"I could have been American; after all I was nearly born there. So I wanted to find out what it is that makes the United States of America so uniqu...
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Dec 19, 2009
Kirsty
rated it: 
This book was really interesting. I've always been fascinated by America and after reading this book I have even more of a desire to spend time there exploring.
Each state is covered, some in more detail than others. I liked the fact that he focused on things that readers may not have known about each state rather than going for the obvious things. I do feel that some of the states were a little short-changed. I know that he had a timescale to stick to in getting around all the state More...
Each state is covered, some in more detail than others. I liked the fact that he focused on things that readers may not have known about each state rather than going for the obvious things. I do feel that some of the states were a little short-changed. I know that he had a timescale to stick to in getting around all the state More...
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Jan 10, 2012
Berry
rated it: 
Like Mr. Fry, I am not an American (legally I am but never by birth) yet I have lived here since I was a child. There is still a lot about the US which tickles me as odd, or sometimes downright inexplicable, a sympathy I share with this man as he throws himself into a frenzied marathon of state-jumping.
This book is divided into sections, one for each state. Mr. Fry does his best but for many states (particularly after he leaves the North-Eastern border) he only superficially invests More...
This book is divided into sections, one for each state. Mr. Fry does his best but for many states (particularly after he leaves the North-Eastern border) he only superficially invests More...
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Oct 26, 2008
Emma
rated it: 
Outline: Stephen Fry decides to travel through each state in America in a black London cab. Mainly for the purposes of creating a TV show, which I haven't seen much of so far. Maybe I'll buy the DVD.
This was an enjoyable read, which only fueled my desire to see more of the US. As usual with books like this, I didn't want it to end as it felt like I was along for the journey too. If only there were more states!
I have to say, though, that this wasn't really what you'd call More...
This was an enjoyable read, which only fueled my desire to see more of the US. As usual with books like this, I didn't want it to end as it felt like I was along for the journey too. If only there were more states!
I have to say, though, that this wasn't really what you'd call More...
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Nov 30, 2011
Liza
rated it:
I'll admit I was biased before I even read this book. I am a long-time admirer and fan of Mr. Fry, and I consider him to be somewhat of a national treasure in the United Kingdom. So, when I stumbled across this book at my library I was more than pleasantly surprised.
Fry decided to try and understand the nature of Americans and visit the beautiful landscapes of our country by going state by state through the Union. What could have been a slap-dash travelogue instead turned out to b More...
Fry decided to try and understand the nature of Americans and visit the beautiful landscapes of our country by going state by state through the Union. What could have been a slap-dash travelogue instead turned out to b More...
Nov 17, 2011
Wendy
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Mar 09, 2011
Kathleen
rated it:
This beautiful book allows the reader to travel around all fifty states with Stephen Fry, friendly foreigner. Full of wit, history, points of scientific interest, points of regional interest, and just generally interesting facts, this is so much more than the accompaniment for a television series. A few pages for each state may seem like too little, especially for places like Missouri where most is given over to the homeless of St Louis, but Fry finds something to love almost everywhere. Of c
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Nov 01, 2010
Artur
rated it:
Escrito para acompanhar a série do mesmo título da BBC, este é um relato de uma viagem em que Fry, conhecido actor, escritor e essencialmente representante da elegância da língua inglesa, atravessou num táxi londrino os cinquenta estados da américa. Para relato de viagens, é superficial e deixa de lado o mais interessante na literatura de viagens - as reflexões sobre os estados de alma despertados pela deambulação em novos territórios. Também não se centra nos pontos mais esperados. Fry não pret
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Apr 05, 2010
vylit
rated it: 
I wanted to love this book, I really did, and I think in a lot of ways the miniseries is actually more charming and entertaining.
I was interested to see his impressions of the different states and the variety one encounters while traveling across this country. I knew that the impressions would likely be superficial simply because of the amount of time he had to travel and the sheer space that he had to traverse. However, even given that, I just don't think the book was very good.
