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mollyb13's review against another edition
The needless sexist and fatphobic comments greatly outweighed the laugh out loud humor in this book. The comments were completely unnecessary (and no, just because the book was written 30+ years ago doesn't mean these comments were ok now or were ok then). A real bummer because Bryson has a great writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Sexism
booksarecoolwhoknew's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
2.75
The oldest but also most dated of Bill Bryson’s books I’ve read. Informative and funny like the others, but he comes across as particularly abrasive in regards to problematic views & language in this book and it was draining by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Racial slurs
hollyrebecca's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
I always find joy from Bill Bryson’s grumpy and judgemental descriptions of his journeys, but not so much this time around. In this book, Bill drives through 38 states visiting small towns along his route. I wasn’t expecting a raving review of the towns, having listened to a few other Bryson travel books, but this book was rather more negative than some of his others.
Bill always praises nature more so than people, culture and architecture, and I understand this viewpoint to some extent. However, in this book there were a lot of misogynistic and fatphobic comments used to describe the people Bill came across.
This is not a Bryson travel book I would recommend, unless you were a particularly judgemental person who enjoyed listening to judgement of others.
The audiobook is well narrated but the chapters aren’t structured to map those within the book.
Bill always praises nature more so than people, culture and architecture, and I understand this viewpoint to some extent. However, in this book there were a lot of misogynistic and fatphobic comments used to describe the people Bill came across.
This is not a Bryson travel book I would recommend, unless you were a particularly judgemental person who enjoyed listening to judgement of others.
The audiobook is well narrated but the chapters aren’t structured to map those within the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Misogyny
lattermild's review against another edition
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Racism
Minor: Misogyny
rhosynmd's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
This felt like one long obituary to his dad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Drug use, and Genocide
radella_hardwick's review against another edition
3.0
This book gave me some of the vibes and insights I was looking for. So, in that sense, it was a successful reading experience.
However, as the insights I was looking for was the worldview of an American male born in the 1950s who emigrated to the UK (shared characteristics of Bryson and my father) and I didn't like what I found, it was rather less successful as an enjoyable read.
The fatphobia starts almost immediately and persists throughout the whole book as well as general derogatory comments about other people's bodies and disgustingly lascivious comments about young women. Also, the othering language used about people of colour really set my teeth on edge.
This book is interesting as a time-capsule of what the men now in their 60s and 70s, who think of themselves as 'liberal', thought was acceptable to say in the 1980s. But I can't recommend it as having anything substantive and timeless to say about the heart of the USA.
However, as the insights I was looking for was the worldview of an American male born in the 1950s who emigrated to the UK (shared characteristics of Bryson and my father) and I didn't like what I found, it was rather less successful as an enjoyable read.
The fatphobia starts almost immediately and persists throughout the whole book as well as general derogatory comments about other people's bodies and disgustingly lascivious comments about young women. Also, the othering language used about people of colour really set my teeth on edge.
This book is interesting as a time-capsule of what the men now in their 60s and 70s, who think of themselves as 'liberal', thought was acceptable to say in the 1980s. But I can't recommend it as having anything substantive and timeless to say about the heart of the USA.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Racism