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dappadave's review against another edition
5.0
It's been a while since I've sat down and enjoyed some Bill Bryson, so when this book was gifted to me over Christmas, I anxiously jumped right into it. And boy am I glad I did. As usual, Bryson is witty, intellectual, and above all else REAL. He doesn't sugar coat anything and tells it like it is in a dryly hilarious way. This book was about his travels in small town America. Travelling through the tourist traps and small towns of America has always been on my bucket list, but, honestly, after reading this book, I'm thinking twice about doing such a thing. Bryson seemed to be consistently bored with the things he was seeing around him as he searched for his perfect, idyllic small town. More or less, the accents changed, but the "new America" stayed the same...an America filled with strip malls, fast food places, and tourist traps filled with cheap junk made in Japan to purchase. It was only upon Bryson's return to his childhood home in Des Moines that he realized how lucky he was to be from this seemingly boring midwestern town....our search for the ideal may simply be a search for the home we all, at once point or another, leave behind.
This was such a great read...one I will undoubtedly return to eventually. Looking forward to tackling more Bryson this year!
This was such a great read...one I will undoubtedly return to eventually. Looking forward to tackling more Bryson this year!
midwinteraz's review against another edition
Too cynical and mean spirited for my taste.
jaymytro's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite Bill Bryson, but still a fun trip to take with him. There were entertaining anecdotes and stories but the throughline wasn't as strong as some of his other books.
ashleywinchester's review against another edition
3.0
Bill Bryson takes a road trip around the U.S., hates just about all of it, reinforces American stereotypes and generally pokes fun of everything. It's humorous, I guess? But kind of complainy, which can get old.
tomasfish3's review against another edition
5.0
I've decided that during lockdown I'm going to re-read Bill Bryson's five major travel books, and this was the first one.
All five are on my list of favourite books so the reviews won't be unbiased.
I know in this one Bryson is grumpy and unhappy with the state of America, but I could read it over and over again and not get bored. Highlights of this are his sarcastic encounters with waitresses and motel managers, his visit to Holcomb, and Donald Trump cropping up before he was set to ruin the world.
Onto Neither Here Nor There next!
All five are on my list of favourite books so the reviews won't be unbiased.
I know in this one Bryson is grumpy and unhappy with the state of America, but I could read it over and over again and not get bored. Highlights of this are his sarcastic encounters with waitresses and motel managers, his visit to Holcomb, and Donald Trump cropping up before he was set to ruin the world.
Onto Neither Here Nor There next!
bill_chamberlin's review against another edition
3.0
Like the author, I have finished this long, strange trip. What started outlaw amusing, got tedious and tiresome at the end, I suppose much like any extended road trip/vacation/holiday. Parts were good natured fun, parts were amusingly accurate (even after 30 years), parts were just downright mean, and parts were a bit snobbish, but all in all an interesting read.
It seemed odd that Bryson spent 200 pages to cover "East," then only the final 100 to cover "West," but Perhaps because the West is more spread out, or because the manuscript deadline was looming, or because the author had gotten bored with the premise of the book/trip?
Glad I read it, but not sure if I will jump right into any other Bryson works.
It seemed odd that Bryson spent 200 pages to cover "East," then only the final 100 to cover "West," but Perhaps because the West is more spread out, or because the manuscript deadline was looming, or because the author had gotten bored with the premise of the book/trip?
Glad I read it, but not sure if I will jump right into any other Bryson works.
drbrettmann's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
An excellent book for anyone wanting to get a feel for a road trip around the US. Although it doesn’t cover every place it certainly gives an exciting whistle stop tour of many.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Bryson is hilarious. There were sentences in this book that caused me to laugh out loud. He has a way of wording things that is somehow exactly what you're thinking, but much funnier than you could ever dream of being. Bryson came back to America after living in Great Britain for about 20 years, and decided to take a road trip around the country. He visits a lot of small towns, a few big cities, and many tourist traps. He is somewhat cranky and very hilarious throughout the whole thing, making him possibly the only person I could go on such a road trip with. And his book gives you that exact desire.
sugandha's review against another edition
4.0
A travelogue is not just about the voyage.It is about the people you meet along the way,their culture and their beliefs.Bryson writes about his bittersweet experiences in the small towns of USA which are slowly disappearing into oblivion.Read my complete review here.