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I was interested to see his impressions of the different states and the variety one encounters while traveling across this country. I knew that the impressions would likely be superficial simply because of the amount of time he had to travel and the sheer space that he had to traverse. However, even given that, I just don't think the book was very good.
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May 07, 2009
Jenny
rated it:
The companion to a TV Series / DVD of the same name, "Stepen Fry in America" is (surprisingly!) a record of Stephen Fry's journey through the 50 states of America. What the book provides is a unique, sometimes insightful and sometimes sadly shallow view of each of the states.
I say shallow because, obviously Mr. Fry and his TV crew were on a schedule to complete their trip within a certain time frame, and consequently certain states receive only a brief stop and a page of d More...
I say shallow because, obviously Mr. Fry and his TV crew were on a schedule to complete their trip within a certain time frame, and consequently certain states receive only a brief stop and a page of d More...
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Mar 15, 2010
Sri
rated it:
Stephen Fry, sebagai seorang Briton, keliling Amerika dan menuliskan pengalamannya. Jadi inget buku I'm a Stranger Here Myself punyanya pak Bill Bryson. Bill Bryson sebagai orang Amerika menulis untuk orang Inggris. Udah agak lupa bukunya Bill Bryson. Tapi seingatku, Pak Bill lebih lucu walaupun terlalu banyak mengeluh. Pak Stephen juga bukannya selalu senang dengan apa yang dia temui tapi dia tidak mengeluh.Dia cukup bilang nggak suka. Mungkin karena Pak Stephen bukan orang Amerika yang menyoro
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Aug 15, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
Actor-novelist-critic Stephen Fry traveled around the U.S. in a London taxi for over a year, filming quirky comic segments in every state for a BBC-TV documentary. Stephen Fry in America, the companion book to the series, was written specifically for U.K. readers and attempts to explain the sheer size of the former Colonies and the differences in climate, food, and attitude found from state to state. Wherever possible, Fry worked hands-on for a day in a locally associated profession (coal mining
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Apr 05, 2010
Rebecca
rated it:
This book is just as much about Stephen Fry as it is about the places he visits, so by the end of this book, you feel as annoyed with him as you would with anyone you had been traveling with non-stop all the way across America. Fry is funny, witty, and smart, but his personality is also kind of twee and affected and diva-esque, which grates after a while. That being said, if you can look past his snobbery and his horrible, horrible wardrobe, this book is a fun romp through all 50 states. Well
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Oct 10, 2010
Keryl
rated it:
Maybe I should start by saying that I am an American? Or maybe the fact that I'm also a long term Stephen Fry fan? Possibly the fact that I'm a major anglophile is relevant?
That all of these things are true definitely formed my opinion on this book. I enjoyed it immensely. It was a light, quick, little jaunt through the USA with a friendly and fond citizen of a country much like us, but still very much not us.
For the US reader, Stephen Fry is very, very British. His langu More...
That all of these things are true definitely formed my opinion on this book. I enjoyed it immensely. It was a light, quick, little jaunt through the USA with a friendly and fond citizen of a country much like us, but still very much not us.
For the US reader, Stephen Fry is very, very British. His langu More...
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Feb 28, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
While this was fun to read, I can only imagine it's more enjoyable when taken as a package with the TV show. I haven't seen that and I don't have any way to, so my opinion is based entirely on the book alone.
The book was interesting but not amazing. While it definitely gave a new insight on the US, especially from the perspective of a foreigner, Stephen Fry experienced such a variety of things that it's hard to say what perspective it could really give him on the US, except that it More...
The book was interesting but not amazing. While it definitely gave a new insight on the US, especially from the perspective of a foreigner, Stephen Fry experienced such a variety of things that it's hard to say what perspective it could really give him on the US, except that it More...
