatsoever. Worse still, at times One must labour at certain relationships. This is what reading this book felt like. I had no connection with it to begin with, though granted, it does have its fascinating moments of elucidation. Admittedly, there are notable parts of it - (aspects of Etonian culture - current & archaic - for instance) - that are interesting; but overall, I had to make a concerted effort - (that's the 'labour' bit) - to keep my focus.
A valiant effort on the part of the author (not to mention the reader).
A valiant effort on the part of the author (not to mention the reader).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews