What do you think?
Rate this book
How to be Poor
Presents a satirical discussion of the advantages of a life in poverty and humorous advice on the enjoyment of poverty.
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1983
About the author
George Mikes
142 books55 followersGeorge Mikes (pronounced Mik-esh) was a Hungarian-born British author best known for his humorous commentaries on various countries.
Mikes graduated in Budapest in 1933 and started work as a journalist on Reggel ("Morning"), a Budapest newspaper. For a short while he wrote a column called Intim Pista for Színházi Élet ("Theatre Life").
In 1938 Mikes became the London correspondent for Reggel and 8 Órao Ujság ("8 Hours"). He worked for Reggel until 1940. Having been sent to London to cover the Munich Crisis and expecting to stay for only a couple of weeks, he remained for the rest of his life. In 1946 he became a British Citizen. It is reported that being a Jew from Hungary was a factor in his decision. Mikes wrote in both Hungarian and English: The Observer, The Times Literary Supplement, Encounter, Irodalmi Újság, Népszava, the Viennese Hungarian-language Magyar Híradó, and Világ.
From 1939 Mikes worked for the BBC Hungarian section making documentaries, at first as a freelance correspondent and, from 1950, as an employee. From 1975 until his death on 30 August 1987 he worked for the Hungarian section of Szabad Európa Rádió. He was president of the London branch of PEN, and a member of the Garrick Club.
His friends included Arthur Koestler, J. B. Priestley and André Deutsch, who was also his publisher.
His first book (1945) was We Were There To Escape – the true story of a Jugoslav officer about life in prisoner-of-war camps. The Times Literary Supplement praised the book for the humour it showed in parts, which led him to write his most famous book How to be an Alien which in 1946 proved a great success in post-war Britain.
How to be an Alien (1946) poked gentle fun at the English, including a one-line chapter on sex: "Continental people have sex lives; the English have hot-water bottles."
Subsequent books dealt with (among others) Japan (The Land of the Rising Yen), Israel (Milk and Honey, The Prophet Motive), the U.S. (How to Scrape Skies), and the United Nations (How to Unite Nations), Australia (Boomerang), the British again (How to be Inimitable, How to be Decadent), and South America (How to Tango). Other subjects include God (How to be God), his cat (Tsi-Tsa), wealth (How to be Poor) or philosophy (How to be a Guru).
Apart from his commentaries, he wrote humorous fiction (Mortal Passion; The Spy Who Died of Boredom) and contributed to the satirical television series That Was The Week That Was.
His autobiography was called How to be Seventy.
Serious writing included a book about the Hungarian Secret Police and he narrated a BBC television report of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Mikes graduated in Budapest in 1933 and started work as a journalist on Reggel ("Morning"), a Budapest newspaper. For a short while he wrote a column called Intim Pista for Színházi Élet ("Theatre Life").
In 1938 Mikes became the London correspondent for Reggel and 8 Órao Ujság ("8 Hours"). He worked for Reggel until 1940. Having been sent to London to cover the Munich Crisis and expecting to stay for only a couple of weeks, he remained for the rest of his life. In 1946 he became a British Citizen. It is reported that being a Jew from Hungary was a factor in his decision. Mikes wrote in both Hungarian and English: The Observer, The Times Literary Supplement, Encounter, Irodalmi Újság, Népszava, the Viennese Hungarian-language Magyar Híradó, and Világ.
From 1939 Mikes worked for the BBC Hungarian section making documentaries, at first as a freelance correspondent and, from 1950, as an employee. From 1975 until his death on 30 August 1987 he worked for the Hungarian section of Szabad Európa Rádió. He was president of the London branch of PEN, and a member of the Garrick Club.
His friends included Arthur Koestler, J. B. Priestley and André Deutsch, who was also his publisher.
His first book (1945) was We Were There To Escape – the true story of a Jugoslav officer about life in prisoner-of-war camps. The Times Literary Supplement praised the book for the humour it showed in parts, which led him to write his most famous book How to be an Alien which in 1946 proved a great success in post-war Britain.
