Worth buying but not Bryson's best

books:


	• Bill Bryson Collector's Edition: Notes from a Small Island, Neither Here Nor There, and I'm a Stranger Here ... Random House Audio, 2006 average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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Worth buying but not Bryson's best

I have always been an ethusiastic fan of Bryson. From "The Mother Tongue" to his recent, "The World is a Stage", Bryson writes objectivly, clearly, and with humurous cynacism. So, I was very excited when this audiobook of three of his older stories came out.
In quick summary, I found "Im a Stranger Here Myself" remarkably funny (just listen to Bryson's explanation of the American phenomana of the attic, american hosptality, or the garbage disposal) from beginning to end. "Notes from a Small Island" starts off exciting, with Bryson reminiscing over his first trip to England as a teenager, while parelling it to his most recent trip as a wiser adult, noting both physical and cultural differences (with an extremely funny account of his stay in an English Inn), although it wanes after awhile, with Bryson seeming to run out of novel things to say as he heads north. "Neither Here nor There" I was dissapointed with. Bryson tries to quickly summarize the nuances of many European countries, noting their eccentricities and habits. I think Bryson bit off a little more then he could chew; you can't summarize the history and culture of Switzerland, Italy, France, Sweden, and many others in just a few hundred pages without appearing redudent and hasty. I was in danger of falling asleep in my car.
Bryson narrates and is very soft spoken. My volume was all the way up just to hear him. But he is a great narrator, and I wish I had more his books spoken through his voice. Overall worth getting and a great value for three Bryson books, but certainly at this point in his career not the cream of the crop.

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AN INTERESTING RAMBLE

I bought this set to listen to on a long car trip, too. It seems to me that these stories would be quite usefully informational to the prospective traveler. There is a strong male perspective, especially in Neither Here Nor There, that I expect the male reader will get a kick out of.

Notes from a Small Island gives a different slant on Great Britain, that is, a pedestrian point of view. Bryson delves into minutia of potential interest to those backpacking, and especially some good tips on where not to go. The populace of remote locations is interestingly illuminated, proving that not every one lives in the current century.

I'm a Stranger Here Myself draws attention to American foibles, with specific humorous references to modes of transportation. It also scores many good points regarding the excesses of the American lifestyle.

All in all a fun ramble. However, do not expect a life-altering experience.

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Great Company

I have a small collection of Bill Bryson audio books and I enjoy them all immensely. The fact that they are read by the author, only increases the enjoyability. These stories are not only entertaining, but quite educational as well. Bill Bryson is a gifted writer who can really "bring you there", makes you want to visit the places he is in...and right now. I'm looking forward to expanding my collection. You won't be sorry with your purchase.

Notes from a Small Island
After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to move his wife and kids back to his homeland of the United States. But not before taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. The result is a hilarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain.

Neither Here nor There
Thirty years after backpacking across Europe, Bill Bryson decides to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth?carrying with him a bag of maps, old clothes?and a stinging wit honed to razor sharpness by two decades of adult experience.

I?m a Stranger Here Myself
Bill Bryson read ?somewhere? that nearly three million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens?clearly the Americans needed Bill back. So after years raising his family in Britain with his English wife, the brood moves to the United States, and leaves Bill to chronicle the quirkiest aspects of life in America as he reveals his own rules for life.

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