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Summary: A Perfect Introduction To Bill Bryson
Review: This is one of the funniest books it has ever been my privilege to read... again... and again... and again. It is also the most borrowed, most thumbed and, generally speaking, most abused book in my entire collection (which I readily admit consists largely of Bill Bryson and P.J.O'Rourke). That a Brit like myself enjoyed this so much probably comes as no surprise (we Brits will laugh at anybody - including ourselves - if there's something worth laughing at), but congratulations to all you mid-Americans who managed to read this and give it the five stars it so obviously deserves.
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Summary: A NOT SO HIP AMERICA.........
Review: Take time out to travel with Bryson through the backroads and cities of the USA and discover laid back rural America and the pulse of its metropolitan cities : But be warned : buckle up for the time of your life. The book is highly informative but does, with one sentence, never mind numerous pages, conjure up sharp images of achy-tummy-kind-of-funny. Oprah get a life and give your Book Club a breather - you need go no further than this one to find your spirit in the sheer abandonment of spontaneous laughter. This is not just a funny book - it rockets you into countless, glorious laugh out loud responses. Made me a Bryson addict for life - Come to dinner Bill !
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Summary: Like to laugh..?
Review: I've always enjoyed a good travelogue book or two, as well as social satire & commentary(aka Tom Wolfe's "Bonfire of the Vanities", or Nelson DeMille's "The Gold Coast" ..for example) - so it was a complete surprise when I picked up author Bill Bryson's book " The Lost Continent" which hilariously combines the above two genres. This book had me laughing every where I went with it - on the subway, buses, waiting lines (much to the raised eyebrow glances of onlookers) - and I find myself returning to it every now & then for the razor-sharp wit, the hilarious observations, and Bryson's sharp eye for the absurdities in the commonplace.. This book is so enjoyable that it has become dog-earred from being passed to family members, (my 14yr old son enjoyed it during a long bus trip), friends and associates. It was my pleasure to hear Bill speak and meet this very charming and quiet-spoken man in person during one of his book-signing tours here in Montreal (and no, he is not as wickedly sarcastic in person as he appears in his books!) A real gem of a book!Kim C.
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Summary: Superficial ? Laid-Back ? Who cares ? It's Hilarious...
Review: One of the funniest books it has ever been my privilege to read - again and again and again... (And also my most borrowed book, too). Congratulations to all you Mid-Americans who had the humour to get through this and award it the five stars it deserves. Who says only us British can laugh at ourselves ?
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Summary: Brilliant!
Review: If you have spent time travelling within the states and also travelled abroad, you will probably love this book. To truly appreciate it, you need to have the perspective that comes from having spent some amount of time outside the good old USA. Bill Bryson has the incredible knack of being able to put into words many of the thoughts that go racing through my mind when encountering some bizarre bit of Americana. I must admit to laughing so hard that I cried, then re-reading the same passage with the same results.
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Summary: Fantastic
Review: Not only did this book give me more laughs than any I've read, but I also found it to be quite insightful. Although he is American, his humor is rather British in tone. This might not agree with those who think Jerry Lewis is funnier than Monty Python. Yes, he does bash American culture but he does it with love. Have you have ever lamented that you can't walk through an Eastern colonial town without tripping over fifty Ye Olde Gifte Shoppes? Have you ever wondered why folks who live in the middle of some of the world's most breathtaking scenery choose to litter it with Bud cans, spent cartridges and Indian trading posts? Have you ever stepped out of your car in a backwater town and instantly feared for your life? If so, then you will relate to what he's saying. Bryson often criticizes our failure to recognize what is truely valuable; how we seem to always opt for the cheap, the flashy or the big. Sometimes it's better to laugh about these things than moan about them. And laugh you will. My only criticism of Bryson is that my love of his writing seems to be directly proportional to actually knowing the places he's writing about. As an American, therefore, I think I appreciate this book and Notes From a Small Island more than I do, say, his book on Europe, much of which deals with parts of the world I've never experienced. Therefore, The Lost Continent stands out as my personal favorite, so far. If you like Bryson's writing then you will love this book. If you have never read Bryson before and are a Yank, this is an excellent one to start with.
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Summary: Better Bill Bryson books to he bad
Review: This book was ok, I finished it, i laughed a bit, but it was ENTIRELY TOO REPETITIVE. If you want to read a better, and funnier Bryson book try A Walk in The Woods.
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Summary: shallow, politically -correct, and not funny
Review: What boring, superficial stuff! I could pick up better and more interesting and funnier impressions of a place by driving through it at sixty miles an hour than this deadbeat can by hanging around for a week!
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Summary: Bryson Falls Short
Review: I am a big fan of Bill Bryson, his books are great, and they always make me laugh. This book however fell short, all it could muster was a few chuckles. I liked the book, it was however somewhat repetetive with lots of talk about gas stations and grubby restaurants and Bill's harsh reviews of most of the towns he travelled through. It was an interesting book nonetheless. If you're a big Bryson fan, might as well read it.
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Summary: The best travel book...ever
Review: In many ways your typical 'i went here and did this' travel book, but with one major exception...this is actually very, very funny. What basically adds up to a series of stories connected by the mythical search for Amalgam, USA and the author (and America's) lost youth and inocence. I have no idea where Bryson finds some of the hilarious historical annecdotes but the really memorable moments are snippets from HIS past life. A real classic.
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