The World According to Cunk

Summary

The World According to Cunk is credited to English comedian Philomena Cunk who is otherwise a work of fiction that previously earned media fame as presenter of pseudo-history programmes in the form of historical documentaries acting as a representative of an ignorant Brit. This book has sections which give a complete brief history of the world having this satirical story starting from the Stone Age to the modern period.

As for the organization of the text and thus of the plot, the series of whooshes, together with the protagonist or the focus or indeed the narrator or driving force, is Cunk, and it is her voice that this comic/absurdity to the text. Her account is pov and the voice throughout the main character. The “conflict” of the book, as far as human activities are concerned, is the persistent attempt of mankind to seek purpose and given that Cunk is frequently ill-informed, misunderstanding or misremembering certain aspects of history due to omissions, bias, irrelevance or idiosyncrasy, the grand pursuit of meaning is often muddled.

For instance, the book uses the historical periods to make comments like this, ‘’humans thought they were on time; they didn’t know they were early,” “cavemen invented trousers that required minimal ironing because they had podcasts to listen to.” These nonsenses amplify the comedy but they also bring focus to how people are resilient and creative when under stress. The overarching question of the book is: A fascinating aspect of human history how in the world can people forget about these topics and laugh at them? Finally, the book encourages readers to reimagine approaches to history while employing satire at the same time.

Experience

This book made me laugh and made me think a few times. Literally from the first chapter, I laughed out loud at Cunk’s humour throughout How do you solve a problem like early man? Cunk style: by saying ‘cavemen never erected cathedrals, they were too occupied inventing pants.’

Such concepts as ‘immersive history’ bursts seemed to work best with people making them write something on a rock like on ‘modern inventions you’d miss’ or steering the mind toward thinking of cavemen inventing agriculture. Of all these years, these moments led me into the past in a humorous and rather private fashion.

Cunk’s lens included how humour changes the perspective of viewing history. For instance, in her show, Stonehenge is depicted as a clock with missing hands and therefore the viewer’s current orientations and perceptions inform the show in question. Despite being a piece of fiction overall, what I liked most about this book is that it clearly explains how the stories that we tell in history matter as much as the facts themselves.

Strengths

Humour: The book’s greatest asset is that it is incredibly funny. There is one thing, however, which makes Cunk here distinctly wonderful: Cunk’s comic timing: “Stonehenge was used to tell the time but stone hands fell off”, “inventing fire as a social signal to deter animals and other people.” Not a single history lesson is monotonous when she has a word to say about human ingenuity and determination.

Accessibility: What Cunk has done particularly effectively is make history seem everyday and mundane but that can only be a positive thing in engaging pulses. Prefacing the book, the author does not dwell on conventional monotonous academic language so the outcome is far from what one considers a historical picture reader might be. For instance, the ignorant satire that Cunk used to explain the “Fertile Crescent” still proves that history does not have to be dull to be relevant.

Illustrations: Illustrations that are drawn by the author’s hand are saved and are simply put as an addition of more humour which complements the text. It’s funny because they are deliberately crude and substandard, like most pranks on the show. These drawings give a personal feel and serve to buttress the humour that is brought by the author in the making of this book.

Satirical depth: Buried under satire, there are comments on modern people’s attitudes toward history, technology, and culture. For example, Cunk would simply turn the current kinds of social sharing into a ridiculous joke stating that early humans only had ‘social media’ in the form of cave paintings that they threw at each other.

Weaknesses

Repetitiveness: At times, the humour is as hackneyed as the hackneyed jokes men tell in men’s meeting. Sometimes, as the building on a joke is allowed and it is okay-Ish, Cunk will use words not correctly or not understand an idea, then turn it into a joke—this looks repetitive. For instance, several chapters use the framework of a historical invention, followed by an imagination of the invention as a modern-day failure.

Not for everyone: As with most books of this post-modernist style, the book employs satire and the ludicrous to elicit humour. Of course, those readers who have a primitive approach to problems will find it irritating because of such representation. While those who enjoy satire programs might find Cunk’s delivery hilarious those looking for simple history lessons will feel irritated by the constant wisecracks.

Limited depth: Therefore, there are very few facts included within the book and what there is tends to be sparse and fragmented. Not a website if you want to learn history but where you could probably laugh at how some people must have taught it. For instance, the book may discuss the Ancient Egyptians and the Romans and then make fun of them; it will not go beyond the basics.

Final Thoughts

The World According to Cunk also means that there is a book with its unique humour that is incredible in telling the history and offering a heavy philosophical undertone where there is none. Others will say it is not history in the literal sense, but this is history for a person who wants entertaining, funny and creative recounts of human existence. The irony is that Cunk is an ignorant but perceptive everywoman who demystifies history for the public. Using humour in portraying history, the book encourages readers to reconsider history and the human essence with a fresh perspective.

While it does not aim to replace traditional historical texts, it offers something equally valuable: It turns out that leaning back and letting HOMO SAPIENS laugh at themselves and their ancestors is helpful when thinking about the overall existence of humanity. It is to bear in mind the argument that history is not only constituted of facts, but also mirrors the viewpoint of the historian.

My Recommendation

If you enjoyed The World According to Cunk, consider reading:

1. John O’Farrell’s An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: Another comedic take on historical events with a British twist. O’Farrell’s writing combines wit with a knack for storytelling, much like Cunk’s narrative style.

2. Terry Pratchett’s Small Gods: A satirical exploration of religion and history in the Discworld series. Pratchett’s work offers a similarly sharp critique of human nature, making it a natural next step for fans of Cunk.

3. Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything: A more factual but equally entertaining overview of human knowledge. Bryson’s accessible style and knack for explaining complex topics with humour will appeal to readers who enjoyed Cunk’s approach.

Take a moment to watch Cunk on Earth on Netflix. It perfectly complements the book’s humour and offers an audiovisual delight. My advice? Keep this book on your coffee table, it is a fantastic conversation starter and a guaranteed mood booster!

Click here to listen to this book for free with Audible

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