In a Sunburned Country | Bill Bryson | Australia in a nutshell. A very large, very empty, very...

In a Sunburned Country | Bill Bryson | Funny and Informative

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In a Sunburned Cou...

	In a Sunburned Country Bill Bryson Broadway, 2001 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 405 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Australia in a nutshell. A very large, very empty, very beautiful nutshell.

I like to equate "In A Sunburned Country" to Australia itself. It seems to go on forever, and at some points you just want to stop, but when it is finally over you are pining for more.

I'm reluctant to give this five stars, only because I don't want to seem like "that guy" who gives everything five stars. But what the hell, it deserves it.

What made this book so excellent is Bryson's perfect blend of wit, wonder and historical facts. He never overwhelms the reader with too much dry information, his humour isn't derived from negative Australian stereotypes and he always brings to life what a wonderful, strange country it really is. The cast of characters, so to speak, are simply superb and I'm glad that Bryson decided to include them in this book.

Some people might criticize the fact that Bryson didn't spend a lot of time in each location, or that he missed some really good locations, but I think this is entirely fine. One of the main themes of this book is that Australia is simply huge and the spaces between civilized areas are massive. If he decided to spend more time in each location, why, he would still be there today.

Bryson's sense of humour in this book is just phenomenal. His conversations with his friends, his mental dialogues and the commentary about Australia's strange history will make you chuckle delightfully, if not laugh out loud.

This book isn't a comprehensive history of Australia, nor would I want it to be. What Bryson does instead of boring us to death with a dry revival is pick out some of the most interesting little tidbits of Australian history and present them to us in a way that really gives us a greater understanding of the country. He often uses the historical examples to prove a point, such as the poor sod Harold Holt and the dangers Down under, and the Japanese atomic bomb that nobody noticed because Australia is so big and empty.

As a recent resident of Australia, I can personally vouch for the claims that he makes about the country. It is outstandingly beautiful, the people are unfailingly laid back and accommodating, and you will die if you aren't careful.

This book was an absolute treat to read.

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Funny and Informative

I didn't know much about Bill Bryson except that he had written A Short History of Nearly Everything (which had nearly bored me to tears, the first time I tried to read it), but I gave this book a chance and I am so glad I did.
I think Bill Bryson is just about the funniest man alive. I was laughing so hard I was in tears more than a few times. I also really enjoy the history he gave about Australia.
Bill Bryson is one of my very favorite authors because of this book.

Made me laugh, made me learn

This was a fun book. Meandering the Australian countryside with Bryson was enjoyable. I learned a lot, too, about culture, history, the people, the slang. I will be visiting Sydney, Melbourne, and other places this December, and the information from this book will be handy. I wish he'd right one about New Zealand (I'm going there, too)!

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Not Bryson's Best Work

I purchased Sunburned after reading a couple of others by Bryson. While Sunburned is a relaxing read, I was ultimately disappointed. One glaring omission is the lack of witty character development so prominent in other Bryson books. Further, Sunburned is long - 300 pages of what seemed like 8 point type - and painfully slow at times. All in all, it seemed like Bryson was uncharacteristically straining to come up with things to write about.
If you are new to Bill Bryson, I suggest going with A Walk in the Woods instead.

slow

A rather slow moving books, but still a good read.

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