Bill bryson notes from a small island. The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson 2022-10-28
Bill bryson notes from a small island Rating:
7,9/10
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reviews
In "Notes from a Small Island," Bill Bryson takes the reader on a humorous and insightful tour of the United Kingdom. As an American who has lived in England for many years, Bryson is able to offer a unique perspective on British culture, customs, and quirks.
Throughout the book, Bryson travels to various parts of the country, from the bustling city of London to the remote Scottish Highlands. Along the way, he meets a diverse cast of characters, from friendly locals to eccentric eccentrics. He also visits a variety of landmarks and historical sites, including Stonehenge and Hadrian's Wall.
One of the things that makes "Notes from a Small Island" such a delightful read is Bryson's wit and sense of humor. He has a talent for finding the absurdity in everyday situations and for poking fun at the quirks of British culture. For example, he marvels at the fact that there are over 60 different types of marmalade on the market and that the British have a seemingly endless appetite for tea.
At the same time, Bryson is also deeply respectful of the country and its people. He celebrates the diversity and tolerance of British society and pays tribute to the country's rich history and cultural heritage. He also writes with great affection about the landscape, the countryside, and the beautiful architecture that can be found throughout the UK.
Overall, "Notes from a Small Island" is a delightful and entertaining read. It is sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in the UK, as well as to anyone who enjoys travel writing and humorous storytelling. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a armchair adventurer, you will find much to enjoy in Bryson's witty and insightful account of his travels around a small island.
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
I do find his appreciation for the quirky and for the forgotten who have contributed greatly to society to be eminently readable and interesting as well. We could call it glass. Cold wind Swept port towns dark and closed. In spite of myself a frown gave way to contented grin. Would you recommend the book to others? Second-guessing oneself is an integral part of fitting in with the locals. It was a large parlour, with easy chairs and a settee, all with starched antimacassars; a bookcase with a modest selection of jigsaw puzzles and paperback books; an occasional table with some well-thumbed magazines; and a large colour television. Smith and all the rest of it.
The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
He ambles around by himself in the day, gets drunk by himself at night, and curses society, places he visits, and everything else in life for not meeting his unrealistic expectations. Not even the constant bad weather roughly about two thirds of his out of season journey by my count can keep his buoyant mood down for more than one evening. There just wasn't as much meat in this book, the stories weren't as rich. I presume it is a terrible oversight, but I am so grateful to have had the chance to see it. Just think about it for a minute.
Travel Book Review: Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
Is it worth your time and effort? Quite humorous and very well done. For those of us who've received gifts we're not sure about giving house room to, this example shows that the best place to stash a rogue obelisk, is in a park. Did you know that there are approximately 45687 road names in London? Probably the beginning, I love the Prologue in particular. Was this the first book you've read by this author and has it encouraged you to read more? Bryson fans know exactly what they are getting when they pick up one of his books. You might try E. Still, I didn't completely hate this book, and it had me laughing out loud at some points because he hit it dead on.
The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
However, and I mean this as kindly as possible, this book was a bit disappointing. Although my favorites are that charming one about Australia and that one on hiking the Appalachian Trail. I live in Scotland and so was aware of these short comings. Being older now he is a little more of a curmudgeon too, but it does make for some hilarious encounters with surly and unhelpful staff in hotels, restaurants and the attractions that he visits. I did, however, find it a bit of a slog, and I'm not sure why.
Strong characters, big on descriptions of life. He shares the arcane, the personal and the irreverent. I switched on the TV and looked through the magazines while I waited for it to warm up. If you've been living under a rock and aren't familiar with Bryson, he's a prolific writer of non-fiction, largely satirical and humorous travel books, but some autobiographical ones as well. What other book might you compare Notes From a Small Island to and why? I think I prefer when he is writing about varied topics, such as in A Short History of Nearly Everything, and At Home. This was not fun. Bryson fans know exactly what they are getting when they pick up one of his books.
He and his family then moved to New Hampshire in America for a few years, but they have now returned to live in the UK. A couple of points in the book irritated me slightly but only because of my own local knowledge of where Ben was writing about were a bit inaccurate and that he only visited a few places in Scotland - exactly the same thing that irritated me about the Bryson original. A few times he broke down and rented a car or took a cab, but he always gave a good reason. It is impossible to read his explanation of things like the British road numbering system or post code designations without falling in a heap. The thing about the UK is that there are pieces of history everywhere. Maybe the problem is with th topic. One could be mistaken for assuming that walking is a leisurely and pleasant pursuit, but anyone who has met someone from the UK, knows that they're not shy of a euphemism.
Dear Bill Bryson: Footnotes from a Small Island by Ben Aitken
. So I picked this up during a trip to Waterstones and settled into what I hoped would be a very unique perspective on Great Britain. On top of everything else, there is very little mention of my home for 6 months, Norwich, and the closest he seems to get is a switch at Newmarket. It feels like it was dictated from his daily muttering. The more time you spend living in a place, the more time you have to develop thoughts on it. I was appalled to think that never in my life would I have an opportunity to stride down a gangplank in a panama hat and a white suit and go looking for a bar with a revolving ceiling fan.
It gives him a rather unusual perspective on the place and makes for interesting reading. Parking is a particularly offensive pursuit, and is likely to rattle even the most zen amongst us. His response, 'No, my ship sank, and I had to swim the last seven miles. When he gets to Scotland though I noticed a few factual errors he claims he meets his friend off the London train at Glasgow Queen Street for example and misconceptions about Scotland. In a pub in Glasgow unable to speak the local dialect. Over twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his home.
It should be called Notes from Southern England. Bryson shares in common with certain humour writers that talent to transform what are assuredly mild incidents in their lives into wild, slightly absurd anecdotes that nevertheless have the ring of truth. I suspect it's because I haven't visited the majority of places he writes about, but they all seem to be similar as each other, or too similar to places I have visited. Sprinkled throughout there are also surprising bits of insight that are well thought-out and considered. I was amazed by the amount of history on display in every day Britain. The first thing is to try your hand at hotel room Olympics, use the trouser press even if you don't need to, steal the soap, and never leave a piece of stationery behind.
