In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.70 You Save: $11.29 (71%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of In a Sunburned Country
Book Review: Amusing book gets past the Aussie stereotype
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson in this popular book (note: in some countries, it is published under the name "Down Under") explores Australia, from the resort beaches of Queensland to cosmopolitan Sydney to the treeless Nullarbor Plain to the distant city of Perth near the Indian Ocean coast. While he looks seriously at Australia's problems, he makes it a delight.
On a recent trip to Oz, I made a point of having this book with me (it was commonly for sale at airport bookstands down there) and comparing what I saw with what he wrote. Not only was it all accurate, but there seemed to be some response to his writings (the radio-based School of the Air for distance learning in Alice Springs, which Bryson noted had almost no Aboriginal students due to lack of "responsible" parents, made a point of telling tourists that Aboriginals generally lived in groups on the huge stations, and the Territory government would send them a nurse and teacher, leaving the School with no role)
But there's no doubt Bryson captured the spirit of Australia. He captures the general politeness of the Australians--and also their occaisonal surliness, especially when a rule (however misguided) is involved. He captures the beauty of the countryside, and also the beauty of the manmade habitations, such as the lovely city of Adelaide or the spectacular views of Sydney Harbor.
Bryson's view on Australian history is deadly accurate, from the First Fleet (those who disembarked from it seemed to survive in spite of themselves) to the slaughter of Aboriginals to Federation, which brought together a group of disparate colonies which had insisted on having their own individual train gauges!--to Harold Holt, the Prime Minister who went swimming one day near Melbourne and was never seen again.
While in Australia, I saw posters for Qantas for "the Spirit of Australia"--lines of white-uniformed kids. This book has done a far better job of distilling that spirit.
Highly recommended.
Book Review: All the fun without the jetlag
Summary: 4 Stars
While I enjoy a nice road trip up to the mountains now and then I cannot say that I am really struck with wanderlust. Travel, especially to unfamiliar locals, always seems to require more effort than I am willing to expend.
Will I ever make it down to Australia? ...I dunno, but if I don't then at least I will have gotten to experience the country through Bill Bryson's account In a Sunburned Country. I didn't expect too much from a book in the travel writing field but after reading it I not only was pleasantly surprised by having my expectations exceeded but I realized that I should have had a greater appreciation of the idea of travel writing from the beginning because it so greatly combines two of my favorite things: reading & having other people do work for me.
Do I think it would be great poking around all over the world? Yes!
Do I want to always put forth the effort, deal with the expense and risk the possible discomfort of a sunburn? No!
So what is a guy to do... have someone else do the exploring and write about it!
This was far more than the boring travel log which I was expecting, Bryson really delves into the cultural, historical and natural fabric of Australia. My head is so full of interesting Australia now that I find myself just trying to smoothly slip them into everyday conversations (often not too smoothly) but the book does not read anything like a textbook. This is due in large part to the great skill with which Bryson crafts the narrative. Topics and related encounters are not only expertly approached in there own right but are also brought together to form a strongly unified book. The talent that goes into the of writing such a seamless book should not be understated but in this instance it is easy to overlook it because of the effortlessness with which it comes off.
(Also Bryson avoids the pitfalls of other writers who employ the first person- he doesn't come off sounding like a pompous jackass)
Book Review: not a "normal" travel book
Summary: 3 Stars
First off, for those readers who chose to give this book only one or two stars: I really don't think this was intended as a "normal" travel book. Yes, one could use the book as such a thing, but it would take a long, long time to travel to even a few of the separate regions Bryson visits in between his book tours and other tasks. (However, in defense of those criticisms, it is Dewey-Decimeled with the travel books.) Second, I do have criticisms of the book, but I have to say that it is one of the more humorous books ever. Whether you've been to the land of OZ (or not), some of the passages are laugh-out-loud, read-out-loud-to-whomever-is-nearby FUNNY. He is so on target about Sydneysiders, the history (political, geographic, and natural) that it seems to stream out of his pen in almost an unconscious manner. Third, if you read only selected chapters (say you are looking up something about Adelaide), you are going to miss other references to places that are scattered in the telling.
The book would have been greatly enhanced by an INDEX! Hello...I could have made an index for this book in about two hours. Also, the prefacing two pages (containing 4 maps) do not even begin to site all the places Bryson speaks of. How much trouble would it have been to put a full-page (hand-drawn, as the ones in the book are) map somewhere alongside each section? Few of us are actually going to drive or take the trains over the continent, but certainly it helps when speaking of these tiny towns to have some idea how far along the sunburned highway the writer has progressed.
Sometimes facts are shoved aside in favor of humor, but again, is this a traditional travel book? I'd say no. However, I enjoyed it a whole lot and wish I'd read it before going to Australia. It would have been easy to make the Ozzies the butt of all jokes, but many jokes come at the expense of the British and other nationalities. I'd give this book as a gift to anyone who needs cheering up, that's for sure.
Book Review: Bill Bryson Rides Again
Summary: 5 Stars
Readers of Bill Bryson are familiar with his quirky and reflective sense of humor. Be prepared to grip your sides and have tears come to your eyes as Bryson describes the rudeness hotel staff in Darwin, his fear of the ocean in Sydney, and fear of the potently dangerous Australian animals in the outback. Australia has long been regarded by the world as mysterious, unusual, and generally forgotten. Bryson brings Australia to the top of the world as he examines Australian phenomenon in-depth. How could a non-govenment atom bomb blow up in the desert unnoticed? How can a prime minister disappear into the surf never to be seen again, and for that matter, why would Melbourne name a municipal swimming pool after him? Why are meat pies, although full of fat, gravy, and are generally unappealing, such a big hit with the Aussie population. Who are these mysterious Australians and how did Australia become such a prosperous nation when the settlers were convicts ranging from age 8-72, and had virtually no skills that would contribute to making any economy at all? Bryson bravely delves into these questions and more, and answers them with the whole hearted, candid style that is uniquely his own.
Although this book is incredibly funny, it is also very insightful. Only Bill Bryson could describe Australia in such a colorful light. He covers subjects such as Australian history and Austrialian historians views of Australian history, what it meant to be an Australian fifty years ago and what it means today, travel and tourism, and much, much more.
This book is essential for anyone who has ever had a love affair with the mysterious land down under. I can't find the words to accurately praise this book. All I can say is I recommend 110%. Whether or not you have ever gone to Oz, or whether or not you plan on going, if you are looking for information about Australia far beyond what is offered in the typical narrative or travel guide, this book is for you.
Book Review: Bryson? Yes. Informative? Definitely. Funny? Not very.
Summary: 3 Stars
Reviewing a book that has been in print for eight or so years has an almost Rip Van Winkle feel to it. Like I just woke up and discovered I had missed something while asleep. However, I have to admit that picking up this Bryson "travel narrative" much later than the reviewers before me, and having read many of the positive reviews posted, I am sorry to say my tardy review won't be among them. This book just isn't in the same category as NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, or even his tale of a trek along part of the Appalachian Trail in A WALK IN THE WOODS. The humor is just not there. It's as though Bryson was compelled to write 300 plus pages of something about Australia by his publisher and went to the library to find interesting bits and pieces among the stacks to pad it with. There is a lot of historical, geological, zoological, and botanical information contained within. In fact, the bibliography at the back of the book has three pages of very tiny print. While interesting and informative, especially to anyone who is going to Australia for the first time or has just returned from there and wants to relive the experience, there's little for the armchair traveler to really enjoy. The author doesn't interact with many locals, unlike his previous books, and goes off on a tangent about "the invisible people" (aka the Aborigines). It's a social commentary about the sad plight of these people when their culture clashes with white Australia. He interviews a few white people in the outback about their view of "Abos," (which is generally one of indifference) but doesn't talk to an Aborigine about his/her view of life alongside whatever whites he/she has had contact with. That aside, I have to say that I still like the way Bryson writes, when he's not lecturing me about flora and fauna or offering his liberal social opinions and sticks to well-written humorous slices of life. Sorry, Bill, I just can't recommend this book.