In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
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Book Reviews of In a Sunburned Country
Book Review: Bemused Down Under
Summary: 4 Stars
Bill Bryson is my favorite, contemporary, travel essayist. He’s taken me places near and distant, portraying his subjects with an endearing blend of affection, bemused fascination, and Farm Belt admiration. (He’s from Iowa.) And, when telling of those places, persons, events, or situations that are unfathomable, or just a little bit odd, he does so with dry wit and a straight face. (His style can be enjoyed on the video version of his book on Great Britain, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, available from..., in which he serves as the on-screen narrator.)IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY, Bill takes us Down Under, to Australia, for his latest love affair with another country. Perhaps it’s because he lived for so many years in England that he feels such an affinity for this former British colony that is largely ignored by the rest of the world. Whether he’s thrashing about in the ocean over the Great Barrier Reef, driving across an eternity of barrenness just to see Ayers Rock, wandering through the mind-numbing blandness of Canberra, describing the region’s deadly fauna, or commenting on the uniqueness of a shop specializing in pet supplies and porn, he does so with a good humor that makes you wish you were there too. (Well, most of the time, anyway.) Concerning the radio’s play-by-play presentation of a cricket match, endured on a long drive through the outback, Bryson records with evident relish:
“Neasden, it appeared, was turning in a solid performance at square bowel, while Packet had been a stalwart in the dribbles, though even these exemplary performances paled when set aside the outstanding play of young Hugo Twain-Buttocks at middle nipple. The commentators were in calm agreement that they had not seen anyone caught behind with such panache since Tandoori took Rogan Josh for a stiffy at Vindaloo in ’61. At last Stovepipe, having found his way over the railway line at Flinders Street – the footbridge was evidently closed for painting – returned to the stadium and bowled to Hasty, who deftly turned the ball away for a corner…. I may not have the terminology exactly right, but I believe I have caught the flavor of it.”
Only once does Bryson become uncharacteristically testy. On checkout from the Darwin City Frontier Hotel, when he was invited to visit again by the desk attendant, his retort, “I would sooner have bowel surgery in the woods with a stick”, is indication of a truly bad experience.
Commendably, the author provides the reader with many facts, figures and anecdotes behind Australia’s history and evolution as a nation (although even he can’t say for sure if the actual number of original convict-settlers was 529, 696, 751 or 775). Thus, it comes as a surprise and disappointment that he relatively ignores the Aboriginals. These unfortunate people ostensibly present such an awkward problem for the population’s majority that Bryson comes to adopt the same stance as the locals, and simply ignores the natives after a few cursory observations. To his credit, however, he admits it, and doesn’t seem too proud of the fact. But, in a beginning at redemption, he also makes absolutely no mention of Paul Hogan or any reference to “puttin’ a shrimp on the Bah-B for ya”.
Book Review: Of Box Jellyfish, Stromatolites, and a Fabulous Country
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm always amazed how my ten-year old can finish a book and then turn back to the first page and read it again, and then once she's done that start it all over again. Bill Bryson is one of the few authors--and this goes especially for travel writers--whose works I could take pleasure in reading again.
IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY, which chronicles two visits to Australia Bryson made to write this book (a new appendix covers Bryson's additional visit to Sydney to report on the 2000 Summer Games), begins in Sydney, follows him out through the Blue Mountains and south to the national capital district of Canberra, onward to Adelaide and Sydney's rival sister Melbourne, and then north to Surfers Paradise near Brisbane (with many side trips, of course). After a hiatus in the States, he returns to Australia to travel in Queensland, first visiting the Great Barrier Reef and then flying to Darwin. He travels overland to Alice Springs and makes a quick pilgrimage to Uluru, a.k.a. Ayers Rock. Finally, he flies to Western Australia to Perth, and drives eight hours up to Shark Bay.
