Product Description
"Suddenly, in the space of a moment, I realized what it was that I loved about Britain-which is to say, all of it." After nearly two decades spent on British soil, Bill Bryson-bestsellingauthor of The Mother Tongue and Made in America-decided to returnto the United States. ("I had recently read," Bryson writes, "that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another,so it was clear that my people needed me.") But before departing, he set out ona grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Island is a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile. "Suddenly, in the space of a moment, I realized what it was that I loved about Britain-which is to say, all of it."After nearly two decades spent on British soil, Bill Bryson-bestselling author of ,i>The Mother Tongue and Made in America-decided to return to the United States. ("I had recently read," Bryson writes, "that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, so it was clear that my people needed me.") But before departing, he set out on a grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Island is a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile.
|
Amazon.com Review
Reacting to an itch common to Midwesterners since there's been a Midwest from which to escape, writer Bill Bryson moved from Iowa to Britain in 1973. Working for such places as Times of London, among others, he has lived quite happily there ever since. Now Bryson has decided his native country needs him--but first, he's going on a roundabout jaunt on the island he loves. Britain fascinates Americans: it's familiar, yet alien; the same in some ways, yet so different. Bryson does an excellent job of showing his adopted home to a Yank audience, but you never get the feeling that Bryson is too much of an outsider to know the true nature of the country. Notes from a Small Island strikes a nice balance: the writing is American-silly with a British range of vocabulary. Bryson's marvelous ear is also in evidence: "... I noted the names of the little villages we passed through--Pinhead, West Stuttering, Bakelite, Ham Hocks, Sheepshanks ..." If you're an Anglophile, you'll devour Notes from a Small Island.
|
|
 A Funky Valentine to his Adopted Homeland
Judging from his best-seller about Australia, In a Sunburned Country, you can expect Bryson to be a witty but irreverent surveyor of the tourist scene wherever he goes. In this case, having lived and worked in Britain for about 20 years, he decides to return to his native USA but not without first doing a sentimental farewell lap around the "small island" that is the United Kingdom. He sets out to revisit places that he loves, places that he has always meant to visit, and places that he has just read about (often because of their past but now faded glory). His trip, done mostly by public transit and just walking or hiking, takes him about seven weeks, long enough to get him a bit tetchy. Because he is playing tour guide to our armchair traveler, we want him to be in a good mood as he shows us the sights--and his eye and his descriptions never falter, and his fortitude for out-of-the-way places does amaze. Yet Bryson seems to have a penchant for immoderate tippling, which sometimes accompanies his belligerent encounters with the natives. And he speaks openly of salivating copiously on himself on a public train having fallen asleep in front of other passengers. While I appreciated our vicarious journey together, I don't think that doing it in person would have been an improvement.
|
 Notes from a Small Island
Funny, insightful comments about the English, plus a sort of travelogue to obscure (and other) parts of Great Britain. Desperately in need of chapters or some kind of organization! It's all pretty much run together.
|
Notes from a Gonna Be Big Author ( tammydietz )
While not his best, it is always enjoyable to read the work of this, then aspiring, bestselling author. He just got better and better over time and Notes from a Small Island clearly shows his potential. Some of his authorial quirks, like overuse of sensational adjectives and truly uncontrolled use adverbs, aren't as charming in this earlier work but I'm glad he tamed those quirks latter without eliminating altogether. I've not spent any time in Britain and so some of his trademark dry wit may have whizzed over my head. Still, his style hits the mark.
|
 Bless Bill Bryson ( bothar )
If there is anyone out there who has never read Bill Bryson I urge you to start. His books will warm your heart and make you laugh out loud....you can't stay blue or depressed when you're engrossed in one of his works. In spite of his penchant for being an Anglophile (no doubt because he's married to an Englishwoman), you realize, after reading between the lines, he's an all-American kid.
What's so delightful about him is that he not only entertains but educates as well.
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! Bill. There is no one like you. I have one complaint and that is there aren't any new 'travelogues' on the horizon. Come on, Bill. You're not that old!.
|
Amusing but somewhat repetitive ( bccrab )
Bryson has a keen eye for the amusing and unusual details of British life and culture and he writes some very witty and memorable lines. I enjoyed much of this but at times it seemed he was stretching his idea a bit and the book became repetitive.
This could have been a funny magazine article if edited down to the best bits but there's really not enough here to rate this more than 3 stars.
|
|
View Larger
