Notes from a Small Island

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Summary: REALLY enjoyed this one!
Review: I think Bill Bryson's writing style is clear, funny, and intelligent. I always enjoy his work. This book was great because I'm familiar with England, have seen many of the places he traveled to, and have British colleagues. Really made it fun for me. I have recommended this one to several folks!

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Summary: Great, addictive read!
Review: Of the books I have ever read only two have ever held me gripped from the first page - Neville Shute's "On the Beach" and this gem. I particularly enjoyed his description of his visit to Ashington, Nothumberland (my home town). Bill - if you read this - please come again - "Ah'll tek you for a pint at the club"END

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Summary: This book is awesome
Review: I rate a book by how hard it is to put down. I am still holding this one even though I finished it last month. Anyone who has spent some time in the UK will instantly recognize, and then laugh at, the familiar peccadilloes of its inhabitants. The book was written with great love for the island and explains why 'Britain' must always be preceded by 'Great'. I've noticed that some of the British reviewers didn't like this book. The British always get feisty when others criticize their country, only they are aloud to do that. Oh well, just another one of their lovely peccadilloes.

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Summary: If you tour Britain take this book with you !
Review: This book was my first introduction to Bryson and perhaps it would have been better to read his other travel books first.The only failing with this book is that Bryson spends far too long in the south of England and rather skates over the north of England and Scotland ,as if to make up for lost time .Apart from that the book is a gem.This is Brysons' third best book and my third favourite book !!!

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Summary: Couldn't finish it
Review: I was misled by the glowing reviews on this review page. I expected to read a very funny travelogue, but instead ended up plowing half-way through this book before I quit. Where exactly is the humor? It all seemed contrived. There are even a couple of times where the author is amazingly mean-spirited (if I recall correctly, there is part where he talks about a strike at the newspaper where he worked, and how one night when he was trying to leave a guy got out of his car blocking traffic. Bryson says that even after all these years he would still gladly drag this guy on rough ground behind a car. How amusing.). I would have rated this book even lower, except for one thing. My expectations were so high for a really good book and the disappointment so great, that maybe I'm not judging it for what it really is. I suppose anyone interested in Britain might find this book informative, if they don't mind the annoying forced humor.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable and comprehensive travel book.
Review: A stimulating and enjoyable read through the many diverse and different communities of the United Kingdom. Bill Bryson's ability to exemplify the characters of the people and the institutions that he came across were hilarious. The book did suffer though from a rather biased Americanised viewpoint and with little admiration for many of the British acheivments. I felt as I read the book that there were too many niggling critisisms of the places that he visited and this let down my overall impression of an otherwise excellent travel book that made me laugh out loud! Recommended to all people who live or are thinking of coming to this island.

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Summary: Nobody borrows my copy of "Notes"
Review: Beautifully crafted, incredibly observant, and extremely funny. Bill Bryson has written a classic, a journey through the UK that masterfully peels back the 'stiff upper lip' of Britian, to expose a delightful array of stories that will be dear to the heart of any Brit living abroad, and anyone who has lived there for more than two weeks. But, be warned. 1). you must read this book slowly, word by word, rush it at your peril. 2). do not read it on a crowded comuter train on a wet Monday morning - your uncontrollable laughter will embarras your fellow travelers. And 3). do not lend anyone your copy, you will never get it back. Bill, if you should ever read this, my thanks for the enjoyment, especially the 'multi-storey car park' bit, and I have another one for you.

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Summary: FUNNY,ILLUMINATING & ALL SO TRUE
Review: Bryson disects the British character with scalpel - like insight. The rituals & eccentricities of everyday life leap out of the page and in to your life. I laughed out loud at the sheer range of people he encounters. As somebody who grew up in England Idid not think an "outsider" could catch the feel and spirit of the country in the way Bill Bryson skillfully and amusingly achieves

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Summary: A rattling good read
Review: Recommended to me by a friend, I reluctantly started to read another ' view of England by a foreigner' but was instantly captivated by Bill's wit and observation. I found myself thinking, ' Yes yes we do say that' and laughed frequently out loud. If you are from the USA and would like to learn a little about the psyche of the British Nation, or if you are British and would like a good laugh at yourself, then treat yourself to some light-hearted reading from Bill Bryson.

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Summary: The funniest book I've read in years - from an Englishwoman!
Review: I was told about Bill Bryson four or five years ago by another Anglophile who is also an American friend of mine (or an American friend of mine who is also an Anglophile!). In the middle of last summer I came upon Bill's "Notes from a Small Island" in my local bookshop in Bedale, North Yorkshire and decided to give it a try. The first surprise was that Bill had obviously only recently left England after living for 17-ish years less than 20 miles from me (I lived in Leeds at the time). How I wish I had bumped into him when taking my American friend onto Malham Moor one November afternoon in the fog a few years ago! They would get on like a house on fire, waxing lyrical all over the place! Anyway, to get back to the point, I seem to have been following in Bill's tracks around the country over the last few years - a boyfriend in Exeter, brother-in-law in Edinburgh, relations and friends in Oxford (sorry, Bill, I don't agree with your thoughts on Oxford and certainly not MORECAMBE!!! Nice??!! I was there a couple of weeks ago and ... well, I'll say no more ...). The book had me HOWLING - the English interpretation of huge snowfalls (barely over the toecaps) particularly creased me up, as did his portraits of seaside landladies and old codgers in Lake District hotels (I worked in Keswick for five years). I have to say that I still go to sleep on many occasions with the "talking book" on my tape player at night. I could almost recite it off by heart (well, the beginning of each side, at least - before I fall asleep). Not that I'm calling it soporific! Bill, I'd love to exchange views with you on Yorkshire - the Bronte Museum (a complete rip-off), the Settle-Carlisle railway, the (intriguing) results of interbreeding in North Yorkshire villages/small towns (i.e. Bedale). I shall now stop this waffling and say that, if you know the UK well and want a good read, pick this book up and give it a try. Karen B (not Bryson, I hasten to add!) PS: Bill - I go into Harrogate nearly every other day and STILL have not worked out why they've stuck those revolting figures all around the top of the Victoria Centre! What I would give to push them off!