Aug 23, 2010
Esther
rated it:
Oh Mr Fry - genius, can do no wrong in my eyes etc etc. This is a spin-off book from a British tv series he made touring round all the 50 states. Its so interesting and funny, as those of you familiar with SF know he is a born raconteur/wit. I really want to get the tv series now, I hope netflix can provide. He meets a lot of great characters, from shadowing Mitt Romney campaigning in Boston (the book dates from 2008) to lobster catchers in Maine who take him out on their boat - 'they look like
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Jan 17, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
Stephen Fry, an English actor (who, IMO, is pretty awesome), visited each of the 50 states. This is the book that was co-released with the BBC television series. As he suggests that most Americans will do, I flipped immediately to my home state of Indiana, where (again as he suggests will happen) I was deeply disappointed to find that he went to Elkhart. Elkhart? Seriously? Of all the cities in Indiana? Oh well.
I flipped through this one and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's kind of neat More...
I flipped through this one and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's kind of neat More...
Oct 15, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
This is not a guide to America. It is what it says it is: Stephen Fry in America. Stephen travels through all 50 states, doing and eating many things on the way, and, all in all, making me feel a bit jealous. The book was made as an accompaniment to the TV series of the same name and, because the book was created secondary to the programme (which I haven't watched), it feels a little rushed and careless. Stephen often sounds tired and disillusioned - his task is a long one and his arm is broke
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Apr 08, 2011
Rebecca
rated it: 
It is okay. This book is actually the book version of a TV series he did. I did not realize this when I picked it up. If it is indeed written by Stephen Fry, I like the way he writes. I thought it would be funnier though. On one one hand, it is nice that he seems to honestly find Americans delightful. But honestly, I really wanted him to make fun of us more. Sure, he kind of makes fun of New Jersey, but that's low hanging fruit. It's really meant more for a European audience, I think. The book h
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Aug 10, 2009
Godzilla
rated it:
A road trip around all the states of America with one of england's most erudite characters should be a 5 star no-brainer, and I wanted to give this a higher rating, really I did.
However some of the states get cursory attention, which I found disappointing, as most of the others are absorbing and fascinating. If you come away from this book without being enriched in some way, then I feel very sorry for the state of your outlook on life, or incredibly resentful that you already experie More...
However some of the states get cursory attention, which I found disappointing, as most of the others are absorbing and fascinating. If you come away from this book without being enriched in some way, then I feel very sorry for the state of your outlook on life, or incredibly resentful that you already experie More...
Aug 02, 2011
This is a good book which accompanies a BBC TV show. It chronicles Stephen's journey around the US in a London Taxi. Unlike a lot of these books Stephen acknowledges that he is making a TV show and this influences the tone of what is a travel journal. This isn't as in depth as some people would like, Simon Schama also did a tour on the BBC last year and his book is much deeper. But it's a great travel book, up there with the best of Palin, I now have a long list of places that I want to visit in
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Mar 23, 2011
Caroline
rated it:
Stephen Fry is definitely one of those people who qualify as a National Treasure. His style of writing is engaging and erudite and his love and enthusiasm for America comes across in every page. He presents the country and the people exactly as he finds them, without judgement or censure, but with a great deal of affection. Speaking as someone else who loves America, my only criticism of this book is that it's too short - some states hardly warrant a mention and even those he devotes more time t
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Nov 08, 2009
Djrmel
rated it:
The book is a companion piece to a TV series Mr. Fry did for BBC viewers. For American readers, it's a way to see our country explained to Britons by a very witty, very intelligent man. Some times that means focusing on places or events that Americans think we know enough about already (Mardi Gras?), but most of the time he's visiting places we don't really pay enough attention to, and talking to the people who really are the essense of this very, very large space. My only criticism is the sa
