Notes from a Small Island

My third try at reading something by Bill Bryson and -- like the last two -- I was unable to get more than about 50 pages into it before losing interest. He thus joins Kim Stanley Robinson and a select few others on my list of "authors who, despite their obvious talent and enormous popularity, do nothing for me."

Bryson's signature travel-writing style strikes me as a blend of three things: 1) A "game-but-hapless schlub" persona that may be the real Bryson or may be a put-on; 2) Elaborate, almost Dickensian descriptions of colorful characters and settings he encounters along the way; 3) Comic exaggeration that starts where Mark Twain went in his more unbuttoned moments and winds up somewhere on the far side of Dave "I am not making this show more up" Barry . . . and that, I think, is why I find his work off-putting.

Game-but-hapless schlubs and cringe comedy (in which Bryson often traffics here) are, for me, anti-entertaining. Dickens-style baroque characters with improbable names are marvelous if done well, but (again, for me) they only work if the author, and all the characters around them them, treat them as essentially normal . . . but Bryson-the-author always feels like he's waving and pointing from the margins, saying: "Look! A caricature!" I'm always up for a well-done example of the comedy of overstatement -- Twain's "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses" remains the funniest thing I've ever read -- but outside of a novel it is (last time: for me) virtually impossible to carry off at book length. What's funny in a 1,000-word column or 3,000-word article goes flat in a 100,000 memoir.

If you've never read Bill Bryson, don't let this put you off. Millions of people love his books, and--statistically speaking--your literary tastes are more likely to align with theirs than mine. If, however, you've tried reading him and can't figure out why he leaves you cold . . . maybe this is why. show less

My mother insisted I read this as preparation for our forthcoming trip to the UK, in which we will be spending a lot of time travelling by rail. So I did, and quite enjoyed it. My favourite chapters were the ones focusing on places we've either been before (Liverpool, Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow) or places that remain on the list of sights to see (Windsor, Salisbury, Manchester, John o'Groats). The Liverpool chapter in particular made me want to book tickets and go right back, particularly to visit the Merseyside Maritime Museum. I periodically laughed out loud at some of Bryson's encounters with the locals (especially Vodafone Man), but there were a couple of incidents where he was much grumpier with people than they perhaps show more deserved. (I'm thinking of a young man working at McDonalds who had the misfortune to ask if Bryson wanted an apple turnover with his coffee and Egg McMuffin -- Bryson's reaction, even when told that the staff are required to ask EVERYONE that question, seemed excessive.)

I'd love to see an updated edition of this -- it was written in 1995, and I think now would be a good time to showcase the railways of Britain again and demand better funding and maintenance for what is still left of them. show less

This is the first book from Bryson I've read and my only regret is not reading it much sooner. I am completely charmed by Bryson with his dry, sarcastic whit and care-free attitude when it comes to writing down his actual feelings about a place that is completely crap, something a lot of travel writers probably avoid. I was glad this wasn't written like a memoir - the writer doesn't go on about his past experiences (though you do get some quips about his life and family) - but rather takes you on as a travel companion and has a conversation with you about what he's doing. If you love anything about Britain, I definitely recommend this.

To my mind, Bryson is the premier travel writer around today, and “Notes From a Small Island” is perhaps the best example of his travelogues. As an American in the UK who married a local and settled down, Bryson is able to spot the absurdities of British life like no one else.

Following Bryson around his then-current journey around the UK, intermixed with flashbacks of his earlier travels around the UK, Bryson seems to be having the trip that I really should have had, were the situation different. Whether he’s negotiating the weird rules surrounding guest houses, his career as a staffer in a psychiatric hospital or the incomprehensible accents of Glasgow, Bryson is always worth a laugh.

Summary: Bill Bryson moved to Britain in the seventies, met his wife, and lived in the UK for about 20 years. Now, when he is at the point of moving his family to the United States, he sets out to travel the country that he loves so well before he leaves it behind. He travels from south to north, mostly by train, to see the many disparate corners of England. He finds that despite its small geographic size, it is a country bursting with quirks and charm, history and modernity, and while there is much at which Bryson can poke fun, there is also much to love.

Review: I picked this book up because I needed something fun, something light, something which could keep me engaged when I was distractible, but which didn't have an intricate plot show more that I needed to follow. And Bill Bryson is perfect for that, particularly Bryson's travel writing. Every chapter or two he's somewhere else, so I didn't get lost when I needed to put it down and pick it up later, but I find his writing so engaging that I could listen for long stretches without wanting to switch to something else.

