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Book Review of Class : A Guide Through the American Status System

Class : A Guide Through the American Status System
reviewed on


I was hoping for a witty, affectionate portrayal of American society and its strata -- what a disappointment. The author is a snob, and a nasty one at that. While funny at times and possessing some insights, his overall tone is sneering, mean-spirited, and, more than anything, seems like he's trying to over-compensate for his own class anxieties.

It's true that its references are nearly completely outdated, but the survey could have been an interesting sketch of American society at that time.

One reviewer said that it's not for the easily offended -- the problem isn't that there are offensive items or conclusions (what book on class wouldn't have to make touchy points), but rather that Fussell writes like an utterly charmless crank.