Notes from a Big Country

I have most of his books and always enjoy the read. Good for on the airplane:)

Published in the U.S. as "I'm a Stranger Here Myself."

I enjoyed reading this even though it’s 25 years old. Most things are still relevant and the author is such a good story teller. This is in short segments that can be read at leisure.

Condition as stated

The laugh out loud columns will make everything easier. In fact, you read just one a day. It will brighten your whole day, I promise.

I absolutely enjoyed Bill's book & highly recommend its purchase for pleasure reading... thoughtful, introspective, illuminating with a human touch. I enjoy his work immensely!

I enjoyed reading Bill Bryson "Notes from a Big Country". The book is essentially an anthology from his weekly column written for "The Mail" in the mid 1990's. Each chapter is short and easy to read. Albeit some of the material is outdated twenty years on, the book depicting Bryson's view on American life after living in the UK for 20 years is nonetheless entertaining. Although I have not stepped foot in the "Big Country" for decades, I suspect that many of his amusing descriptions and astute perceptions remain valid. I recommend this book for those who relish Bryson's self-mocking ironic sense of humour, as well as for ex-pats who've been abroad for longer than they care to remember.

Genuine Bryson style, partly timeless, but in some stories the age starts to show. Also I think this pales in comparison to his similar "Notes from a Small Island". Worth reading, though!

Mr Bryson has shown us how to write a non fiction in such a creative way. This is good. But his best is 'A brief history of nearly everything'. Atanu Bhattacharyya Guwahati, India

Absolutely brilliant! Great humour and descriptions. Very easy book to pick up and put down because each chapter is a separate topic taken from a newspaper column. As it was written a while ago now, it's topics and issues make for a nice trip back in time! I liked the feel of the cover, easy to hold soft book.

If I'm honest, I was surprised to even find as many negative reviews for this book as I did - so be warned in advance that the adjective "glowing" could have been created for this review! Where to start? This book is a joy. Bryson, as a native of the US who spent a large chunk of his formative years in the UK, is able to view both cultures from a position that's neither a real outsider nor quite an insider in each There is no real narrative thread in this book as regular Bryson fans will have been accustomed to finding elsewhere: the format is very specific: a series of articles, written from America, for British readers. I can see how some people view this as a weakness, but in many ways it's a huge plus - it's possible to race through half a dozen "chapters" with ease, but similarly if time is pressing it is very enjoyable just to dip in. It's not really a book so much as a collection of essays/letters, but none the worse for that. I didn't find the book especially negative about either country: Bryson does confess to having a good complain (sometimes with good reason, having read the trials of his wife and his friends becoming legal citizens, for instance). Generally, however, he is quite willing to poke fun at both the country of his birth and the country he has adopted as a second home with a certain amount of glee, a great deal of affection, and the relative objectivity of a man who belongs exclusively to neither place. Overall... it made me laugh, time and again. In amongst the giggles, I got a little insight into the differences between the two countries, a few wonderful descriptions of the US (including glowing accounts of New Hampshire's severe-but-beautiful winters), and a vast amount of interest and enjoyment. One I know I shall re-read over and again, and that I can whole-heartily recommend to others.

Questo è certamente fra i miei libri preferiti: parla in modo abbastanza critico dello stile di vita dei suoi compatrioti Americani, anche se non manca qualche citazione e confronto dei vent'anni da lui trascorsi in Inghilterra. Non manca comunque di dare credito agli Americani per il loro grande senso di ospitalitå, che a volte crea qualche imbarazzo per noi europei: il poter soddisfare le richieste degli ospiti è forse per loro il più grande degli obblighi. Assolutamente da leggere per chi ha vissuto un po' in America ed anche per chi non c'è ancora stato, ma sia interessato a conoscere lo stile di vita degli Americani.

Loved the book, but would love to know why he went back to England. It really sounds like he has a love/hate relationship with the US. As a Canadian I have the same, however different causes.