Plus, Bryson's funny enough that it was able to lift my mood whenever I went back to it. This book was somewhat repetitive; it could easily be subtitled "In Which Bill Bryson gets cranky at modern architecture and the British Rail timetable system". In fact, some of Bryson's grumping is so repetitive that occasionally it was easy to lose track of exactly which little town that had replaced its historic buildings with bland glass-and-cement storefronts was currently making him wax curmudgeonish. This was probably not helped by the fact that as much as I am a cultural Anglophile, I have only been able to travel there briefly, and am not awesome at British geography. I could have really used a map with the various places that Bryson visits, or at least some of the larger ones, but that's always a problem with audiobooks. (Not that the paper version has a map either, but had I been reading it I could have at least pulled up Google Earth.)

I also wonder how well this book has aged. Bryson's trip is a portrait of Britain in the mid-90s; I wonder how much things have changed in the intervening 20 years. I only noticed one place where the age of the book was immediately obvious (to a non-native); it briefly mentions Princess Diana in the present tense. But while the fundamental nature of Britain may not have changed over the centuries, I have to believe that at least some aspects of its national character have evolved with the times. (Hell, when this was written, Harry Potter wasn't even a gleam in Rowling's eye.) I don't think that Bryson could write another book updating his impressions without retreading worn ground, but it would certainly be an interesting comparison.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it was a great fit for my mood at the time. It's clear that Bryson loves England, and that his frustrations are born out of that love, and that makes it a simultaneously fun and charming read. As far as his country-in-a-book books go, I think I liked In a Sunburned Country a little bit better, since it was a bit more varied, but Bill Bryson travel books are always reliably good. 4 out of 5 stars. show less

When I started this book I was laughing at his spot-on descriptions of everyday scenarios. He has an ability to describe a situation so you could mentally visualize the setting…. as if you were right there. Here is a writer who brought England into my home, vivid imagery of places we visited as well as lovely accounts of English villages we have not been fortunate enough to see on a vacation.

Bryson had the good fortune to live in England for almost 20 years of his adult life. He met and married an Englishwoman when he was working at a hospital. Once he and his family decided to move to the USA, Bryson made a 7 week tour of England, Wales and Scotland. He hiked, he took buses and rented cars in this quick walk-about, all the while show more journaling the sights, and his impressions/opinions about various towns, histories and the people he encountered. This book is a result of those journal observations.

That being said, there were a few disappointing passages which revealed Bryson as arrogant and condescending. While I won’t say it ruined the book, it made me sad to know the image he portrayed as ugly American. Usually we don’t include antidotes and stories that place us in a bad light; I know I don’t. Surprisingly he relayed a story about verbally abusing a McDonald’s counter clerk.

The young man asked if he’d like an apple pie with his order and Bryson went off on him. Bryson asked if he thought he was brain damaged and ranted. How rude! Anyone who has ever had to endure a fast food job knows you are sometimes required to suggest another menu item to the customer. Any adult (most especially a visitor in another country) that would berate a young person publicly doesn’t sit highly in my book. It’s more than rude, it’s being a bully.

I abhor the idea of the reputed “ugly American” and it embarrasses me when my fellow countrymen make asses of themselves when vacationing abroad. Sadly, this is the reputation that sticks. We aren’t all bombastic, pompous idiots!

So, overall the tone of the book (with the exceptions of two boorish incidents) was a detailed travel journal, one man’s opinion and observations on his trek around Great Britain. It’s full of good information about the tourist places as well as gems on villages off the beaten track. Overall a funny read but I don’t think I will see if he behaves in Australia and pass on that book I was planning to read.

For a foodie inspiration, I recall the signs Put British Pork on Your Fork when we traveled there on vacation.

Pork-on-fork

While I am not serving pork from a British source, we do shop locally and buy meats from locally raised animals. This pork tenderloin came from Jones Country Meats, just 25 miles from home in southern Georgia. Would you like some Apple Brandy-Glazed Pork Tenderloin?

Full review and a lovely photo of Apple Brandy Pork Tenderloin may be found here: http://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2014/... show less

I can't begin to tell you how much I love Bill Bryson. I first read NFASI many, many years ago and completely agree that if you do not want people looking at you while you snort with laughter, then do not read this book in public. Having re-read it now with a few more years and some travelling under my belt it's easier to relate to a lot of the writing.
So, on to the book. This is basically a book about a man, after living in Britain for a number of years and faced with the imminent departure to his mother country (America), who decides to go on a goodbye tour of Britain. To try and figure out why he likes the place so much. His travels take him from South to North and many places in between and every chapter is laced with wit, charm and show more a very critical look at his destinations.
I enjoy this book more and more every time I read it. If you're ever feeling particularly un-patriotic and you wonder what there is to be pleased and proud about, regarding being British, give this book a go. It's almost embarrassing to be given a sense of patriotism from a "foreigner" but to my mind, the best way of looking at yourself sometimes, is through another's eyes. And Bryson's eyes are some of the best out there. show less