Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (1599)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

ClareR (6062 KP) rated One of Them in Books

May 12, 2021  
One of Them
One of Them
Musa Okwonga | 2021 | Biography
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a memoir in short, punchy chapters, of Musa Okwonga’s experience of Eton College. Musa’s mother, a widowed doctor, supports Musa’s wish to go to one of the leading public schools in the country, and pays 50% of the fees that his scholarship doesn’t cover. It’s still a lot of money - and what does he get for that?

Well. I would say that I’m firmly in the anti- public/ private school camp, but I can’t find any fault in Musa’s education. He seems to have really enjoyed his time at Eton. He received a well-rounded education, and it comes across, largely speaking, as a caring institution. He does have some trouble with other boys: racist comments for example. He doesn’t seem to register these instances, and only finds out through another ex-student once he has left.

I liked how Musa looks at the reasons behind Brexit, about our continuing culture of the ‘Haves’ and “Have Nots’, and how if those who went to institutions such as Eton were less self-serving, just how much good they could contribute to this country. Instead, their attitudes seem to have contributed to the rise of the far right.

It’s a really interesting, if short, book, and well worth a read.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, Unbound and to Musa for reading along.