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egg_gremlin 's review for:
About 5 years ago, I saw this book sitting on a dock somewhere. I was drawn in by the title. What sort of new perspectives could I gain from reading a book about new perspectives? Anyway, I made a mental note to read it soon, soon turning out to be five years later when I remember that it existed.
I'm a Stranger Here Myself is a collection of newspaper articles that Bill Bryson wrote about America. They start out mostly talking about how strange America is in comparison to England, where Bryson had lived with his family for the past 20 years. Fast food is different, as is late night TV and how towns are set up. However, the essays soon take on an analytical quality towards American Society, without really needing to draw comparisons anymore. Why do people keep gardens? What's the point of going to the beach? Why do our children grow up so fast?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each article is just a few pages long and don't overstay their welcome. There's humor, heart, and sarcasm in appropriate doses, and even a bit of melancholy when you aren't expecting it. The real idea of it is, "Wow, America sure is weird!", so if you like that sort of juxtaposition, then you will like this book.
When I had first looked at this book five years ago, I had expected it to be more comparisons between Britain and America, but it's really not as much as you would expect. But that's fine, as I'm sure there are plenty of other books about that.
I'm a Stranger Here Myself is a collection of newspaper articles that Bill Bryson wrote about America. They start out mostly talking about how strange America is in comparison to England, where Bryson had lived with his family for the past 20 years. Fast food is different, as is late night TV and how towns are set up. However, the essays soon take on an analytical quality towards American Society, without really needing to draw comparisons anymore. Why do people keep gardens? What's the point of going to the beach? Why do our children grow up so fast?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each article is just a few pages long and don't overstay their welcome. There's humor, heart, and sarcasm in appropriate doses, and even a bit of melancholy when you aren't expecting it. The real idea of it is, "Wow, America sure is weird!", so if you like that sort of juxtaposition, then you will like this book.
When I had first looked at this book five years ago, I had expected it to be more comparisons between Britain and America, but it's really not as much as you would expect. But that's fine, as I'm sure there are plenty of other books about that.