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I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson
sarahetc's review against another edition
1.0
Once upon a time, Bill Bryson changed my life. He wrote The Mother Tongue and it just opened up a whole new world to me. Later I read A Short History of Nearly Everything and actually openly cried at the beauty of it, and the way he could take such hugely complex, fantastical cosmological concepts and break them down so precisely and with such wonder. So I saw this and dove in. "This will be great!" I thought. "He'll return to America after so many years and really write interesting stories about differences and it will be cute and funny."
Aaand nope! If Bill Bryson of this book were standing here, I would be hard pressed not to punch him in the nose. Turns out he's a great explicator and communicator. As a diarist, memoirist, columnist, whatever you want to call it, he's a bitchy asshole of monstrous proportions. Seriously, every single column or essay in the entire book can be summed up like this: "Hey, English people! Did you know Americans are fat, stupid and litigious!? They are! Let me fail at being sarcastic about it. There, now I'll try to wrap it up like Dave Barry does and totally fail."
Seriously, what an asshole.
Aaand nope! If Bill Bryson of this book were standing here, I would be hard pressed not to punch him in the nose. Turns out he's a great explicator and communicator. As a diarist, memoirist, columnist, whatever you want to call it, he's a bitchy asshole of monstrous proportions. Seriously, every single column or essay in the entire book can be summed up like this: "Hey, English people! Did you know Americans are fat, stupid and litigious!? They are! Let me fail at being sarcastic about it. There, now I'll try to wrap it up like Dave Barry does and totally fail."
Seriously, what an asshole.
snow_phie's review against another edition
2.0
"Notes from a big country" is a collection of columns by journalist Bill Bryson reflecting on his move back to the US after spending 20 years in the UK.
The culture shock he experiences is apparently similar to any outsider coming to live to the US. Bryson's observational humour may appeal to those, like myself, who briefly lived in the United States and had similar frustrations, or those, also myself, who occasionally like to indulge in bashing the worst aspects of American culture.
Despite having been written 24 years ago, much of the commentary remains scarily on point. The excesses of capitalism and consumer culture in America, bureaucracy, corporate hypocrisy, the obliteration of nature, the American desire to sue everything that moves, the lack of sidewalks. Some things are, of course, dated - technology for example - and this is clearly written in a pre 9/11 world (the column on airport security makes that very clear!), but there's something entertaining about the nostalgia / outdatedness of it all.
Bryson's joy for things, from diners and motels to the outdoors and tree leaves in the Fall in New England, is truly communicative and these were my favourite moments. That and bashing aforementioned consumer culture and corporate hypocrisy.
Overall, I enjoyed much of the columns (though I would have included fewer) but it's a difficult book to read in one go. The tone is light, the observations funny, but it all starts to feel very samey after a few chapters. For that reason, I would recommend it as a palate cleanser between books, or perhaps one for the toilet bookshelves.
The culture shock he experiences is apparently similar to any outsider coming to live to the US. Bryson's observational humour may appeal to those, like myself, who briefly lived in the United States and had similar frustrations, or those, also myself, who occasionally like to indulge in bashing the worst aspects of American culture.
Despite having been written 24 years ago, much of the commentary remains scarily on point. The excesses of capitalism and consumer culture in America, bureaucracy, corporate hypocrisy, the obliteration of nature, the American desire to sue everything that moves, the lack of sidewalks. Some things are, of course, dated - technology for example - and this is clearly written in a pre 9/11 world (the column on airport security makes that very clear!), but there's something entertaining about the nostalgia / outdatedness of it all.
Bryson's joy for things, from diners and motels to the outdoors and tree leaves in the Fall in New England, is truly communicative and these were my favourite moments. That and bashing aforementioned consumer culture and corporate hypocrisy.
Overall, I enjoyed much of the columns (though I would have included fewer) but it's a difficult book to read in one go. The tone is light, the observations funny, but it all starts to feel very samey after a few chapters. For that reason, I would recommend it as a palate cleanser between books, or perhaps one for the toilet bookshelves.
multilingual_s's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
Listened to that as an audio book while driving and actually laughed out loud in some places because it was just so fitting. Sometimes I got annoyed with Bryson because something of a grumpy old dude personality shone through the humor. But never the less, a fun little book well suited for traveling the US with.
alreadyemily's review
2.0
A book compiled of a selection of Bryson's weekly columns. Some are very funny, some less so, and many show the book's age. I imagined that effect will only get stronger as time goes on, so while a pleasant read, not one I expect to revisit. 2.75 stars.
katiescho741's review against another edition
3.0
This book is another enjoyable one for fans of Bryson's writing style and humour.
It's a series of his weekly columns from a newspaper, so it's got a more fragmentary feel than his others like Lost Continent. He uses his trademark style and sense of humour to dissect and tell stories about the minutia of American life, but it's not a Bryson must-read.
Not one of his best, but still worth a read if you're a fan of his.
It's a series of his weekly columns from a newspaper, so it's got a more fragmentary feel than his others like Lost Continent. He uses his trademark style and sense of humour to dissect and tell stories about the minutia of American life, but it's not a Bryson must-read.
Not one of his best, but still worth a read if you're a fan of his.
librarinurse23's review
2.0
My least favorite of his titles so far. It is a collection of essays he wrote for an English paper after moving back to the states. I think it’s supposed to be a curmudgeonly account of daily life, but I found it to be whiny and not at all as charming as his other pieces. Would not recommend.