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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I am disappointed that Bill Bryson felt it necessary to be casually fat phobic- when I talked to my friends about it, I learned that not only is this going to continue to be an issue if I read his books, but that he is also not great at actually researching his claims. So I put the book down, and I’m going to find another book about a similar topic that is less smug and more factual.
The premise is rather poorly executed as the book is fairly ill-organized, but it's a fascinating and valuable book nonetheless.
Classic Bryson-- lots of interesting facts crammed in that will make you the hit at dinner- and cocktail parties for months to come.
Classic Bryson-- lots of interesting facts crammed in that will make you the hit at dinner- and cocktail parties for months to come.
While an interesting read, I'm not sure how I feel about it in the end. The information presented in the book was interesting and wonderful to have, but seemed very scattered in the presentation. It is an interesting concept to explore history by walking through a house telling who and what would have happened in that room over time. However, as presented in the history, it is quite recursive in constantly going back in time to start over in each room to recount the course of events.
Very thoroughly researched and well written but not what I was expecting
funny
informative
slow-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Really 3 1/2; I’ll probably stick to his travel writing, which is a serious guilty pleasure.
This was an enjoyable listen, and it serves as a general overview of domestic history in the English and American traditions. I'd give it a 4.5 stars, and I'll round up. I liked the framing narrative that Bryson uses, which is centered around his own manor house and the country parson who built it in the mid-19th century. Through the book, Bryson goes room-by-room and details various aspects of domestic life and how it evolved over time and descriptions of the lives.
As should be very-heavily noted, this is an Anglocentric history. I had anticipated a more sweeping view including other cultures, but Bryson limits the scope, not out of ignorance, but in order to actually provide a readable book in his area of expertise. I'd say the book is about 1:3 English to American histories; it mostly is about lives in rural to urbanizing Southern England, with sections about Colonial to Gilded Age America.
It's a very-approachable read/listen that lives up to the book's subtitle. Aspects throughout the domestic world are touched upon, with a modern lens that is neither damning nor fawning. The tone is colorful and descriptive, but doesn't go too far into narrative, and doesn't attempt humor (to its benefit).
Although the book is arranged room-by-room, I was impressed by how little Bryson repeats himself chapter-to-chapter. Much credit to Bryson and his editor for having a coherent narrative that doesn't contradict or repeat itself. Histories like this often have a bad habit of developing amnesia when covering a similar subject from earlier chapters, and At Home does one of the best jobs I've seen avoiding this.
As should be very-heavily noted, this is an Anglocentric history. I had anticipated a more sweeping view including other cultures, but Bryson limits the scope, not out of ignorance, but in order to actually provide a readable book in his area of expertise. I'd say the book is about 1:3 English to American histories; it mostly is about lives in rural to urbanizing Southern England, with sections about Colonial to Gilded Age America.
It's a very-approachable read/listen that lives up to the book's subtitle. Aspects throughout the domestic world are touched upon, with a modern lens that is neither damning nor fawning. The tone is colorful and descriptive, but doesn't go too far into narrative, and doesn't attempt humor (to its benefit).
Although the book is arranged room-by-room, I was impressed by how little Bryson repeats himself chapter-to-chapter. Much credit to Bryson and his editor for having a coherent narrative that doesn't contradict or repeat itself. Histories like this often have a bad habit of developing amnesia when covering a similar subject from earlier chapters, and At Home does one of the best jobs I've seen avoiding this.
Okay, if you're looking for a really intense history lesson with some really cool facts mixed in, this is the book for you. I found myself bored a lot of the time, but I was really interested in about a dozen facts. The concept is a really cool one, and I was hoping to retain more information, but I found myself zoning out for whole passages at a time. An added plus was that the audiobook is read by the author, which I always find as an extra perk. I feel like in another time, I might have been way more interested in this book, but I am rating it what I feel it deserves, since it was a very deep dive into a lot of elements of the home that I was unaware of previously.