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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
On one hand, I could listen to Bill Bryson tell stories all day long. While I initially found his writing style and actual voice a little odd, they both have grown on me. Sitting down with a Bill Bryson book feels cozy and I know I'm going to learn a bunch of random stuff. I have LOVED his histories and nonfiction deep dives -- The Body, At Home, One Summer: they're all wonderful.
But they're also much more recent than this collection of essays, where the age of the author is very apparent. And I think I prefer an older, wiser more 21st century Bryson who reports on a topic more than giving his impression and complains about everything.
Seriously. So much complaining. Constantly bemoaning stupid shit that he encounters in America after moving back is a great approach to a weekly humor column. But when all of those articles are compiled into one book, it becomes a bit much. This column was not meant to be binged.
A younger Bryson is way more judgmental than his older counterpart; many of his observations or jokes were at the expense of others that felt dated and tone deaf.
Parts of it are very funny, as Bryson has a wonderfully dark, sarcastic, and British sense of humor. I love his wit and unique turns of phrase. Some of the stories are quite amusing and since they all take place during the 90s, it's a fun period piece in some ways, especially if you've read any of his more recent works.
Besides some questions of factual accuracy and the inevitable outdatedness of so many observations, it was a fine quick listen, but I would never recommend this as an introduction to Bill Bryson.
But they're also much more recent than this collection of essays, where the age of the author is very apparent. And I think I prefer an older, wiser more 21st century Bryson who reports on a topic more than giving his impression and complains about everything.
Seriously. So much complaining. Constantly bemoaning stupid shit that he encounters in America after moving back is a great approach to a weekly humor column. But when all of those articles are compiled into one book, it becomes a bit much. This column was not meant to be binged.
A younger Bryson is way more judgmental than his older counterpart; many of his observations or jokes were at the expense of others that felt dated and tone deaf.
Parts of it are very funny, as Bryson has a wonderfully dark, sarcastic, and British sense of humor. I love his wit and unique turns of phrase. Some of the stories are quite amusing and since they all take place during the 90s, it's a fun period piece in some ways, especially if you've read any of his more recent works.
Besides some questions of factual accuracy and the inevitable outdatedness of so many observations, it was a fine quick listen, but I would never recommend this as an introduction to Bill Bryson.
HILARIOUS! Admittedly, I listened to this book on tape, but it was so funny, I often found myself wondering if I should pull over because I was laughing so hard.
I really loved this book. It's a collection of Bryson's newspaper columns after returning to the United States after 20 years in England. Because the stories are only column length, it's easy to put down and pick up again. Bryson has a comical way of comparing life in the US to life in England and i'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
Irreverent and quirky compendium which is like Clarkson removes the bile and adds more whimsy. Still impactful 25 years after publication.
Laugh-out-loud funny. Great when you need a quick reading fix, but don't necessarily want to commit to a whole novel. His bit on automatic spell-check substitutions still cracks me up!
Not my favourite of Bryson's books. A compilation of newspaper columns, it's funny and full of apt analyses of American life, but it's a bit disjointed as each column is really a standalone piece.
Typical Bryson wit, but so many of the entries are outdated, it makes him look silly. Plus, for some reason, I found his rants irritating. This one did not age well.