Word: britain
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...book has generated the same sort of enthusiasm and devotion that made it a publishing phenomenon in France. Now, with the release of an English translation on Sept. 7, Elegance is pursuing a goal that has proved devilishly elusive for modern French novelists: success in the U.S. and Britain. Barbery acknowledges the challenge. "But given what the book has done elsewhere thus far, I guess I'm willing to believe anything is possible," she says. "It has been like a dream...
Despite its triumphs elsewhere, the question now is whether a story that deconstructs French social prejudices to hail the eternal value of culture can seduce readers in the U.S. and Britain. Barbery thinks her book has enjoyed such universal success because people everywhere are worried about superficiality overtaking substance in their lives. She says her cast of "improbable characters and clashing perspectives has managed to interest an equally improbable range of readers from very different backgrounds." It would be a surprise if those who read English proved any less susceptible to this book's charms...
...Britain is less than one half the size of France and only about two-thirds the size of Germany but, by the year 2060, it will have more people living in it than both countries, according to a new report by the research arm of the European Union, Eurostat...
Germany, home to the largest population in Europe since its reunification in 1989, will see its population decline from some 82 million today to 70 million in 2060, according to the study. Britain, as a result of higher immigration and more babies, will see its population rise to 77 million from 50 million over the same period. Other countries such as Ireland, Cyprus and Spain are expected to see sharp increases as well...
...children might make a difference, he says. The lifting of restrictions on immigration for able workers could also help. "Countries like England, Ireland and Sweden, which are seeing population increases, have a relatively open labor market while Germany still makes it difficult for people to immigrate," says Kroehnert. In Britain, however, the projections have triggered calls for tighter immigration controls...