Notes From a Big Country
Ratings14
Average rating3.9
When an old friend asked him to write a weekly dispatch from New Hampshire for the Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine, Bill Bryson firmly turned him down. So firm was he, in fact, that gathered here are nineteen months' worth of his popular columns about the strangest of phenomena -- the American way of life.Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the mind-boggling plethora of methods by which to shop, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, or the jaw-slackening direness of American TV, Bill Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on the world's richest and craziest country.
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Bryson is a funny guy and I quite enjoyed this, it's a bit dated. In the 20 years since this book was written, you've probably already heard and made fun of many of the oddities of America and Americans that he so delightfully describes. Also, it's a collection of newspaper columns which i'm sure works a lot better in that context than in a book (here it gets a bit repetitive sometimes). But i've had quite a few good laughs.
So do read Bill Bryson but maybe try something newer or something more focused (I tremendously enjoyed his Short history of nearly everything).
