Class: A Guide Through the American Status System

. U P D A T E S: 2nd JUNE, 2011 I..........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 may be 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 "rich look" 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 so breezy 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/or class 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 this week, I HAD to tell her about this wonderful book, even before her visit. Bracing myself for yet more criticism of my class-consciousness, and her saying "that's not important", as she usually does when I mention things like this -- I instead heard, "I read that book! And I loved it!" This from a person who has sung Joan Baez songs since she was 17, 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 my sister -- who never wanted a "Sweet Sixteen" party...much less a formal debut, (which I have always pined for), just had to see the truth here. My sister, (and I too) do not have much money.... But you don't overcome your problems unless you know what you're up against. The ephemeral "equality" of the U.S. is, in the end, as real as the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. It's a pleasant myth. Maybe the Founding Fathers did dream of a land of complete equality.....but human nature, and the dream of a better life for one's self, have a way of turning ideals on their ear. "CLASS" is a classic, in that it gets to reality in an eminently readable fashion. Now, at last, it seems my little sister is smart enough to acknowledge this. Perhaps she has finally grown up, after all!

A long time ago I read Paul Fussell's "The Great War in Modern Memory", this book had always stuck with me, unlike many other books that I have read and forgot. This one was suggested by someone whose opinion I valued, so I bought it and quickly read it. It was very entertaining, and insightful, if sometimes depressing! I read the whole book over a weekend, and I am not entirely sure how it is meant to be taken. Sometimes I felt like Fussell was being totally serious and honest, at other times it read like satire. He clearly has some low opinions of some of the classes that he describes. Everyone seems to want what they don't have, except maybe the lower classes which appear happily ignorant of their situation. I don't know that one can read this book and use it as an actual guide to class in America, but you can read it and perhaps use it to help you to reflect on yourself and your own situation. It is pretty clear from reading this book that Fussell didn't buy into the American myth of societal mobility. In Fussell's telling you can move a bit, but not by much. He has pretty rich and complex descriptions of our classes and thinking that there is just upper, middle, and lower is far too facile for Fussel. Each of these thumbnails of class has several subgroups, and there is even a group above "Upper", who knew? Money has a major role to play in class, but it is clear to Fussell that money itself does not determine class. It is far more complex, it is about taste, behavior, expectations, and even what we think others think of us, or that is whether we care. The "uppers" don't care too much what others think, it is the great American middle class that is so concerned about keeping up with the "Joneses" and their concern pegs them to where they are. If you are interested in class, or understanding American social strata, this is well worth a read. It is even fun to read, but it might challenge your view of where you fit in American society. Be prepared.

You'll either love or hate this book. And, if it's the latter, I hope I can convince you to at least like it. Fussell is a keen observer of cues that might suggest wealth, poverty, and the kind of class labels people might apply at first glance. He gets it right. Those judgements might not be fair, but... they happen, whether or not people are conscious of it or would admit to it. This book is ideal for anyone studying sociology and social behaviors in general. It's also perfect for any actor, to get all the cues right when portraying a character. For those aspiring to a better job, or more respect in an apparently closed community, this is a must-read. I'm not saying that prejudice is okay. In fact, I'm a champion of civil rights, equality in the workplace and community, and so on. The fact is, especially in some segments of society, people will judge others based first impressions and external cues. For as long as those attitudes remain, a book like this is invaluable to understand - and perhaps overcome - some people's innate reactions, especially when they're unfair. Though some of this book seems rather dated, there's enough in it to recommend it, especially in an era when society seems more polarized than we'd like. You may need to overlook Fussell's personal opinions, but the cues he's talking about are well worth noting. Even if they're harsh, they can be at the root of social challenges many face every day.

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.

