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Style and Class: Poems
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 16, 2015
Pretty dense! A reader may go only as deep, but as deep, as he or she wants.
I'd love to present this book to many people - to Alastair Bruce, the etiquette consultant for Downton Abbey, as well as to aristocrats and nobles. Also, to other etiquette experts - many of whom would recognize the truth behind the distinction between "style" and "class". Judith Martin, a.k.a. "Miss Manners" says that when people meet her, and they learn that she's an expert in etiquette, they apologize for their lack of finesse in manners, to which she replies "Do as you choose; I'd be too polite to notice.". Yes, the purpose of etiquette is to help us behave in a way that makes social interaction functional, not to allow advantaged people to predate on others.
The difference between style and class lies in their reaction to imperfection.
Buning says that style without class is as a clanging gong or a noisy cymbal, although not as much as virtue or talent without love, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13.
I'd love to present this book to many people - to Alastair Bruce, the etiquette consultant for Downton Abbey, as well as to aristocrats and nobles. Also, to other etiquette experts - many of whom would recognize the truth behind the distinction between "style" and "class". Judith Martin, a.k.a. "Miss Manners" says that when people meet her, and they learn that she's an expert in etiquette, they apologize for their lack of finesse in manners, to which she replies "Do as you choose; I'd be too polite to notice.". Yes, the purpose of etiquette is to help us behave in a way that makes social interaction functional, not to allow advantaged people to predate on others.
The difference between style and class lies in their reaction to imperfection.
Buning says that style without class is as a clanging gong or a noisy cymbal, although not as much as virtue or talent without love, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13.
July 27, 2014
Love his writing--captures the 'in but not of' dialectic of the Dutch Reformed immigrant (see my review of 'Purpaleanie and other Permutations' for more detail) God bless (the memory of) Stan Wiersma/Sietze Buning--thank you for sharing your gift!
February 15, 2015
Interesting. Definitely unique; growing up in NW IA, I understood and recognized a lot of the subjects and references, but most people wouldn't. It definitely had some things beyond me too, but overall it was an interesting read to me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews