In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
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Book Reviews of In a Sunburned Country
Book Review: Off to a really slow start (but it gets better)
Summary: 3 Stars
The first 40% of the book is made up of lame non-adventures (he hikes through endless suburbia, is chased by dogs in a park, goes on and an meandering search for drinking establishments), in places that he himself describes as dull, with vain attempts to spice up the non-action with descriptions of all the terribly dangerous things that could kill you in Australia (none of which he encounters). His writing is amusing for the first 20 pages or so but then the oh-so-clever and precious style begins to get tedious. It is all a bit too forced. It would be a better book if he took it down a notch. The parts about Australia were interesting but there was too much Bill Bryon on the subject of Bill Bryson.
Could he possibly have been bored in Australia? Let's hear Bryson's own words:
On Sydney: "The frappuccino heaven that is modern Sydney..." "We set off on foot to the Museum of Sydney, a sleek and stylish new institution, which manages to look interesting and instructive without actually being either."
On Canberra: "Even the lake, which winds a serpentine way between the commercial and parliamentary halves of the city, has a curiously dull, artificial feel." "many people believe the Parliamentary Zone has an empty and unfinished character,... I'll say. It was like walking around the site of a very large world's fair that had never quite gotten off the ground."
On Tanuda: I liked Tanunda [wine country] and had a very pleasant evening there, but there was absolutely nothing exceptional or eventful in the experience,
Adelaide: "The real problem with Adelaide these days, I suspect, is that it has just stopped being interesting."
In his defense, Bryson is a superb researcher and editor. He is excellent at culling information from a variety of sources and presenting it in a compelling manner. He did this superbly in the other books of his that I have read, A Short History of Nearly Everything, and The Mother Tongue. This book is no exception; the bibliography attached to In a Sunburned Country is impressive. You can see that he has done his homework.
But even the Australian people are described as being pretty grim: "They don't have that happiness in their faces anymore. I don't think anybody does." "They are an extraordinarily self-critical people. You encounter it constantly in newspapers and on television and radio--a nagging conviction that no matter how good things are in Australia, they are bound to be better elsewhere."
Then he hits Melbourne and heads out to explore some of Australia's most impressive natural sites. The book changes, it comes to life. Bryson finds the joy and élan he was missing, and suddenly Australia goes from being a place that you might have been relieved not to have visited, to being somewhere that you are dying to go and see.
He still make judicious and effective use of all kinds of interesting factoids, but they are placed in context and made relevant to his experience, as he appreciates the beauty and wonder of the land, and ponders its complex and challenging history.
Despite the cultural wasteland of the Ned Kelly tribute in Glenrowan, friends Alan and Carmel take him to Powers Lookout, and there we are given our first glimpse of the magnificence of Australia's natural features. From there it just keeps getting better and better.
"What he had for us the next day was a place called Alpine National Park, and in fact it was even better. Covering 2,500 square miles of eastern Victoria, it was lofty, grand, cool, and green. If ever there was a portion of Australia remote from all the clichéd images of red soil and baking sun, this was it."
The Great Barrier Reef: "Well, it was wonderful. No matter how much you read about the special nature of the Barrier Reef nothing really prepares you for the sight of it... I was captivated beyond description."
"Daintree National Park. The road wound up and through a mountainous and intensely beautiful rain forest. We had at last made it into the wet tropics, and I couldn't have been more pleased."
The Gibson Desert: "Even on a smoothly paved highway, in the comfort of air-conditioning, you are not entirely robbed of the sense of what the explorers must have gone through. The discomforts can't be fully imagined, but the scale can, and it was awesome."
The uncanny sight of the Devil's Marbles and the mystique of Uluru (Ayer's Rock): "In every other way more arresting than you could ever have supposed. I have discussed this since with many other people, nearly all of whom agreed that they approached Uluru with a kind of fatigue, and were left agog in a way they could not adequately explain."
This is travel writing at its best: Just the right balance between historical, scientific, and contextual information, and the beauty and the wonder of just being open to the experience and letting it unfold. That is what tells the reader that something special is out there and that there is an urgent need to see it before time has taken its toll.
Bryson puts his finger on the crux of the matter and wryly notes, "Perhaps it's my natural pessimism, but it seems that an awfully large part of travel these days is to see things while you still can." And there is a lot in Australia that is worth seeing.
Book Review: very fun travel book on Australia
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a delightful book, one that I read within two days and left me just salivating for not only for more from Bill Bryson, truly one of the best travel writers and one of the finest humorists writing these days, but for more on Australia! Just as Bryson says at the end of his travels in Australia he wanted to push one to just one more destination, I too wanted him to do that, and will be sure to find more interesting books to read on that wonderful country (and continent). Bryson says it best when he writes that not only the many interesting bits of human and natural history but the entire country itself are often "unaccountably overlooked." His travels throughout the tropics, deserts, and cities of Australia show that it is a "preposterously outsized" country completely filled with "unappreciated wonders." Bryson clearly loves Australia (and says so numerous times) and goes to great pains to show us the real Australia, the Australia off the beaten path as it were, many times an Australia that many Australians themselves never see, doing so with respect, humor, and a sense of wonder.
What are some of these "unappreciated wonders" you may ask? Did you know that in 1967 prime minister Harold Holt was strolling along the beach in Victoria and vanished without a trace, his body never found? I've never read about that anywhere! Or that a large-scale disturbance was recorded by seismographs on May 28, 1993 in the Great Victoria Desert of Western Australia, one that may have been the results of an atomic explosion detonated by the Japanese cult Aum Shinrinkyo? The country is so vast and the deserts so remote and exceedingly hard to survive in that the it was four years before the explosion was ever investigated. News about Australia he notes so rarely reaches the outside world; it is almost as if it were on its own planet.
Australia as you probably know is home to a great deal of interesting wildlife. Thought not really a natural history writer Bryson does cover some of these interesting animals, some in some detail, such as the box jellyfish (most deadly jellyfish in the world, so awful that victims have been known to scream even when rendered unconscious), the cassowary (flightless, man-sized bird of the rain forests armed with a razor-sharp claw on each foot), the blue-ringed octopus ("whose caress is instant death"), salt water crocodiles (which do occasionally he notes attack boats and even eat people), twelve-foot long earth worms, wombats, the platypus, the dromedary camel (gone feral in the Outback, only place in the world where it can be found in the wild), and the taipan (Australia's deadliest snake). Interesting organisms are not limited to the animal kingdom, as Bryson visits the stromatolites of Shark Bay in Western Australia (essentially living rocks colonized by cyanobacteria, an example of life that was dominant on Earth 3.5 billion years ago) and the karri (the sequoia of Australia, with can be up to 250 feet high and 50 feet around, found in the forests with the jarrah tree, nearly as large).
Bryson though is at his best when he tours the cities, towns, and hole-in-the wall places of Australia, from Perth to Sydney to Melbourne to Alice Springs and beyond. In Australia's capital, Canberra, he finds a very unusual city, one with such a huge amount of space devoted to landscaping that it was essentially one "extremely large park with city hidden in it," though he did note that it was quite an achievement to virtually hide a city of 330,000 among so many trees, meadows, and lakes. While there he tries to make sense of Australia's national politics, a subject he finds nearly hopelessly confusing (not aided by the fact that little news get out about Australia to aid one in tracking it), though does appreciate the more colorful language used by some in Parliament House (such as the phrases hopeless nong and mangy maggot). He visits both Sydney (home to its famous harbor, Harbour Bridge, and the Opera House) and Melbourne, two cities that forever are to be rivals within Australia, cities that have competed for hosting the Olympic games and are the butts of each other's jokes. He marvels at Alice Springs, a city that is literally nearly thousands of miles down desert highway in the barren interior yet is a major city complete with K-Marts and thriving on tourism from Ayers Rock. He visits Perth, the most remote large city on Earth, built on the fabulous mineral wealth of Western Australia, a city somewhat closer to Singapore than it is to Sydney. Bryson revels at the glorious late 1950s feel of some areas of rural Australia (a feeling extending even to the music seemingly favored on the radio) and the punishing heat and bewildering solitude of the desert.
Bryson covers a lot of territory not only in terms of geography but also culture and history, discussing Australia's views of their country, its fascination with outlaw "heroes" from its past such as Ned Kelly, their views on government, the sport of cricket, Australian immigration and multiculturalism, the history of the exploration of its desert interior as well as its early settlement, and the story of the Aborigines, both their origins and the history of how they were treated (and are being treated) by White Australia.
A great book, I really recommend it.
Book Review: Loose in the Lucky Country
Summary: 4 Stars
Once called "the Lucky Country," Australia may wonder if the designation still applies after Bryson's string of visits. Sunburned Country isn't a travel guide. It's a traveler's journal. This makes the book a bit difficult to assess. It's usually displayed in the Travel section of your local bookstore. If you're looking for recommendations of places to stay, you'll find little guidance here. If you're looking for places to visit, this book is a treasure. If you're looking for a good read, it's doubly a treasure. If you already have feelings about Australia, pro or con, then this book is certain to arouse ire. You cannot leave this book unmoved. Besides, for all its shortcomings, it's a fun read.Divided into segments due to intermittent trips across the Equator, Bryson manages to present his journeys as a nearly continuous narrative. Americans travel journalists are uniformly surprised by the size of Australia, and Bryson's no exception. His travels around Australia are at a frenetic pace trying to cover the ground. He's dismayed to discover Brisbane isn't "just up the coast" from Sydney. Five minutes with a map would have disabused him of that myopic view. He seems always in haste, his pace leaving little opportunity for serendipitous exploration. Mostly standard travel fare, he targets the urban sites: Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Perth and The Alice. A couple of exceptions will be noted.
Bryson is concerned with his comfort. He never camps, preferring hotel/motel convenience - they usually have, or are near to, pubs. For most of the book he's on the road from one town to the next. The result, particularly driving from Darwin to the Alice, allows no time for close examination of what he terms "featureless" and "inexhaustible" deserts. A little more research might have directed him to the Red Center's fascinating variety. But you have to stop the car and walk around a bit to accomplish that. Part of the reason he failed to make even brief saunters is his nearly pathological fear of Australia's fauna. The worst aspect of this book is Bryson's litany of Australia's dangerous creatures. From the box jellyfish through taipans to the infamous redback spider [which he incorrectly describes], he presents the reader with numerous examples of how careless people have suffered their defense of territory. There's a strange ambivalence here, since he's clearly enthralled by many aspects of Australia's natural wonders. His circumvention of Uluru [Ayer's Rock] comprises but two hours, all of it by vehicle. He's disappointed with the monolith's colour, unaware of the impact of changing light on The Rock.
Yet, on occasion, when he deems it safe, he alights, closely viewing some of the natural wonders. How many travel writers have the acuity to visit [and recommend] Hamelin Pool in Western Australia? As Bryson is at pains to point out, Hamelin Pool should be one of the premier World Heritage sites. It contains one of the few sites where the original organisms leading to writers and readers [after some 3.5 thousand million years] still reside. It would have been an experience to stand beside him as he explained this phenomenon to the tourist woman who disparaged what she observed. Bryson, bless him, relies heavily on Richard Fortey's LIFE; AN UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY in educating this woman. He could find few better authorities to use. And he believes what he writes.
As a travel writer, he deals with many people. Hotel clerks, restaurant waitresses, museum tenders and other tourist contacts. As in any country, there are the good ones and the others. He's forthright in his assessments, but his comfort and convenience stand paramount. He's good at laughing at himself, especially in regard to his fear of venomous creatures. Mostly the journeys are solitary, but his trips to the Barrier Reef and along the highway from Darwin to Alice Springs are in company with journalist Allan Sherwin. It becomes another chance to expound on the wildlife - particularly the deadlier forms. Among his chants of dangerous fauna, he manages to provide numerous historical anecdotes. He truly shines here, bringing to life people who have crossed the Australian scene. From the first Dutch landings [where stranded mutineers gained notoriety as the first white "settlers"] to the "dullest man in Australia [Prime Minister John Howard], Bryson fills in details on places and events. If nothing else, these vignettes provide excellent background material for his travels. It may be enough to prompt reading another Bryson book. There's a wealth of them to choose from.
Book Review: Proud to be an Aussie
Summary: 5 Stars
My first foray into the world of Bill Bryson's work has left an indelible mark on me - i am in love with it, and cannot get enough of it. It's hard enough to try to get to know and write about a such a great expanse of land when you're not Australian -but Bryson for the most part successfully does so. As an Australian who has lived in the US for the past 8 years, I cannot say i would be able to write as comprehensively and accurately about his country as he has about mine!
A sharp wit combined with a wonderful sense of humor made this a real page turner; Bryson accurately captures the essence and feeling of Australia - he comes not only to appreciate and understand us, but in the little pub in Daly Waters, I believe he becomes one of "us." Bryson captures all the beauty, irony, sadness, history, and geography that makes up this beautiful place I call home, and his gentle blend of fact and humor and anecdote makes this an unforgettable read. To elaborate: his ability to point out the inherent irony in "losing a prime minister" and subsequently naming a public swimming pool after a man who drowned is something that has always baffled me too, and i'm Australian! Or the fact that our national volume of history is only written up to the year 1935 made me question just how "modern" Australia really is. Bryson reports several times throughout that "it feels like 1951" - and that was interesting to learn, given that it is his American perspective. So too, i can similarly say as much about America when i see an antiquated wood-panelled wagon pass me on the most advanced road system in the world, or people signing checks at the supermarket check out (checks are no longer in use in Australia), which makes Bryson's alien perspecitve on Australia all the more interesting!
I enjoyed how Bryson gently touched on sensitive points too - our general lack of confidence and identity for example - i never knew how confused we were, when Bryson accurately noted that we're not sure if we're brits or yanks, even in the green room!
My only criticisms would extend to Bryson's implication that aussies are "self absorbed" - something which I would strongly argue as false, given that much more international news reaches Australia's four paltry television stations than it does any of the 400+ cable tv/news media in the US.
Another point of contention: the implication that Australia tends to exist on the peripheries of the planet, outside of the "known world"(p238). I personally found this to be offensive. Bryson's claims that "[in Australia] it is easy to forget....that there is a world out there" (p239) is blatantly untrue; in fact, i find that most Australians are very much engaged in world affairs both internally and abroad, and I would go so far as to say that I think they are more well informed on most international matters than are Americans. I tend to think it is Americans who are more "disconnected," to quote Bryson here, and it is not the implied "distance" which is the cause, but a very controlled and closed media. The reason you don't hear anything about Australia in the US is simply because it is not of interest, it is not reported. Every Australian knows the name of the US President or the capital; however, ask the average American who is Australia's Prime Minister or where Canberra is and all you will get is a blank look in return. My only other quibble is that of the voice; i'm puzzled why Bryson would lend an Australian tone and slang to a book written from an obvoiusly American perspective? I would have prefered to hear "sweater" not jumper etc etc. as this lends to the authenticity of the author's work.
Overall, a beautifully written, comprehensive and detailed account of Van Diemans Land. Bryson sure has done a lot of hard homework in between beers, and it, as well as his love for Australia shows. Further, i am sure all Australians will be thankful to him for many years to come for documenting this place I call home.
(This review is also under Bill Bryon's "Down Under" - same book, different title and cover)
Book Review: I HAVE TO SAY THAT I ENJOYED EVER WORD OF THIS ONE
Summary: 5 Stars
There is one thing about Bill Bryson; you either like him or you don't. Just reading the reviews here on Amazon and several other sites prove that. It is not just this work in question though; it is all of his work. I note that drifting from site to site that he, Bryson, has a small cadre of "haters," and all of their reviews sound sort of the same. And this is book after book....same reviewers, different books. You would think that after a few reads, and that if you found you did not like a particular author, then you would simply ignore his work. Not so with this author...go figure. This small group seems to hound his every work. Anyway, I personally like his books. I grant you I like some better than others, but that is only natural to my way of thinking. This work being reviewed here is one of his books that I particularly enjoyed.
To begin with we need to look at what this book is not. First, it is not an anthropological study of the Aborigine tribes of Australia. Yes, he does address them and their historical and tragic plight, but this is hardly the purpose of the book and no, he does not interview any of them. Secondly, this is not an all encompassing travel guide to all of the thousands of places to visit in this wonderful country. That would be an impossible task in a volume of this size. Thirdly, this is not a rough and tumble survivor type of trip (or series of trips, as the case is here) made by an intrepid survival type guy roughing it in the Outback...hey folks, this is Bryson. A cold beer, swimming pool and a good meal are relished by this guy.
What this work is, is a rather amusing and at times downright funny account of the author's trip, or to be precise, "trips" through various parts of the largest island country in the world. His travels, tribulations, adventures and encounters with various individuals are told in his normal understated and humorous style. I think one of the strong points of Bryson's writing is the ability to make fun of himself and to recognize his own short comings as a traveler, and indeed, a human being.
Unlike his work `A Walk in the Woods,' the author has kept his caustic remarks about the people he encounters to a minimum and only dealt out his understated sarcasms when they were richly deserved. The author has the ability to articulate, in a very funny and amusing way, what many of us are actually thinking when we encounter rude hotel staff member, encounter bad meals and or are bored to distraction with a place or area.
The author has filled his work with wonderful bits of trivial and not so trivial history, pieces of information we normally would not be exposed to without a great amount of research, and I must say I picked up a wealth of knowledge of geography, plants, animals, history, fish, snakes, insects, plants, minerals and people through reading this work. Yes, I know that some find his including these bits and pieces of his research into his work annoying and less than honest, but for me this is one of his strengths in presenting a very readable and interesting subject. Of all his works, this one included, I have yet to find an inaccuracy in his reporting, and I can assure you that I have made plenty of spot checks.
For a light read that is bound to entertain you, unless you are in the "I hate Bryson" camp, I cannot think of a better way to spend several evenings. On the other hand, if you have found a number of his books to not be up to your standards, then I suggest you skip this one. I personally eagerly await each and every book the man works on.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks