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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Typical hilarious Bryson. These were actually originally published as a weekly newspaper article but work in this book as loosely related essays. My favorite is actually Bryson's commencement address, which has ten simple, funny and true rules for people to live by. The vast majority of the chapters made me laugh until I cried, but when I reached the last page, I just cried.
3.5 stars. This book takes place during the 1996-1998 time period when Bill Bryson and his family returned to live in the US after 20 years in England. The essays were written for a weekly column for a British paper. In some ways, this book feels quite dated (it was anticipating Y2K at the time of its writing) and it is interesting to see how technology has evolved from the days of dial-up internet. Some other themes still hold up today though, such as rampant American consumerism, lackadaisical attitudes about the environment, complaints about the price of gas, and the ubiquity of junk food in US supermarkets. Of course, the humorous, self-effacing, curmudgeonly style does allow forgiveness of a lot of sins.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Listened to this audio book on a road trip, perfect book for that.
I am late discovering Bill Bryson, I wish I would have read this back in 1998 when it was published.
It is a set of articles he published after he moved back to the US(where he was born) after living in the UK as an adult. He is writing this for his audience in the UK where he tries to describe things he finds odd/frustrating/stupid about the living in the United States.
Some of this is out of date, but it is a bit humorous (or sad) how many things he discusses are still things that drive us all crazy.
I am late discovering Bill Bryson, I wish I would have read this back in 1998 when it was published.
It is a set of articles he published after he moved back to the US(where he was born) after living in the UK as an adult. He is writing this for his audience in the UK where he tries to describe things he finds odd/frustrating/stupid about the living in the United States.
Some of this is out of date, but it is a bit humorous (or sad) how many things he discusses are still things that drive us all crazy.
well, we're not expecting literature when we read such things, are we? but oh,
this is hilarious, with nail-on-head observations about american life...
somehow whilst maintaining a sense of humor and not descending into
bitterness!
this is hilarious, with nail-on-head observations about american life...
somehow whilst maintaining a sense of humor and not descending into
bitterness!
funny
reflective
fast-paced
I highly enjoy Bryson's writing style and humor. This book was no different from the others I have read thus far. It is a collection of his weekly columns upon returning to America after living in England for many years. His commentary is hilarious! The topics covered are varied, so it should keep your attention.
This collection of Bryson's short pieces from a British weekly periodical has two major problems. The first is that the material is dated even beyond its years--there was a time in the mid-to-late '90s where material about confusing technology and inconvenient air travel was very timely, but it doesn't hold up well. The second and far more damning problem is that with a collection of short pieces like this it's hard not to notice how formulaic the writing is; by the end of the book you'll be able to fill in the punchlines before the end of each piece. It has its moments, but on the whole I found this weaker than Bryson's long form writing.
a must read for the American expat who has repatted. the stories might be almost 20 years old but they still ring true