Review of I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away (Paperback)

So what's this then? A collection of columns written by Bill Bryson for the British Night & Day magazine, assembled into a book? I was sceptical when I first picked it due to the unfamiliarity here; I thoughthe was a travel writer. But then I started reading through the first fewpages and am delighted to report that they were so entertaining andaccessible that I ended up finishing the book very satified.

This book isabout America, about consumerism, hypocracy, politics, culture andeverything else in between, such as motels and boring interstate highwaysand the condition of AT&T service these days. Why should all this be sointeresting? Because Bill Bryson's voice shines throughout, dissectingnormally more complex subjects into bite-sized articles which are eminentlyreadable to the extent that it is at times impossible to stop. Of course,his trademark humour is present too. If you read this in public, there isthe risk of embarrassment by your involuntary snorts oflaughter.

However, 'I'm a Stranger here Myself' isn't perfect. Much ofthe book is predictable, and 85% of the time, Bill appears to becomplaining. Someone as talented as Bill Bryson should know not to engagein such indulgence because the end result is that the reader occassionallyfeels frustrated over the ostensible monotony. You also can't help but feelthat an assemblage of brief columns is not enough to make a book.

Although this book is not standard Bill Bryson fare, it still manages toexcel. It really is exceptionally enlightening, to read what he has to saysubsequent to spending 20 years in England. He compares the contrastsbetween the two nations and questioning so many aspects of life thatAmericans take for granted, such as driving from shop to shop when they aremerely footsteps apart, or the blatant excesses of junk food. Each article(in my edition, Black Swan) covers only five pages so they are very easy toget into.

If you are an American, perhaps you will enjoy this book morethan anyone else as you will undoubtedly find it compelling to look intothe views of an outsider in the process of 'assimilation'.

'I'm a Strangehere Myself' doesn't feel like a book, more like a colelction of columnsbinded together. If you are willing to accept this, it is an extremelyrewarding, insightful and refreshingly diverting read. This is enough togain a hearty recommendation.



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Review of In a Sunburned Country (Paperback)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bill.As a proud Australian, it has been a never-ending source of irritation that Australia is forever portrayed as a land of beer-swilling "yobbos" who say "cobber" and"fair dinkum" rather a lot.For instance, 'The Simpsons' -usually such a witty, clever and insightful show - completely missed thepoint in their Australian episode.Finally, someone has managed to capturea bit of the character of this great country.He releases it from theshackles of the Paul Hogan stereotype.

This is a terrific read.Brysonhas, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore manydifferent parts of Australia - the cities, the outback, the tropics, andeverything else in between.But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more thanthe destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there.Laugh-out-loudmoments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of "A Walkin the Woods", as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is "NeitherHere Nor There".

You don't have to be at all familiar with Australiato appreciate and enjoy this book.I am, sadly, one of those Australiansto which Bryson refers that has never seen Ayers Rock / Uluru myself.Infact, I have never been to the majority of places Bryson visits.It was arevelation for me, too.

Bryson once again recounts numerous historicaland trivial anecdotes which, together with his unique view of the world,elevate this book well above the mere travel genre.This is insightful,this is informative, this is FUNNY.

Perversely, my only criticism isperhaps that he likes Australia a little too much.God knows, I'm sopleased that he does.However, he is, I believe, at his best whendistressed.Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring outthe devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here - his body boarding experience, his viewson Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists inDarwin - but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic witare somewhat limited.

Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the greatStephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with thehardships of outback Australia.He would have absolutely LOATHEDit.

Read this book.It is a treat.



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