How to be an Alien (1946) poked gentle fun at the English, including a one-line chapter on sex: "Continental people have sex lives; the English have hot-water bottles."
Subsequent books dealt with (among others) Japan (The Land of the Rising Yen), Israel (Milk and Honey, The Prophet Motive), the U.S. (How to Scrape Skies), and the United Nations (How to Unite Nations), Australia (Boomerang), the British again (How to be Inimitable, How to be Decadent), and South America (How to Tango). Other subjects include God (How to be God), his cat (Tsi-Tsa), wealth (How to be Poor) or philosophy (How to be a Guru).
Apart from his commentaries, he wrote humorous fiction (Mortal Passion; The Spy Who Died of Boredom) and contributed to the satirical television series That Was The Week That Was.
His autobiography was called How to be Seventy.
Serious writing included a book about the Hungarian Secret Police and he narrated a BBC television report of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 9, 2022
Brilliant and true
July 19, 2023
Ponekad me među hrpom lijepih naslovnica privuće ružna sa zanimljivim naslovom.
Nekad je izdavanje knjige imalo drukčije značenje nego danas. Nekad su knjige nudile toliko informacija prije nego bi se zaronilo u tekst. Primjerice Kataloški opis, koji do studija nisam ni znala što znači, ali voljela sam iščitavati što piše u tom kvadratiću i odgonetavati njegovo značenje. Zatim tekst O autoru : cijelo ime i prezime, datum rođenja, gdje se rodio, a gdje sad živi, čime se bavio, što voli i slično, a potom ostala djela koja je objavio te koja su od njih prevedena u nas. Ah, da, bit će da danas to izostavljaju jer je skup papir. Znalo se tu pronaći i teksta o ilustratoru ili pak nekakav uvodnik, prolog, epilog ili umjesto zaključka. No, zaboravih da je skup papir. A popis poglavlja, gdje se svako drukčije zove, za razliku od današnjih brojeva. To čak mislim da ni nema veze sa skupoćom papira već lijenošću.
I da, za kraj ovog uvoda, nekad su knjige na stražnjim koricama imale kratki uvod u knjigu, a danas imaju kratke recenzije ljudi koje mi ne pomažu oko odluke o čitanju knjige, već me prije odbiju. Neke knjige pamtim i volim ponajviše zbog svih tih informacija koje su mi prije čitanja teksta, a potom i poslije stvorile gotovu sliku djela, koja bi zasigurno bila drukčija da ih nije bilo.
Originalno iz 1983. u nas prevedena 1996. pročitala sam ju 2023.. Tematikom svevremena ili sve vremenska 🤔 Uopće ne govori o tome kako biti siromašan već na humoristični, satirični način objašnjava zašto ne treba biti bogat. Naracijom me podsjeća na desetak godina mlađeg Kishona. Možda nije do godina, možda je do nacionalnosti, ipak su obojica Mađari. Trebalo bi biti obavezno štivo za čitanje, ako ne kao lektirni klasik za cjelovito čitanje onda bar s probranim dijelovima za dobru raspravu, ako se uopće danas može motivirati učenike na raspravu.
Nekad je izdavanje knjige imalo drukčije značenje nego danas. Nekad su knjige nudile toliko informacija prije nego bi se zaronilo u tekst. Primjerice Kataloški opis, koji do studija nisam ni znala što znači, ali voljela sam iščitavati što piše u tom kvadratiću i odgonetavati njegovo značenje. Zatim tekst O autoru : cijelo ime i prezime, datum rođenja, gdje se rodio, a gdje sad živi, čime se bavio, što voli i slično, a potom ostala djela koja je objavio te koja su od njih prevedena u nas. Ah, da, bit će da danas to izostavljaju jer je skup papir. Znalo se tu pronaći i teksta o ilustratoru ili pak nekakav uvodnik, prolog, epilog ili umjesto zaključka. No, zaboravih da je skup papir. A popis poglavlja, gdje se svako drukčije zove, za razliku od današnjih brojeva. To čak mislim da ni nema veze sa skupoćom papira već lijenošću.
