ABSTRACT
Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, there was a proliferation of books of condolence in which individuals could express their sympathy and often shock at her loss. These books were in fact so popular in Britain that they were available in many disparate locations, local civic offices and supermarkets, but also hospitals, libraries, universities and churches. This chapter discusses the different genres of messages in the two types of books and expresses possible explanations for the marked differences in the forms of condolence. The English condolence books contained more references to God than did the Internet messages, although it is important to note that the English messages tended to refer to God in a very general way. Internet messages tended to be more critical and explicit, with little of the reserve which characterized English forms of condolence. H. Garfinkel points to the local production of the social order by actors despite it being experienced as external.
