Class: A Guide Through the American Status System

.U P D A T E S: 2nd JUNE, 2011I..........There is an English edition of this book. It is called "Caste Marks", and has the same text as "Class", but no illustrations, except on the book jacket. I have also written a review for it on Amazon.II.........PLEASE NOTE: I liked this book SO much that I wrote my VERY FIRST Amazon Review For it!..ORIGINAL REVIEW:.Other tomes (tombs?) may be more scholarly. Still others maybe more recent, ("Class" by Paul Fussell was first published in 1983.) But the fact is, I have never before come across a book SO easily read, so obviously joyously written, with SO much useful detail! (Ahah! I finally know how to achieve the "richlook" in dressing: LAYER your clothes: a dress is never as good as a jacket dress, a jacket dress never as good as a suit with blouse, and scarf tastefully adorning the neck!)In this book, Mr. Paul Fussell lets loose a "fussilage"of wit and truths, (sometimes painful truths), yet written in sobreezy and easily-read style that even the painful parts are a pleasure, (or almost a pleasure), to read... (Does Mr. Fussell pronounce his name "FUSS-EL" of "FYuse-ELL", I wonder? Knowing this would surely given an indication of his own class....and/orclass pretentions!)Although this book is not meant for scholars, it has much useful sociological information. (This means Mr. Fussell hhas done all the work for the reader!) His style is breezy, informative, with tongue definitely in cheek -- although he speaks of facts. I suppose what separates this book from a scholarly work is that it has many of Mr. Fussell's OPINIONS in it -- but, with his irrefutable logic and many examples backing him up, one cannot help but agree with 99% of what is said.It even has illustrations - PICTURES! The twenty whimsical (yet dead-on!) drawings by Martim de Avillez enter into the spirit of Mr. Fussell's writing so well! They are realistic -- but witty, with the expressions on the people depicted telling all! (I shudder -- with total delight -- at the thought that this wonderful book could perhaps, be made into a movie someday, (soon, please!) If so -- I beg the producers to allow Mr. Fussel free reign to write, and/or approve the screenplay. It would be complete sacrilege if any movie made of this book did not convey the dead seriousness and light touch with which Mr. Fussell writes -- and Mr. de Avillez draws!In sum, this book is witty, it's light, it's easy to read, but conveys a lot of information. The info is as true today as it was when this book was written -- and is absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in American social mores -- (and or social climbing in the American system.Four things only disappoint me here. 1) The book is too short...I want to know more! 2) There is no index. 3) There is no bibliography. (However, many essential books ARE named in the text) And 4) -- Perhaps most eggregious of all -- the paper, (at least in the paperback edition), is of the type which has too much sulfite, and will probably crumble into dust far before the social system it so delightfully summarizes changes. This is too bad -- and totally unfair to this wonderful book. Maybe this is the publisher's little joke about the paperback edition -- it is, of course, cheaper than the hardback -- thus more available to the masses...a "prole"edition, as Mr. Fussell would describe it -- despite it's nice large print and good binding.I surely hope that the Hardback edition has better paper! Anyway, I have decided to buy the hardback and see! I will then solve both my holiday gift problem -- and, hopefully,my lingering sibling rivalry with my sister, (which must, sadly, be the longest-running sibling rivalry in history --though we both do try very hard to end it) -- by presenting my totally non-status seeking sister with the paperback edition. In fact -- she hates anything to do with status-seeking. But it's time she knew the truth! After all -- with its light touch and heavy doses of wit -- this is the only book on the subject which she probably would ever even consider reading. (I shall present it to her on her next visit in the next few months -- so I shall see if she actually reads it or not.) For, two people working to improve the family's status have to be better than one! I can only hope that this book will bring her to her senses, and that she will finally become as much of a happy status-seeker as I am. Who knows -- she might indeed achieve a higher status in life. I hope then that she will not forget who gave her this"magic" book! Far more realistic than the "Harry Potter" books, yet with the promise of truly changing one's life as much as a letter from "Hogwarts" would, I believe this is the perfect holiday present -- or birthday present -- or UNbirthday present -- for anyone you know who wants -- or should want -- a better life.Even yourself!ADDENDUM: I couldn't help myself. When my sister called thisweek, I HAD to tell her about this wonderful book, even beforeher visit. Bracing myself for yet more criticism of myclass-consciousness, and her saying "that's not important",as she usually does when I mention things like this -- Iinstead heard, "I read that book! And I loved it!" Thisfrom a person who has sung Joan Baez songs since she was17, was a vegetarian for a year, never colours her hair,and hates all formal gowns! But the truth will out,it seems. This book has tons of truths in it, and even mysister -- who never wanted a "Sweet Sixteen" party...muchless a formal debut, (which I have always pined for), justhad to see the truth here. My sister, (and I too) do nothave much money.... But you don't overcome your problemsunless you know what you're up against. The ephemeral"equality" of the U.S. is, in the end, as real asthe story of George Washington and the cherry tree. It'sa pleasant myth. Maybe the Founding Fathers did dream ofa land of complete equality.....but human nature, and thedream of a better life for one's self, have a way ofturning ideals on their ear. "CLASS" is a classic, inthat it gets to reality in an eminently readable fashion.Now, at last, it seems my little sister is smart enough toacknowledge this. Perhaps she has finally grown up, afterall!

It is important to understand that the higher classes see you. And they see you do not see them. That idea stuck with me from my first reading long ago. As the author says, most people act out the traits that places them into their Class without knowing. His strength is more like an astute observer who describes what he sees. The book makes people aware that a class system actually exists though most from Bottom Out of Sighters to the Upper Middle Classes want to deny that existence. But all act out their class position, one reason the author says it is so difficult to move up a class. His best arguments describe the people in danger of falling down a class. We somehow naturally resist that most of all. In my trek through life, "Class" makes my top ten books list. Certainly it is an interesting list but the impact of a book often has to impact a particular time, place and location in life to have that much importance. But for me they have to educate through generations.

It's a thoughtful book that makes the reader think.Probably most valuable are the insights Fussell has inre cultural/class signifiers. These are little things that, frankly, I never really thought about until Fussell pointed them out. For example, the uber-rich...I mean, the REALLY rich people...tend to be hidden from the world and actually kind of, well, I hate to say naïve but certainly not *of* the world. They don't really think about things the way middle- or upper middle class thinks of them. The upper middle class will say things like "I drove my Jaguar to the store" where the uber-rich will be more apt to say "I drove the car to the store" even though the "car" may well be a $250k Mercedes. Or where the middle class home may have a lot of bookshelves filled with books, the uber-rich really isn't as likely to have such a thing.And so on. Once you get this insight, you begin to see it all over the place and actually become more conscious of it. Those stickers on the backs of cars saying one's child is an honor student? Those similar stickers with the names of colleges where the driver's kids attend? Pure middle class. Starbucks? Middle/upper but not consciously so.It's important though to avoid ascribing value judgements to this sort of thing. Indeed, Fussell presents his insights in a very neutral, very matter of fact way. Nowhere does he suggest that one group is better or worse than the other. They are just different.Frankly, I found this book helpful on a number of levels. For instance, a business owner can use these insights to help target product marketing. Managers may get some interesting context into which to place employee actions. It's a very good book, well written and approachable.