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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Bryson is definitely in grumpy old man mode and not everyone's proverbial cup of tea, but mostly it works for me.
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Not the best Bryson book by any means, but still an entertaining read
I've now lived in England for 10 months. However, this book has taught me more about the country than all the people I've met!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
I normally love Bill Bryson, but this book didn’t hook me in the same way. It was too heavy-handed with the “back in my
day..” references. So I think I’ll stick with his older stuff. I adored Notes from a Small Island and A Walk in the Woods, and his tone is the same. It just seems too judgmental in areas that don’t deserve it.
day..” references. So I think I’ll stick with his older stuff. I adored Notes from a Small Island and A Walk in the Woods, and his tone is the same. It just seems too judgmental in areas that don’t deserve it.
Bill Bryson is SO funny, and there were definitely moments in this book that I laughed out loud while reading. BUT, I didn't think this book was as good as the first in this sort of companion-travel-memoir-duology. Bill seems to be getting a smidge grumpy in his impending dotage; when once he commented benevolently on people's quirks, he now seems to do a lot more griping about their deficiencies. And actually, he spends a lot less time even mentioning the characters he meets on the road and more time ruminating on the landscape (which is still interesting - because everything Bill Bryson writes is interesting - I just miss the funny interactions that took place between him and folks he meets in his travels). He clearly still loves his adopted country, but he also clearly longs for time (or country, as the case may be) past. I really enjoyed Little Dribbling still, because Bill Bryson could write about concrete drying and I'd want to turn the pages, but I just didn't enjoy it as *much* as some of his other books.
Amusing as Bryson's books always are. I had not read his previous book about touring Englad, but that did not seem to impact the reading of this one. It did take me awhile to get through this one, partly due to me looking up all the places he was visiting. That did add a nice visual, but slowed me down as I would get caught up in scrolling through pictures.
I love Bill Bryson. He's one of my favorite authors. But in this book, he comes across as less funny and more as "grumpy old man."
Not so much Notes From a Small Island as Easy Day Trips From My Home.