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How Not to Rule Britannia
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11862 |
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Section : |
BOOK WORLD
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| Issue
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8 / 1987 |
2,317 Words |
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John H. Fund
John H. Fund is an editorial writer for the Wall Street
Journal. |
THE COMPLETE YES MINISTER
The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister by the Right Hon. James Hacker, MP
Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay
Boston: Salem House Publishers
514 pp., $19.95
It is often said that America and Britain are two countries divided by a common language. The differences in humor are also quite marked. The British cherish nothing more than a dry, understated joke often topped with a literary allusion. Americans enjoy their humor a little more direct and pointed, and often not without a few puns.
But despite slight differences in their respective funny bones, each country has appreciated the wit of the other. The computer-generated image of Max Headroom is a popular fixture in American living rooms while U.S. television programs such as "MASH" have been smash hits in Britain.
Now one of the most popular British comedy series of recent years, "Yes, Minister," is being shown on U.S. public television and a book based on the series is here. The Complete Yes Minister traces a year in the life of the fictitious Sir James Hacker.
Sir James is totally inexperienced and his advisers - all old-timers in government - outwit him at every turn. He wants to handle "the key issues of our time," such as open government and "the public's right-to-know." Sir Humphrey Appleby, his unfaithful and scheming Permanent Secretary - the top civil servant advising him - makes
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