Stiff Upper Lip

Stiff Upper Lip (1976) by Lawrence Durrell, Faber and Faber
ISBN: 0571067220
Condition: Good
Sold by: Crappy Old Books

Behold: Stiff Upper Lip, Lawrence Durrell’s 1976 offering from Faber and Faber, and yes, it really is called that, because sometimes the British psyche can only be explained through facial muscles and suppressed feelings. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when repression gets bored, puts on a blazer, and decides to have a bit of fun, this is the book for you.

Durrell, best known for being gloriously serious in a Mediterranean, incense-and-existentialism sort of way, here turns his gaze to the absurdities of Englishness with the kind of amused precision that suggests he’s both insider and delighted anthropologist. The title promises restraint. The reality, as ever, is that restraint is merely the wrapping paper for something far more chaotic underneath. Imagine manners as a lid on a saucepan that’s been boiling since the Edwardian era.

This isn’t a book that tiptoes. It glides in, raises an eyebrow, and quietly points out that the whole civilised performance is held together by habit, denial, and the firm belief that saying nothing is the same as being fine. You’ll get the flavour of the era too: a Britain still wearing its “we mustn’t grumble” cardigan while the seams creak, and Durrell gently tugging at the threads just to see what happens.

Our copy is in Good condition, which is the natural habitat of a Durrell paperback that’s lived an actual life. Expect the usual honest wear, the faint suggestion of having been read in a chair that was slightly too upright, and perhaps a general aura of “I’ve seen your emotions and I’m not impressed.” Nothing precious, nothing fragile. This is a book you can actually read, which is handy, because Durrell has a way of making you want to underline lines and then pretend you didn’t.

ISBN 0571067220, because unlike the truly antique stuff, this one can be traced. Not that it’s going anywhere. It’s exactly the sort of book that sits on your shelf looking quietly superior, like it’s about to offer you a sherry and then judge you for how you hold the glass.

Sold by Crappy Old Books, naturally. We deal in the gloriously imperfect: books with history, character, and the faint suggestion that they’ve been in the room during at least one awkward conversation. If you want pristine, buy a decorative hardback you’ll never open. If you want something sharp, sly, and quietly hilarious about the theatre of British composure, Stiff Upper Lip is ready to keep a straight face while everything else unravels.

Take it home. Try not to laugh too loudly. That would never do.

Keep browsing: See more Fiction books Other books by Lawrence Durrell