Notes from a Small Island in Challenge: 50 Books

Jan 01, 2009 Molly rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: humor

My first exposure to Bill Bryson was "A Walk In The Woods" which is about his desire to leave modern America behind and go for a stroll along the Appalachian Trail. I love that book and found it to be hysterical and at other times very sensible in his commentary about the world around us.

"Notes From A Small Island" also reflects his desire to stroll through countrysides and insert some social commentary about the communities he encounters. But this time his location is Great Britain and it is a My first exposure to Bill Bryson was "A Walk In The Woods" which is about his desire to leave modern America behind and go for a stroll along the Appalachian Trail. I love that book and found it to be hysterical and at other times very sensible in his commentary about the world around us.

"Notes From A Small Island" also reflects his desire to stroll through countrysides and insert some social commentary about the communities he encounters. But this time his location is Great Britain and it is a farewell tour of the country he called his home for over 20 years.

Not being British and having never been to any part of Britain I must admit I was at a total loss for many of the references he makes about the culture (pop to political) and the language. I constantly felt like a bit of an outsider listening in to some great inside jokes that flew right over my head.

But the sections where he described human nature in general, or the portions about Scotland where I did have some personal frame of reference thanks to a Scottish roommate in college, I found to be very funny and entertaining. It is obvious this book was written about Britain for a British audience and because of it I had a nice descriptive tour of the geography, the people and, of course, the wet weather.

I was a little surprised by the sudden brash insertions of vulgarity and showy tell-offs of people who happened to annoy him. I don't really recall that style from my reading of "A Walk In The Woods" but maybe I just don't remember it because I was laughing too hard. I swear myself all the time so it wasn't offensive personally, but it felt like it was thrown in there purposefully to fit in or something.

I also tired of his constant criticism of the architectural horrors - even though I agree with his frustration and anger about it. Just hammered that point a little too often for my tastes. I get it - stupid architects destroyed pieces of history left and right for shopping plazas which is blasphemy. More about the human interest please, which he writes very well.

Overall the book was an easy read that could be picked up and put down without problem so it would be great to read on a commute or in between other books. It was entertaining enough but I would recommend more for people not completely clueless like me about Britain - the humor would be appreciated much more. ...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Tracey rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, humour, non-fiction

This is a well written and at times funny book but for me I just did not connect with it. The reason being that I do not know a great deal about the places Bryson talked about nor did I have a strong visual impression of the changes. I may have appreciated the book more if I knew more about the places he visited.

Bryson laments how progress has eradicated a great deal of character in townships and I do empathise with that. The great race to build malls and modernise has forgotten that what draws ...more

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Jan 16, 2020 Toni rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2020

A charming travelogue about a charming island and its people.

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Mar 25, 2020 Stella rated it really liked it

My husband read this to me. When I was checking this book out at my library, the librarian (who is British) smiled and said that the book was hilarious, and that she saw her English relatives in it. I can now see why the British would speak highly of this book - is it a love letter to Britain. The author should stay away from political commentary, and he certainly has a lot to say on many topics that are not necessary to comment on in what is essentially a travelogue, but overlooking these minor ...more

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