Notting Hell

Notting Hell is a satirical and acerbic commentary on the super wealthy "haves and the have yachts" in a Notting Hill neighborhood surrounding a communal garden. Rachel Johnson slices and dices through the families living on Lonsdale Gardens where selling a rare-to-the-market mid Victorian house is considered the ultimate and most unforgivable faux pas.
Bravo for Rachel Johnson casting aside society’s obsession with being "politically correct" and the convenient use of this oxymoron to smoke screen the world’s hypocrisy, bad behavior and conspicuous consumption to the max.
"Last month, a woman exited the store after a light, gluten-free lunch and found a traffic warden in the process of writing her a ticket and affixing it to the windscreen of her Mercedes jeep. She picked up a brick off a skip and hit him over the head with it, knocking him out. She ripped off the ticket, laid it on his prone body, then she hopped into her car, reversed into the car behind, and drove off at speed, almost killing Ruby Wax on the pedestrian crossing. Presumably, the woman felt that braining a hard working Ghanaian immigrant after spending his entire annual salary on a morning’s groceries was a very appropriate climax to her ethical retail experience."
Reality check, Notting Hell exists all over the world; every city/town has their own mutated form of the NHM (Notting Hill Mummy) and their key developmental milestones. Here is a partial list and my observations in our parallel universe:
1. Notting Hill: Invited to join private group/club/class. Where we live: Yes
2. Notting Hill: Have at least one gifted child. Where we live: Yes, everyone has a gifted child bumper sticker on their auto. Apparently, children no longer get anything less than an A.
3. Notting Hill: Have at least one special needs child. Where we live: Yes. If the child isn't gifted then they are some form of the alphabet, ADD, AHDD, dyslexic, etc, and proudly medicated..
4. Notting Hill: Weigh less and/or look younger than own
daughter. Where we live: Yes, Yes. The mothers are in competition with daughters. Lest we not forget their wearing of inappropriate clothing (this most often occurs if overweight) and the one "must have"...ridiculously over sized breast augmentation surgery. Also noted, the women appear to have more Testosterone than the men. They are more angry and aggressive (especially driving) and the men have become "sensitive" and cry at everything.
To all detractors, you need to get out more often because all of this is not uncommon, it just occurs in different groups and geographic locations. I give Ms. Johnson credit for saying it like it is. Don’t take is so seriously; get a sense of humor. It is meant to be amusing and light.
"I enter into the fruit and vegetable produce side of the store which wafts conceit in the same way supermarkets pipe the smell of fresh baked-bread at their customers."
Read the book, have some laughs, enjoy the surprise ending and take it as intended, a sarcastic look at life and flawed human nature.