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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
a must read for the American expat who has repatted. the stories might be almost 20 years old but they still ring true
I listened to this as an audiobook and, though I enjoyed Bryson reading his own work, this book struck me as very dated. The fact that cars come equipped with lots of cup holders is no longer noteworthy; everyone knows that the 1040 tax form is obtuse. Bryson mostly sounds like an old fart, whining about "the way things used to be." I would recommend his other works over this.
L'autore è simpatico, mi ha messo una gran voglia di andare a vivere in New England e per certi aspetti l'ho trovato molto simile a me (sempre pronto a lamentarsi e ad esagerare la realtà pur di trarne un aneddoto divertente), ma mi ha un po' scocciato che molte volte più che parlare dell'America vista con gli occhi di un americano dopo vent'anni in Gran Bretagna si ritrovi a scrivere di argomenti a caso, a volte giocando su stereotipi o luoghi comuni (i nomi presuntuosi dei cibi nei ristoranti eleganti, l'incomprensibilità dei manuali di istruzione e bla bla), che mi sembra un tantino fuori tema e fatto giusto per consegnare l'articolo settimanale.
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I recall loving this more than [Book:Notes from a Small Island] but less than [Book:In a Sunburned Country], but then I find cranky [a:Bill Bryson|7|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1189096502p2/7.jpg] endlessly endearing.
Bill Bryson is one of my favorite writers of today - mostly because we share many similar views on life and when I read his writing, I often laugh out loud - he has a way of embracing life while making fun of it at the same time - as it should be!
I've heard great things about this author but I've been trying for a few months and just can't finish this.
This is a collection of newspaper columns loosely based on the premise of moving back to the United States after living in the United Kingdom. There's no rhyme or reason to how the book is organized. Each essay is short and a number of them employ a very dated style of humor of looking at the then-modern world with Andy Rooney-style bemusement or "my wife is the boss"-type of storytelling. Nothing terribly offensive and I admittedly cracked a brief smile now and then, but most of these essays were almost instantly forgettable.
I think I would have loved it had I been in my mid-40s during the 1990s and bought this to read on an airplane.
This is a collection of newspaper columns loosely based on the premise of moving back to the United States after living in the United Kingdom. There's no rhyme or reason to how the book is organized. Each essay is short and a number of them employ a very dated style of humor of looking at the then-modern world with Andy Rooney-style bemusement or "my wife is the boss"-type of storytelling. Nothing terribly offensive and I admittedly cracked a brief smile now and then, but most of these essays were almost instantly forgettable.
I think I would have loved it had I been in my mid-40s during the 1990s and bought this to read on an airplane.
Boy I just LOVE anything Bryson. He’s in my top 5 authors fo sho and I will continually gather and read all his work eventually (like I went through everything Mary Roach -another of top 5-has out too ☹️)
This was mostly just musings about life, each chapter it’s own little topic/story. Bryson is so good and being serious but lighthearted, facts skewed so playfully they become jokes, and he is always masterful at stirring up nostalgia.
Only downside of this book was technology mentioned, as it was written I think almost 29 years ago? Still relevant to my life/development as a human being but soon I don’t think it will be relatable to all those who read it. But perhaps he captured the forever frustration with technology well enough, that seems like forever
This was mostly just musings about life, each chapter it’s own little topic/story. Bryson is so good and being serious but lighthearted, facts skewed so playfully they become jokes, and he is always masterful at stirring up nostalgia.
Only downside of this book was technology mentioned, as it was written I think almost 29 years ago? Still relevant to my life/development as a human being but soon I don’t think it will be relatable to all those who read it. But perhaps he captured the forever frustration with technology well enough, that seems like forever
Preferred "A Walk in the Woods" but this was entertaining.
Bryson makes me laugh so hard. Most of the mentioned cultural differences are true, still.