Of course, it's Bryson's stories told on the way, containing a luxuriant dose of good humor, that carries the book. Among these stories include the "mysterious seismic disturbance" in the remote Australian outback that some attributed to the Aum Shinrikyo cult (p. 4), the drowning of an Aussie Prime Minister, Harold Holt (p. 143), the massacre of Aborigines at Myall Creek (p. 191), the deaths of a pair of Yankee scuba divers at the Great Barrier Reef (pp. 217-218), Cyclone Tracy's devastation of Darwin (pp. 230-231), and the continued existence of the Great Daddy of us all, the stromatolites, descendants of the first living Earth organisms 3.5 billion years ago now living their lives in retirement off the western coast of Australia (pp. 298-299). That's just a sprinkling of the stories; there are also the accounts of the flora and fauna, giant and (re the stromatolites) tiny, benign and deadly (witness the box jellyfish that delivers an excruciatingly painful death).
As in A WALK IN THE WOODS, Bryson is at his best when he is traveling with someone. This is especially true in the section on Queensland, when his traveling companion is UK television producer Allan Sherwin. The banter is always funny; it's as if to be really on his game Bryson needs a foil. Overall, though, Bryson is not quite as acerbic in temperament as in NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND. It's true that he doesn't suffer fools gladly, whether they be benighted journalists or just plain stupid hotel clerks. He's the kind of guy you want to travel with because he'll say what you're thinking. Besides, he loves a good pub.
IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY celebrates the majesty of Australia and the wonderful friendliness of its people. Nonetheless, Bryson doesn't shy away from Australia's shameful treatment of its Aborigines. He is an honest traveler, which makes his overall joy in Australia all the more genuine.
Book Review: Very informative, telling you many things no ordinary travel book does
Summary: 4 Stars
Bill Bryson is best known for writing very humorous travel books, and "In a Sunburned Country" is indeed a funny account of his travels in Australia. Those who love Bill Bryson's books for their humor won't be disappointed.
But unlike most people, I like Bill Bryson best when he's NOT trying to be funny, and my appreciation of this book is mostly due to the great amount of very interesting information presented.
Bill Bryson amazes you with loads of information about the geology, the animal life, the plants and insects, the history, the statistics, the folklore, etc., etc. The many dangers: poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, poisonous jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks, and rip currents - they're all out to get you. The inhospitable deserts, the beautiful beaches, the huge distances; Bill Bryson gives you a feeling of what it's all like.
The book goes into detail about many aspects of Australian life that are fairly unknown, including the discovery (and re-discovery) of Australia, the settlement by British prisoners, the early expeditions to explore the interior, the gold rushes, the outlaws, and the devastation caused by rabbits and other imported animals and plants. Bill Bryson talks about the many unusual animal species found only in Australia, including giant earthworms that grow up to 1 meter (and can be stretched to 4 meters) and the platypus, a cross between a reptile and a mammal. He talks about Australians and the Australian society, and the situation regarding the native people, the aboriginals.
Bill Bryson doesn't cover all of Australia from the geographical point of view, and the parts he does cover are somewhat random. But that doesn't matter because he captures the spirit of the whole country based on the parts he does visit and the general information he includes.
A very positive aspect is that Bill Bryson makes it clear that he loves Australia. The feeling is infectious, and it makes you want to pack your bags and head "down under" for a long leisurely trip so you can do your own exploring.
If I were to mention two things I was less happy about, it would be the occasional excessive attempts to be funny and the lack of contact with Australians. One of the best parts of the book is about his traveling together with an Australian couple for 3-4 days, but other than this passage Bill Bryson is mostly playing the typical tourist, with little or no contact with Australians. And despite a fairly long discussion about the aboriginal situation he does not ever get into contact with any aboriginals. Why not?
A final note regarding the unabridged audio version of the book, read by Bill Bryson himself: Most authors are poor readers, but Mr. Bryson does a very good job here, almost on a par with a professional reader. Recommended.
Rennie Petersen
PS. "In a Sunburned Country" has also been published under the title "Down Under". It is exactly the same book.
Book Review: Better than a herd of echidnas!
Summary: 5 Stars
Two words come to mind after I've closed the covers of this book... Hilarious and Informative. And Bryson wastes no time at getting to the hilarious stuff. A few pages into the first chapter he describes how he went into a jet-lag induced coma during a sightseeing tour of Sydney. I was reading this in a public place and laughed for about five minutes without breathing... seriously, tears and all! It was very therapeutic for me. Every few pages he again says something undeniably witty, and this makes the book a joy to read. I loved every minute of it.On the informative side, I felt that the book covered as much of "habitable" Australia as possible. It seems very thorough, I followed along with an actual travel guide, cross-referencing and reading further about every site that Bryson mentioned here. I was not aware of the incredible vastness of this country, it's almost unbelievable. 23,000 miles of coastline! Having driven the length and breadth of Canada many times (always with an eye to the odometer), I tried to gauge what is comparably going on here in the Sunburned Country... wow, Australia is crazy man! Keep a gas can and canteen handy if you're driving through...
