Notes from a Small Island | Bill Bryson | Interesting and irreverent

Notes from a Small Island | Bill Bryson | good observations and a great deal of fun, but not the best Bryson

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Notes from a Small...

	Notes from a Small Island Bill Bryson, 1997 - 282 pages average customer review:based on 280 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Interesting and irreverent

While I do agree with a reviewer who said that this book is more subdued than some of Bryson's others, I still enjoyed it greatly and thought it had some moments of genuine hilarity such as characterize every Bryson book I've yet read. These sources of hilarity are, at times, Bryson's making fun of others but just as often they are instances of him poking fun at himself, such as his comical description of his propensity to sleep open mouthed and drooling while on trains. For me, this is what makes Bryson so likable. His style is so conversational and he's very self-effacing so that the overall effect is that of listening to a friend talk about his travels.

One of my favorite parts of this book is one in which Bryson describes his encounter with a couple who, upon learning that he's an American, begin to abuse the U.S. I've often wondered if I'm the only one who has experienced this and I'm glad that I'm not. I always find this perplexing when it happens because I wouldn't denigrate someone's country of origin to their face.

This is not the main theme of the book, though. With a mixture of amusing anecdotes and some interesting statistics, Bryson does a nice job of giving an overview of England and it is obvious that he has a great deal of affection for the country. From his descriptions, it's easy to see why. While he does gripe about its propensity for erecting buildings that are less than complementary to the landscape, he also has a great deal to say about its beauties. I've long been interested in visiting England and Bryson has done a lot to make that interest even more keen.

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good observations and a great deal of fun, but not the best Bryson

When Bill Bryson decided to leave England after 20 years and go back to America, he embarked on the good-bye lone trip, which resulted in "Notes from a small island".

Starting from France and taking the ferry from Calais to Dover (and, of course, taking this opportunity to make some funny comments about France as well), Bryson went to places where he used to live and compared his memories with what he saw during the trip; he traveled to famous tourist resorts, but he also visited remote, obscure villages and hamlets he read or heard about (mansions of eccentric aristocrats, mining towns, forgotten jewels of the British countryside). He has tender feelings for the country where he spent the big part of his life, and knows how to shows them in a really British style!

I like Bryson's sense of humor, his eye for detail, his brisk, intelligent prose which makes his books so much more than dry reports and guides (which they could easily become, given the subject). In this book, I especially liked his linguistic adjustments to the British colloquialisms (and the glossary at the end). They sound very natural!

I loved the story of the mosaic, of the painting miners, of the lord hiding from people's sight. I followed him with interest through the parts of Great Britain which I know well (especially Wales), I returned with pleasure to one of my favorite cities, Edinburgh, I was glad he has similar opinion as I about Blackpool and Manchester, and I resolved, sometime, to visit Durham, more of the South of England and more of Scotland.

Of course, I was slightly disappointed when I did not find some places I wanted to read about, like my ever-favorite York, the Welsh towns I know best - Bangor, Holyhead (and Llandudno is so close...), but I understand that this is licentia poetica and Bryson's choice for his book. I loved his observations about the British society, the trains, the architecture...

The only thing I found annoying and a bit boring, is the repetitive, schematic comments about pubs, tourist housing and restaurants. To be honest, there was too much of the same thing (was it deliberate, to show the reader, that really they are the same in Britain? I am not sure). I will remember "Notes..." but I do not plan to return to it, like I would to "A walk in the woods", and, although it is a good book, I do not feel that this is one of Bryson's best.

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Hysterical

A witty insight into the nation that gave us Harry Potter, P.G. Wodehouse and Shakespeare - and you can see traces of all three genres in Bryson's writing. Two thumbs up for both the entertainment and the poignant insights it gives into contemporary British life.

a bit of a disappointment

After reading a few other of his travel books, I found this one to be a bit disappointing. The beginning was the most entertaining, then I found it to get a bit repetitive and unhumorous - as if there were some boredom with the trip itself.

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