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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I'm a fan of Bill Bryson's work - I really enjoy his style of writing and the way he links things one to the other to the other. You can just see his mind hopping from one topic to another - and what is really admirable is that he remembers where he has got to along the way and then does some fabulous research and presents it all so entertainingly.
At the same time as reading this I borrowed [b:At Home (Illustrated Edition): A short history of private life|19043955|At Home (Illustrated Edition) A short history of private life|Bill Bryson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436951568s/19043955.jpg|7800569]. It's much too heavy to read - even difficult when trying to prop it up on something - but excellent as an accompaniment to the text in paperback or as an e-copy.
At the same time as reading this I borrowed [b:At Home (Illustrated Edition): A short history of private life|19043955|At Home (Illustrated Edition) A short history of private life|Bill Bryson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436951568s/19043955.jpg|7800569]. It's much too heavy to read - even difficult when trying to prop it up on something - but excellent as an accompaniment to the text in paperback or as an e-copy.
A little disappointed actually. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, I didn't read it. Didn't feel like Bill Bryson was truly engaged with this book as he was writing it. He put a structure to it, and stayed so much within it, that the book feels like a blueprint. And I felt like I was reading a lot of things I already knew. Oh, well. Still a fan of Bryson. Can't help it.
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Engaging, interesting, well written - highly recommend.
I'm a Bill Bryson fan. I love his writing style and his ability to take just about any subject and make it fascinating. This title is no exception. He uses his home as the structure for a meandering narrative covering everything from disease and sex to dyeing linens and farming.
Note: Received free advanced reading copy from publisher's booth at ALA 2010.
An excellent history of fixtures, furniture, and rooms found in the house, how they developed, and to some degree why. This book is as large and rambling as I imagine Bryson's own house is and I often found myself wonderfully lost in his text, not sure why I ended up in one place when I thought I was headed somewhere else. Luckily his writing is so incredibly engaging and interesting that it felt more like exploring than the disconcerting feeling of being lost in a 400 page book.
There is a pretty sharp emphasis on architecture, luckily this often devolves into the personal biography of the architects which is often drama-filled or otherwise very interesting. Bryson manages to pack interesting factoids into nearly every sentence. You will find yourself reading bits and pieces of this out loud to whoever is around. I don't know if this is available on audio yet, but I imagine it would be a great car read.
I also recommend taking a good look at the references Bryson uses. Not only are a strong mix of second and primary resources, but there are some titles that I know I will be looking up to see if I want to read those as well.
The reviewer is the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.
An excellent history of fixtures, furniture, and rooms found in the house, how they developed, and to some degree why. This book is as large and rambling as I imagine Bryson's own house is and I often found myself wonderfully lost in his text, not sure why I ended up in one place when I thought I was headed somewhere else. Luckily his writing is so incredibly engaging and interesting that it felt more like exploring than the disconcerting feeling of being lost in a 400 page book.
There is a pretty sharp emphasis on architecture, luckily this often devolves into the personal biography of the architects which is often drama-filled or otherwise very interesting. Bryson manages to pack interesting factoids into nearly every sentence. You will find yourself reading bits and pieces of this out loud to whoever is around. I don't know if this is available on audio yet, but I imagine it would be a great car read.
I also recommend taking a good look at the references Bryson uses. Not only are a strong mix of second and primary resources, but there are some titles that I know I will be looking up to see if I want to read those as well.
The reviewer is the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.
I'm disappointed. I LOVED A Walk in the Woods and the premise of At Home was very intriguing; however, it was the opposite of a 'short history' and went far afield from just private life. There were many many many factoids presented in this one, but I felt like Bryson really went down far too many rabbit holes. In addition to too much, in my estimation, superfluous detail, At Home didn't have any of the humor or charm of A Walk in the Woods. There were, for sure, many interesting details but, for me, far too many dry, boring and seemingly unrelated ones.
I enjoyed this book as I enjoy all of Bill Bryson's books. He seemed to stray into science and history at points, which deviated from the main theme of the book, but I did not mind. Another enjoyable read from one of my favorite authors.
I LOVE his style and look forward to reading more from him.