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Sep 07, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Highly entertaining for people who are already Fry fans. I read this book on my phone w/o photos or graphics—all I saw were the photo captions. Because my version lacked the visual balance, I really felt unsatisfied by the amount of actual text. I'm assuming the photos were half of the storytelling, because Stephen didn't go into a great amount of extended detail (which is understandable considering he had to address 50 distinct, and distinctive, states). I definitely came out of the book feelin
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Aug 10, 2010
Sue
rated it:
I first learned of Stephen Fry when I started following him on Twitter, and now he seems to pop up everywhere! This book has snippets of all the US states he visited 2-3 years ago (driving his little London taxi w/left hand drive), and his manner of describing what he's experiencing is honest and amusing and delightful. I love his mastery of words and how he uses them. I'm going to read more of his books. (PBS is currently running a weekly series of SF's tour of the states. There are one or
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Mar 07, 2010
Steve
rated it:
A fantastic and brilliant book. British actor/writer Stephen Fry visited every one of the 50 states with a film crew for the BBC, and along the way he wrote this book, a respectful and reverant critique of the positive and negative aspects of American culture. Fry shows America for what it is, the highs and the lows, letting nothing escape his analytical eye. He praises what deserves adoration, tears down what deserves scrutiny, and pokes fun of both. It made me both proud and ashamed to be an A
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Aug 12, 2010
Sue
rated it:
Perhaps it takes a Brit to convince an American to take another look at the abundance of good things that the USA has to see and experience. Well, maybe it helps if the American reading happens to think highly of Stephen Fry and also be an Anglophile. I gained a new appreciation for the sheer variety and wonder of our 50 states, and am thinking that the next big vacation should be to one or more of those marvelous states. I also really appreciated Fry's commentary on the people and places he
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Dec 10, 2011
Joanna
rated it:
Damn, Stephen Fry can get bitch-ay. He hates so hard on hicks and bros! So *charming*. But he's obsessed with Sherlock Holmes and Wodehouse so he could flat out murder someone for having a big truck and guns and faith in God and he'll still be in my good books. Bah, who am I kidding it's not like I don't want to kill one of them myself sometimes.
This must be so much better as a TV show. I often wondered, "Why am I reading this? I am American; I know all this boring unflattering More...
This must be so much better as a TV show. I often wondered, "Why am I reading this? I am American; I know all this boring unflattering More...
Aug 11, 2011
This is probably going to be a very biased review as I just love Stephen Fry, he's a genius! Having watched the series on BBC I knew I had to get the book and having read the book I knew I had to buy the DVD. This one is great coffee table book, packed with beautiful photos but has not sacrificed the informative elements in it. Nobody writes travel documentaries than Fry, he visual and very vivid take on his travels made me want to follow his footsteps. What a great reading journey it has be
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Jan 17, 2011
Koen
rated it:
Stephen Fry is a twit. And I say this having been a fan for a long time.
He approaches the US with an xenophilic infatuation, happily unencumbered by any deep knowledge of the country's history, people, or politics (past or present). He is aware of the Civil War and at least some of the civil rights struggles, but to him, racism is a thing of the past, bigots are non-existent or at least vanishingly small in numbers, and everyone and everything is peachy keen.
This could have bee More...
He approaches the US with an xenophilic infatuation, happily unencumbered by any deep knowledge of the country's history, people, or politics (past or present). He is aware of the Civil War and at least some of the civil rights struggles, but to him, racism is a thing of the past, bigots are non-existent or at least vanishingly small in numbers, and everyone and everything is peachy keen.
This could have bee More...
Aug 24, 2011
Bronwyn
rated it:
As a resident of the U.S., I was intrigued to see an ‘outside’ perspective of this country.
Yes, I picked it up and flipped to my home state to see where he went and if I'd been there. Of course, how egotistical we all are- sigh. No it wasn't MY hometown, or MY favorite area of the state- or that state. My typically narcissistic disappointment was quickly surpassed with utter fascination in reading about where Mr Fry DID go. I learned a lot from this book about places that were n More...
Yes, I picked it up and flipped to my home state to see where he went and if I'd been there. Of course, how egotistical we all are- sigh. No it wasn't MY hometown, or MY favorite area of the state- or that state. My typically narcissistic disappointment was quickly surpassed with utter fascination in reading about where Mr Fry DID go. I learned a lot from this book about places that were n More...
