A Tall Man In A Low Land: Some Time Among the Belgians

Harry Pearson

Jun 2013 · Sold by Abacus

About this ebook

Most British travel writers head south for a destination that is hot, exotic, dangerous or all three. Harry Pearson chose to head in the opposite direction for a country which is damp, safe and of legendary banality: Belgium. But can any nation whose most famous monument is a statue of a small boy urinating really be that dull? Pearson lived there for several months, burying himself in the local culture. He drank many of the 800 different beers the Belgians produce; ate local delicacies such as kip kap (jellied pig cheeks) and a mighty tonnage of chicory and chips. In one restaurant the house speciality was 'Hare in the style of grandmother'. 'I didn't order it. I quite like hare, but had no wish to see one wearing zip-up boots and a blue beret.' A TALL MAN IN A LOW LAND commemorates strange events such as The Festival of Shrimps at Oostduinkerke and laments the passing of the Underpant Museum in Brussels. No reader will go away from A TALL MAN IN A LOW LAND without being able to name at least ten famous Belgians. Mixing evocative description and low-grade buffoonery Harry Pearson paints a portrait of Belgium that is more rounded than a Smurf after a night on the mussels.

Ratings and reviews

I read a blurb that claims that Pearson, the author, is funnier than Bill Bryson. Let's just say that he surpasses Bryson as much as Belgium surpasses Australia and the US put together. Don't get me wrong...he's quite good. I snorted and laughed aloud and read pieces aloud to my wife. I got this before a trip to Belgium, but I didn't read most of it until after I got back, because Pearson seemed so down and snarky on Belgium that the book might diminish the trip. We actually spent most of our time in Mons because I had a conference there, and that city is hardly mentioned in the book at all. I'm glad I read it, because it did clear up some mysteries of Belgian history and culture. We went to an exhibit in Brussels on "The Royal Family in Tabloid Covers" and wondered what the king's exile in 1945-6 was about. The covers and the accompanying text were pretty discreet about the whole business. We loved Belgium, and Pearson clearly loves it too. He tends to focus on the warts because that's where the humor is.

About the author

Harry Pearson was born on the day Petula Clark had her first number one hit single. His cousin is married to the chairman of the Rare Breeds Society. He is very tall.