Dear Bill Bryson Quotes

“If it’s a British characteristic to be friendly and curious, it’s as much a British characteristic to inhibit such qualities, believing it polite to do so. As a result, British friendliness too often fails to escape the clutch of British manners. Thankfully, as we get older we start to see the madness in all this and, with one foot in the grave, adopt the attitude that, ‘hell, if I’ve a question to ask or something to say then I jolly well shall’, and start once more to act with the candour and curiosity of children. It is during our middle decades, when we are supposedly most vital, that we are most socially pathetic.”
― Ben Aitken, Dear Bill Bryson: Footnotes from a Small Island

“For one, there are so many things on the table, most of which are tricky to identify, especially when you’ve nobody to consult with. I’m pretty sure some of the gear from the bathroom – the little pots of cream and lotion – are put out with the breakfast things, to give the impression of abundance and luxury, a dozen things to spread on your toast. Another thing is that the other guests are always so fascinated by you. They’re so bored of each other that all of a sudden you’re the most intriguing thing in the world. Is his girlfriend still in bed? they whisper. He can’t be here on business? He’s not actually reading that book – it’s a niche. Look, Ted, he’s dunking his sausage in moisturiser.”
― Ben Aitken, Dear Bill Bryson: Footnotes from a Small Island