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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Bryson's timeless wit shines through in this impossibly nineties book that somehow still managed to make laugh out loud. It's a collection of essays sent back to England to explain American peculiarities to the English, and his dry wit and innate American friendliness shine through in spades.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Humorous essays about author Bill Bryson’s move back to the USA after 20 years of living in England. First published in 1999, so some of the essays are a bit dated (particularly the ones about technology), but are still good for a chuckle. And there are a few actual laugh-out-loud moments. The essays were originally written as newspaper columns, so they are short and quick to read. Great to keep on hand for a brief, uplifting humor break during a busy or stressful day.
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
My mum bought this for me from a charity shop, I thought 'great another book about Bryson travelling through the US'. Then I was disappointed to find that it was just a collection of collums Bryson wrote for the times. However this disappointed soon passed as it's full of Brysons quick wit and charm. An easy read and you can learn a bit about what life was like in America during the 90s.
Bill Bryson is one of my favorite writers, and never fails to be both interesting and funny. Never having lived outside America, I appreciated his POV after being away so long.
I used this as my "read on the plane" book this summer. Bryson was a newspaper columnist who wrote columns for a British newspaper about American life. He is an American who lived in England for about 20 years then moved back to the US. It's a great travel book because each chapter is one of his columns so they are short and easy to pick up whenever. And he is hilarious. Kind of Seinfeldesque. There were literally lots of "laugh out loud" moments where my fellow travelers would give me strange looks. Highly recommend.
2.5 stars rounding up. I tried again with Bill Bryson. I've not really loved a book of his since A Walk in the Woods. This is 20+ years old, and boy does it show. I guess it makes sense - it was designed to reflect on a particular time and place. Bryson's commentary comes off too often as grumpy ranting. Just didn't love it.