The Unexpurgated Code: A Complete Manual of Survival & Manners is a 1975 non-fiction humorous book by J. P. Donleavy.
The book offers an irreverent, tongue-in-cheek guide for social climbers. As such, it is packed with humorous guidelines for managing every possible contingency as a parvenue amongst the ranks of the upper crust.
Chapters:
The book consists of hundreds of anecdotes and events one may encounter throughout life, and how to deal with them. Some examples include:
Shaving: "Hey why are you growing that beard."..."I say, you unpleasantly unfortunate radoteur, I'm not doing a thing. You're shaving every day."
When Some Supercilious Cunt Asks Is There Anything Wrong: "Yes, you evil little man, I'm looking at your tie."
How to Prevent People from Detesting You: "Don't try."
The Psychologist: "This smug son of a bitch."
Several critics noted that the book is a very humorous read, and that it points out many of the aspects of human behaviour as exhibited by the wealthy and famous individuals it describes. In a 1975 review for The Herald-Sun, Robert Salisbury calls it âÂÂThe best work of its kind since FlaubertâÂÂs Dictionary of Received IdeasâÂÂ, and a small experimental aside from [DonleavyâÂÂs] novelistic chores that is enjoyable in form and contentâÂÂ, but notes a desire for Donleavy to return to writing novels, citing The Ginger Man, possibly DonleavyâÂÂs most well-recognized work.
Bill Erdman, writing for The World of Coos Bay, Oregon notes that the book is humorous, and that âÂÂthe advice Donleavy provides seems both ludicrous and accurate", concluding with âÂÂThe Unexpurgated Code is best read alone. When others are around, you might be required to explain why youâÂÂre laughing out loudâ¦âÂÂ
An April 7, 2025, review by Dwight Garner in The New York Times was published around the bookâÂÂs 50th anniversary, calling it âÂÂâ¦possibly, the funniest book ever writtenâÂÂ.