A review by mumseyjes
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it was written a while ago, it definitely rings true for those of us who are Americans and have fallen in love with the UK while living here. I found myself laughing out loud (literally) at his characterizations of the Brits, and shaking my head at other points. While it was written a while ago, it still has elements of the current culture, and there are definitely idiosyncrasies in the people here that are the same. For example, the absolute silence on the Tube (especially in the morning) when it's jammed packed and no one says a word (or stares pointedly at those who do), or the practice of apologizing to people when they run into you. The reason for the lower stars is that it did tend to drag towards the middle, and seemed to be more a commentary on poor public transport and crappy guest houses than a real exploration of the culture. I felt at times that I needed to press on and not give up on the book, though I wanted to - in the end, I did enjoy it. However, I wonder whether others who haven't lived in the UK will truly understand some of the references and cultural comments. I also agree with another reviewer who said a map would have bene useful. I found myself highlighting town names that I didn't recognize to see whether I could get to them easily in the future.