I da, za kraj ovog uvoda, nekad su knjige na stražnjim koricama imale kratki uvod u knjigu, a danas imaju kratke recenzije ljudi koje mi ne pomažu oko odluke o čitanju knjige, već me prije odbiju. Neke knjige pamtim i volim ponajviše zbog svih tih informacija koje su mi prije čitanja teksta, a potom i poslije stvorile gotovu sliku djela, koja bi zasigurno bila drukčija da ih nije bilo.
Originalno iz 1983. u nas prevedena 1996. pročitala sam ju 2023.. Tematikom svevremena ili sve vremenska 🤔 Uopće ne govori o tome kako biti siromašan već na humoristični, satirični način objašnjava zašto ne treba biti bogat. Naracijom me podsjeća na desetak godina mlađeg Kishona. Možda nije do godina, možda je do nacionalnosti, ipak su obojica Mađari. Trebalo bi biti obavezno štivo za čitanje, ako ne kao lektirni klasik za cjelovito čitanje onda bar s probranim dijelovima za dobru raspravu, ako se uopće danas može motivirati učenike na raspravu.
Read
September 21, 2019This book was one of many on my late grandfather’s large bookshelf. It was written by George Mikes, a Hungarian-born British journalist and humourist who covered the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. It’s a short and very satirical look at the benefits of ‘middle-class poverty’ by a man whose opposition to communism comes through. It was quite a fun read!
April 29, 2023
It's a light read from a Hungarian journalist, expressing the burden of being rich in a humorous way with his life experiences.
With his writing, we can understand his opposition to communism and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the benefits of ‘middle-class poverty’.
“Every system has produced its rich and poor, its oppressors and oppressed.” this shows his communal view.
In many places, his writing brings a smile to your face.
While reading this book, it came to my mind that,
Once Sarojini Naidu, a great poet and a freedom fighter, told Gandhi “Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?”
That's true because Gandhi preferred to travel in a third class. The government had to schedule special trains and reserve a whole compartment for him because of the crowds. 😂
No need to be poor to lead a simple life for a common man.
It's something different book for me. I don't think I am completely involved in this book while reading.
#qotd Any recommendations for witty books?
With his writing, we can understand his opposition to communism and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the benefits of ‘middle-class poverty’.
“Every system has produced its rich and poor, its oppressors and oppressed.” this shows his communal view.
In many places, his writing brings a smile to your face.
While reading this book, it came to my mind that,
Once Sarojini Naidu, a great poet and a freedom fighter, told Gandhi “Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?”
That's true because Gandhi preferred to travel in a third class. The government had to schedule special trains and reserve a whole compartment for him because of the crowds. 😂
No need to be poor to lead a simple life for a common man.
It's something different book for me. I don't think I am completely involved in this book while reading.
#qotd Any recommendations for witty books?
May 9, 2011
Interesting! An English work by a once-foreign journalist from Hungary. He makes me laugh. This comes with "How to Be Decadent" (1977), which just stumbled out and insisted that I read. And I did and found that Mr. Mikes loves Britain so much - at the very end of it, let me quote, "When I wrote that other little book, thirty years ago, I admired the English enormously but did not like them very much; today I admire them much less but love them much more." He also wrote about Japan in "The Land of Rising Yen" when it enjoyed economic growth and topnotch power in the world. He puns so on "The Land of the Rising Sun."
April 16, 2022
Added George Mikes to the list of my favorite writers.
February 18, 2021
Satirical short book in which the author lays out his view about how it was better to be poor than have to endure the burdens of being rich, to a large extent based on his personal experiences and filled in with anecdotes from his career. A funny book, rather thin in places though and somewhat repetitious at moments. I missed the humour at some points, I have the feeling that the author, Hungarian in origin, was trying to excel at applying English understatement and did that a little too well.
Nevertheless a good read, a very approachable book and an excellent "light read" for when one is not in the mood for denser or more involved literature.
Nevertheless a good read, a very approachable book and an excellent "light read" for when one is not in the mood for denser or more involved literature.
Read
June 11, 2015False
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews