The Snob Spotter’s Guide
Jullian, Philippe (ed.). The Snob Spotter’s Guide. First Edition. 1958. Book is in good plus condition; dust jacket is in good condition—pages show mild foxing but do have scent of mildew; jacket shows discoloration, chips, and repaired tears. This condition of this title is usually not great, but its content and illustrations make up for what it lacks in condition.
What is snobbery? This delightfully irreverent A-to-Z guide attempts to identify it in all its forms, with contributions from a rogue’s gallery of reputed snobs, including Cecil Beaton, Lord Kinross, Violet Trefusis, and Loelia, Duchess of Westminster. Definitions vary from contributor to contributor, but the general conclusion seems to be that snobbery resembles light: it is both particle and wave, and it is everywhere. Aristocrats, intellectuals, artists, social climbers, and even those who profess to despise snobbery prove incapable of escaping its influence. The text is witty, observant, and frequently self-mocking, while Philippe Jullian’s illustrations are reason enough to seek out the book.
“People are no sooner herded into a mass than they think themselves in Society.”
--The Snob Spotter’s Guide