Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe

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Summary: funny but a bit outdated in some parts
Review: Bryson's sense of humor is delightful but I wish he'd gone back to Europe more recently...especially Eastern Europe. I'm Bulgarian so the several pages about Bulgaria were a pleasant surprise, although it was pretty obvious that Bryson didn't really try to understand much of the culture...oh well, the rest is still worth reading.

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Summary: A treat for any Europe traveler
Review: I bought this book in Heathrow while waiting for my plane to Boston. Some indefinite time later I was surprised to find myself landing. This book is brilliant! While not intended for a serious traveler this is great for anybody who's been to Europe, especially for those who have traveled lightly, never staying in any one place more than several days. My experience is in many ways similar to that of Mr. Bryson, and while I'm not as sarcastic as he is, I can attest that in most cases he is right on target. This is a great study of why most stereotypes are so persistent - that's because for the large part they are true! What really surprised me, however, was Mr. Bryson's style - he effortlessly combines humorous dialog and some obviously contrived stories with great, almost poetic (Northern Lights, for instance) descriptions of places he's seen. Not many writers posses his skill. For those who did not like this book - lighten up, folks - this is not your average "two thumbs up" trip to Disney Land. Thanks a lot for this great and very funny book.

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Summary: Just brilliant
Review: This has to be one of the funniest travel guides ever written. I loved it - what else can I say? At last, the truth about Europe, and because I'm European, I'm allowed to comment (even though Scotland wasn't covered).

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Summary: That book is dangerous!
Review: I bought Bryson's book while idling in Heathrow, waiting for my plane to Nice. I started reading it soon after boarding. Trouble began when I started laughing out loud. The plane was maybe 1/3 full in business class (where I sat), and I tried to keep my guffaws down, but could not. I had to stop reading when I started getting strange looks from fellow passengers and the flight attendants. So, I have a warning for anyone buying this book: don't read it in public. Read it in quiet places where noone can see or hear you! Being Belgian myself, and having lived in Luxemburg and France, and been to many of the places he mentions, I can tell that he hits the mark on more than one occasion!

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Summary: I have travelled Europe, and stayed at home!
Review: I loved this book. This story of his travels in Europe, left me wishing he had continued into Asia, just to kept the story going. When I lent the book and "the Lost Continent" to a work mate, he read it so fast, I had to lend him Notes from a Small Island" just to keep him going for the weekend. Bryson keeps this story moving all the time and it doesn't labour in places as some of his other books do. Quite funny, but more enjoyable as a theatre of the mind, created but his wonderful descriptions of the places he visits.

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Summary: 100 percent right!
Review: My wife has been sorry about introducing me to Bill Bryson ever since the day she gave me "The Lost Continent". Since I am from Europe (Holland) and have travelled most part of Europe I can only fully agree with the writers descriptions of the countries he travelled (especially Belgium). Do not read this book in public places! People tend to react in various ways to a grown man laughing out loud all by himself.

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Summary: Irony in Italy...
Review: I just returned from a Eurail trip, through Europe of all places, last week. I had never heard of Bill Bryson before I left, but I met this girl laughing out loud in a London Youth Hostel. She was reading Brysons book about travelling through the States and highly recommended it to me. Unfortunately I was on my way out of London that day and never got to a bookstore, but the name stuck in my mind. Four countries later (having looked in Spanish and Portugese bookstores) I was desperately in need of something more to read than my Let's Go and Thomas Cook (which I was near having completely memorized). Lucky for me I was in Gibraltar where I found a nice little english bookstore. Fortunately they didn't have "Travels...", but had this other book "Neither Here, Nor There." Since it was about Europe it only made sense to buy this book and have a go at it. Having just previously been or been close to all of the places he highlights, I absolutely busted a gut every time I read a chapter or two. I was throughly enjoying this book and looking forward to fininshing it in tandem with finishing my own trip, when something ironic occured in Italy. I had just been reading the chapter (laughing of course!) where Bryson gets pickpocketed in the Italian quarter of Switzerland; that night I was on a train to Rome when my backpack was nicked from underneath me. Despite losing really really important stuff, I also lost "Neither Here, Nor There." I couldn't help but think of Brysons similar situation which I had just read, thinking of this made my situation all the more funny, despite not being able to finish my trip. The main point here, although this is not your regular review format, is that Bryson is an extremely witty writer and right on in his assesment/observations of Europe and its people. Newsweek would say "Brillianly Funny!" I just say if you've been to Europe, or know anything about it, read this book. It doesn't matter if you've been to all the places or not, you'll still be crying by the end each chapter! One word of caution; if you take this book along and read it on your trip, he may rub off on you as you write in your own journal. You'll begin to see places through a slighlty distorted, although humorous, lens. I even started to write a bit like him. In any case enjoy, and happy travels! Oh yes, I would probably give this book a five star rating, but I still haven't read the last few chapters; so all I can say were that 4/5 of this book were excellent!

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Summary: This will make you laugh! Alot and out loud!
Review: An extremely humorous and observant account of a mans travels throughout Europe. The reader cannot help but relate to many of the situations that Bill Bryson finds himself in. He is at the same time, informative, enthusiastic, witty, sarcastic, intolerant and weary! Another classic from the man from Des-Moines (where?).

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Summary: This book is the best
Review: I read Neither Here Nor There a week after returning from my inter-rail trip around Europe, at the same age as Bryson was and with a friend...who is nothing like Katz. This book just captured so many of my experiences as a European traveller, and as a European. He is spot on about so many things, particularly France, Austria and Germany. Indeed the similarities were almost uncanny when he talks about the hotel he stayed in on his honeymoon which he was distraught to find is now a Holiday Inn. We walked past this hotel in question every day from our hotel around the corner!! A fantastically funny read- the right length - or the stereotypes could become grating - if they weren't so correct most of the time.

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Summary: You gotta love Katz
Review: Bill Bryson is the funniest writer - I like Dave Barry too but sorry Dave, Bill is way smarter. The first time I read this book I had to read parts aloud to my husband, we kept shrieking with laughter at Bill's descriptions. We travelled Europe together and so many of Bill's experiences were ours. We pointed at random menu items in Germany and nearly wound up with tongue - the waiter helped by sticking his tongue out at us to demonstrate what body part we'd be receiving. Bryson's description of his and Katz's reactions to nearly receiving brains was EXACTLY ours - the swooning, the relief at a narrow escape... And we adore Katz! We met so many obnoxious travellers who liked to speak to non-English speaking locals about outrageous things and it was very funny when they were caught, as they often were. Museum lineups, Gypsy thieves, hotel nightmares, weird train carriage companions - Bryson covers it all with self-deprecating humour and lots of good research.