I discovered this book via a lecture given by cultural critic Morris Berman, and bought it used for a song. It should be noted it was written in the early '90s, which will become apparent when the author references time-specific idiosyncrasies of American culture, and of course, the noted lack of modern day tech. That said, this book is excellent. It borders on a kind of satire, delightfully entertaining with its keen observation of how different classes display their status in America -- or their insecurities about their class, as the case may be. Perhaps one of the most fun things you end up doing as a result of this book is thinking about all the people in your life who fit the various descriptions. I easily pegged various members of my family from anywhere from prole to upper, and perhaps most painfully, those members so set on social climbing that they attempt to ape the habits of the upper class, to little worthy effect. All of them are here in this book. A few scattered illustrations will also amuse, particularly the scene of a middle class man engaged in the most middle class of activities -- the maintenance of his lawn. I would love for Fussell to update this. It is impossible not to turn one's critical eye on everything through the lense of the class system as Fussell presents it, and even Facebook no longer looks the same to me, but basically a middle class shouting platform of neuroses with which to assuage insecurity about one's social standing. A wonderful book that provokes thinking. While this book is a must-read, and I'm happy to have it on my shelf, the best by far was the end, in which he outlines a final class which has no place in the hierarchy -- the X-Class. I can't say with what joy it was to have myself identified at last, defining all the reasons I feel out of place in my own culture and class, only to realize Paul Fussell knows why. And I can't thank him enough for this contribution to the culture. Read this book, you won't be disappointed.

With the last chapter omitted, this is an excellent book. Fussell uses irreverent wit to offend every member of the American status system; that the upper class suffers from a lack of originality, the middle a social anxiety, and the lower from boorishness (I’m oversimplifying this). Going through how each class speaks, how they dress, their houses, jobs and education – he creates principles for how they psychologically operate. The way he determined this is mostly by generalizations from anecdotes, but it’s clear that there’s a core of truth in what he says – even if the 1980s system is a little dated, or the claim a bit off. I wished he claimed these principles in the beginning, rather than providing them throughout the book. Still, the writing itself has beautiful style and it’s fun to read. My primary issue is with the final chapter, when he changes from social criticism, and instead tries to define what it would be like to live free from this status system entirely. He lists the activities this person would participate in, and what they’d buy. Though he tries to make it out that this person is self-defining, it’s clear that he’s advocating them to be the antagonist to the status system. That their actions mock it directly. He calls this “class X” which really also defines itself as part of the status system, just the contrarian within it. In writing the book, he may have become too used to seeing everything through a class perspective. Buying parody items, and intentionally ridiculing cultural custom, is not self-defining – it’s anti-‘status system’ rather than a-‘status system’. In addition, he believes this class would both be interested in baroque music and also weird instruments like the hydraulic kleptophone – which doesn’t make much sense since people typically play instruments designed for the music they like. It seems like eccentricity for the sake of eccentricity. I could give him the benefit of the doubt and treat these parts as ironic, but I doubt it is. It’s fortunate this chapter is only a small part of the book. Overall, it’s a great read – but the author might do better to keep to criticism, and leave to the reader how to synthesize it.

Likeable

This book is not boring or dry, instead almost comedic at times. A fun intellectually stimulating read examining the nature of society as a whole. While reading it quickly becomes clear the book was written in the 80s which results in many of the examples and comparisons seeming a bit odd or irrelevant; however, in general the ideas and the theme of the text remains true and an interesting discussion of class in America. I would appreciate a second edition bringing the book up to date with modern examples and discussions. The addition of a chapter discussing the changes in class over the decades would be an interesting addition to help connect the two editions (if one were made).

This book had me laughing somewhat unexpectedly! I couldn't help but read out parts of this book to my husband. If you have ever seen Downton Abbey and enjoy the way the Dowager says things, you will like this book. It's witty, and points out the obvious but not so obvious in a really hilarious way. It appears to come from a more upper crust perspective, however this could just be because that is mine, it's hard to say. I will say this though, it's clear that in the 30 some odd years since this book was written, our world has been taken over by proles. Everywhere you look, prole habits abound. I refuse to go down with the ship!! I was obsessed with this book until completion. A must read. For me, anyways!

I can never look at the world with the same eyes after reading this book.

it’s a book gives a general idea about 60s-70s the features of Different classes in US, the lifestyle, the habit, the cloth, the food, the vocabulary they use, the hobby, the transportation, the car, etc. sometimes the fact you still could find right now, it’s very interesting but it requires you have high level vocabularies

a weird topic to talk about, although this author once again wrote this excellent book revealing some facts to take into consideration when mingling about this topic.

Extremely witty, and despite Being written 40 years ago, the observations remain just as relevant. The quality of the book itself is poor - but yourself a hard cover -prole!