Notes from a Small Island |
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Bill Bryson
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Pages: 259 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0552996009
Pub: Black Swan
Pub date: 1996-08-01
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 584
Editorial Review:
Bill Bryson is an unabashed Anglophile who, through a mistake of history, happened to be born and bred in Iowa. Righting that error, he spent 20 years in England before deciding to repatriate: "I had recently read that 3.7 million Americans according to a Gallup poll, believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, so it was clear that my people needed me." That comic tone enlivens this account of Bryson's farewell walking tour of the countryside of "the green and kindly island that had for two decades been my home."
Reader Reviews:
Nostalgic For Me! (0/0 people found this helpful)
Needing to clear some space on my bookshelves I have decided to reacquaint myself with Bill Bryson's travel books before Bookcrossing them.
This one was first published in 1995 and the edition on my bookshelf in 1998. I enjoyed reading this travelogue of his tour of the good old UK, many places mentioned of which I have visited during my lifetime. The amusing and often irreverent descriptions of familiar places and British habits were in some cases painfully accurate!
Whilst one might not always agree with Bryson's viewpoint it is none the less an amusing read, though one must also accept that in some respects it is dated.
Certainly worth reading if you are at all interested in Great Britain but remember it was written over thirteen years ago and it has changed even more!
Re-reading this made me quite nostalgic at times especially the last few pages and his concluding comments. Currently living away from Great Britain it gave me an interesting reminder of the things, good and bad, that are unique to that small island where I am proud to say I was born.
The yardstick (0/0 people found this helpful)
This is one of Bryson's very best and cements his place as the don of travel writing.
The quality and density of his writing, brimming as it is with curious facts and gags, make him simply unbeatable when it comes to this kind of travelogue.
Bryson's greatest skill is that he makes us want to follow him around often-dull and familiar corners of Britain, Europe, Australia and America.
If you're not a fan of the genre, steer clear. But if you like his style this is a must-have.
For those looking for a starting point for this type of travel book, this is as good a place to start as any.
better than expected read (0/0 people found this helpful)
Having read the reviews, mostly anti - I finished reading this book and was pleasantly surprised. It seems to me that Bill Bryson was writing about his impressions, feelings, emotions, call it what you will, as he toured this island of ours, and it came over as a love/hate relationship until the end, when he makes it quite clear he loves the place and will be back. I tuned in to his kind of off beat humour quite early and loved it. Definitely a lot of snorts of laughter and a lot of 'yes, recognise that' too.
An enjoyable read.
One arduous read. (0/6 people found this helpful)
Whilst this is the first Bryson book I've finished (not the first of his I've attempted to read) it'll almost certainly be the last. I just don't get this guys popularity (a case of "The King's New Clothes" perhaps). It would've been much better if he'd integrated more with people he met on his travels and wrote about their thoughts rather than his own and his transparent exageration of mundane happenings in an effort towards being comical generally fell far short of the mark for me. He'd also benefit from occasionally choosing not to stay in accomodation he initially doesn't like the look of, but then this would leave him something short of to moan about. Disappointing.
Funny (1/1 people found this helpful)
I'm really enjoying reading this book. A couple of nights ago I was in bed reading Chapter 11 (the rainy night in Weston-Super-Mare) and laughed so hard I was in pain. I kept letting out the occasional gasp for air as the tears rolled. I had to keep the noise down as my girlfriend was asleep but the part where he tries to remember the name of the kick-boxing arcade game was too much and I've been chuckling about it for the past few days. A very enjoyable read.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> Countries & Regions -> United Kingdom -> General AAS
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
Books -> Refinements -> Condition (condition-type)