Rowan's Reviews > Neither Here, Nor There: Travels in Europe

Neither Here, Nor There made me laugh-out-loud during a time I needed it the most, so thank you Mr Bryson! I had previously only read one Bill Bryson book - Down Under, while in school. My only recollection of that was Bryson's ability to describe Australians perfectly and I got an A on the related essay.

In Neither Here, Nor There, Bryson loosely retraces his journey across Europe from years earlier, beginning up in Norway and finishing down in Istanbul. Ever since watching the film adaptation of his book, A Walk In The Woods, I can’t help but imagining Bryson as Robert Redford, instead of, well, Bill Bryson.

I regularly found myself Googling these European places and wanting to find out more. His descriptions were beautifully written (Northern Lights, Capri, Austria especially) and often made me feel like I was standing there too. This was first published in 1991 and Europe in 2017 is a very different place. Neither Here, Nor There never felt too outdated though; and on the occasions it wandered into that territory, it came across as more like a beautiful snapshot of a bygone era, instead of outdatedness. The chapter on Bulgaria was a real-opener in regards to this.

Sure, sometimes Bryson will go off on a ramble that doesn’t quite work or isn’t quite funny. More often than not though, he gives hilarious insights into encounters with strangers, the stereotypes of a country or just complains in a laugh-inducing way. Occasionally, he comes across as a loud, obnoxious asshole American tourist, but I also feel he is somewhat self-aware of this and embraces the fact he’s a prick.

There is something incredibly comforting and cosy about reading a Bill Bryson book. Perhaps it’s the way he writes or observes the world around him, perhaps because it’s as close to travel you can get from the comfort of your own couch or bed. If you find yourself sharing anecdotes from a book with friends, then it’s probably a good sign of a quality read. This happened to me numerous times; whether it be laughing hysterically with my Italian friend as she agreed with Italian stereotypes or asking my Mum about her 1975 European travels to places mentioned in the book.

The facts and historical anecdotes really brought to life many of the places Bryson visited. Some readers have mentioned that these are Bryson trademarks which are virtually missing from Neither Here Nor There. To a reader not overly accustomed to his work, I didn’t notice this at all. One of my favourites was: “Liechtenstein’s last military engagement was in 1866, when it sent eighty men to fight against the Italians. Nobody was killed. In fact – you’re going to like this – they came back with eighty-one men, because they made a friend along the way.”

I was happy Bryson’s old mate, Stephen Katz, got a few mentions too – these were always laugh-out-loud funny and kind of made me wish Katz had been accompanying him on this adventure too - though I feel only one of them would’ve survived! A small downside was the final chapter, “Istanbul”. After so long following Bryson’s journey across Europe it just seemed to end a bit too abruptly.

I now have the urge to wander aimlessly around a city I don’t know, with this book inspiring me to visit Europe more than ever! Neither Here, Nor There is the best travel book I’ve read and has made me want to read more of Bryson’s work. Bring on some long train journeys, dodgy gypsies and epic European scenery!