And secondly, I was not aware of the political history of this land and the diversity of living creatures (including trees) that call Australia home. Now I know. Bryson's book is not only a personal travelogue, but it's also a regurgitation (maybe that word is a bit too vomit-like, but you know what I mean) of a lot of obvious research and study on his part.
Bryson is the intrepid wanderer. He is always more curious, and walking a bit further into things than anyone else. And at times, he's so well-researched that he helps out the tour-guides! He demonstrates a respect for the country and for the living things there (including the people). Towards the end of the journey, he is on one of his rambling jaunts, this time in King's Park in Perth. There in front of him, an echidna ambles across the path, and just as quietly disappears into the undergrowth. Bryson says, "I couldn't have been more thrilled." This is the spirit with which he travels, and writes. He is ever ready for amazement, and I know his interest in the natural beauty of things is infectious, because I caught it! About the echidna incident, he says "In a country filled with exotic and striking life-forms my high point was finding a harmless, animated pincushion in a city park." This attitude is consistent with what he considers one of Australia's "most amazing wonders of all"... the living prehistoric stromatolite beds at Shark Bay on the Western Australian coast. These aquatic growths are virtually unchanged from how they existed 3.5 billion years ago. Bryson again... "Now, if that is not an exciting thought, I don't know what is."
Me neither.
This book is an unqualified gem, and should be read by everyone who has already been, or has not yet been, to Australia!
Book Review: A Wonderfully Weird Country...
Summary: 5 Stars
In looking for something to read during a rather stressful finals week, I took the recommendation of a friend and picked up Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country". Not only did it turn out to be a wonderfully light read, but it filled me so full of legitimately interesting Australia trivia that I'm torn between wanting to go there and trying to find my way onto an all-Australia version of Jeopardy.Bryson does an impressive job of detailing the entire country through a series of four trips between 1997 and 2000 that cover all the Australian states and provinces except Tasmania. In the process he visits everything from the famous (including events like the 200 Sydney Olympics) to the incredibly obscure and gives more than equal weight to the biological curiosities of the island (which go much further than simply marsupials and the Great Barrier Reef). Through this he has done extensive historical research and takes us through such bizarre events as Harold Holt, the Prime Minister in 1967 who dived into the surf one day on vacation and was never seen again. In his honor, the people of Canberra (the capital) named the municipal swimming pool after him. He discusses how Aum Shinrikyo (the cult behind the Sarin Tokyo gas attack) may or may not have set off the world's first nongovernmental nuclear explosion in a desolate corner of the Outback - for some reason, it's never been investigated. He takes an in-depth look at Australian cricket matches and the general bizarreness of Australian politics. Even with all of this wonderfully witty Australian history and the numerous biology lessons, he still finds time to visit every major city on the continent.
If there are any flaws to be found in his book, it is perhaps in the way he leaves his discussions of the Aborigines hanging as he ends it. He spends a fair amount of time discussing the intense difficulties in Caucasian-Aboriginal relations over the last two hundred years and finds much to be unhappy about. He takes a serious (if brief) look at the cultural prejudice inherent even today in the Australian culture, but he ultimately ends with shaking his head and noting that he doesn't see an answer either. While glad to see the subject addressed, I found the scope of his discussion disappointing. Admittedly, a travelogue may not necessarily be the best place for this discussion, but to get so far into the discussion and then abandon it seemed unfortunate.
Nonetheless, this doesn't interfere with my enthusiasm for the book as a whole and I am at least glad to see the topic tackled somewhat substantively. This book is simply wonderful from cover to cover. It makes great summer reading, great waiting-room reading, great reading for when you're stressed out or just plain great reading period. Having read this one, I'm now going to have to take a look at his other works. I may have to take a look at visiting Australia sometime, too...