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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Bryson is marvelous at revealing unknown histories and facts and is often quite funny. However he seems to have become a codger and the Andy Rooney-ness overwhelms the charming and hilarious moments. Read 'A Walk in the Woods' instead and enjoy a funnier, less curmudgeonly Bryon.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
As always with Bill Bryson, I laughed out loud several times. A bit overly descriptive of towns that sound essentially very similar (same description each time), and of his brief and similar evenings (drink, odd interaction with proprietor, and spicy Asian food).
Definitely on the lower end of the spectrum for Bryson's works.... but still enjoyable.
The Road to Little Dribbling starts out with an epic rant, full of inventive invective about the imbecility of modern tabloid-fodder celebrity. People say Bryson is at his best when he's being self-deprecating, all I'll say is that his acerbity is simply phenomenal.
Alas, it's gently downhill from here on in - Little Dribbling feels just a tad breathless, as if Bryson was in a hurry to finish the book and get on with his real work of being an amateur scientist and full-time historian.
Nonetheless, The Road to Little Dribbling shows enough glimpses of vintage Bryson to keep the fans happy and asking for more.
Alas, it's gently downhill from here on in - Little Dribbling feels just a tad breathless, as if Bryson was in a hurry to finish the book and get on with his real work of being an amateur scientist and full-time historian.
Nonetheless, The Road to Little Dribbling shows enough glimpses of vintage Bryson to keep the fans happy and asking for more.
I've enjoyed some of Bryson's other books much more than this one. Maybe it wasn't meant for me. Perhaps it would be better appreciated by people from England. While it had Bryson's signature wit, it just wasn't as interesting for me as I'd have liked.
Bryson established his Curmudgeonly Old White Guy cred by a scathing description of a young man on public transportation early in the book. This trend continues throughout the book, with complaints about the cost of things, how things are run, employees at a variety of places.
The short rant on grammar and writing errors was fairly ineffective in the audiobook, though I appreciated the sentiment.
I almost flounced on the "Bruce Jenner in drag" comment, but kept going. I hope that Bryson has since learned the difference between a man dressing in drag and a transgender woman.
Bryson established his Curmudgeonly Old White Guy cred by a scathing description of a young man on public transportation early in the book. This trend continues throughout the book, with complaints about the cost of things, how things are run, employees at a variety of places.
The short rant on grammar and writing errors was fairly ineffective in the audiobook, though I appreciated the sentiment.
I almost flounced on the "Bruce Jenner in drag" comment, but kept going. I hope that Bryson has since learned the difference between a man dressing in drag and a transgender woman.
I'm in a weird book mood, nothing is grabbing my attention lately. I picked this one up because I have liked previous Bill Bryson books that I have read. Well, he has certainly gotten cranky and curmudgeonly as he got older. There were a couple of funny places, but overall it was another meh book.
Loved it - made me laugh and I love all the obscure historical facts. Ales e wNt to plans trip to the UK - getting out my map now.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced