In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
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Book Reviews of In a Sunburned Country
Book Review: Probably the Funniest Travel book I've Ever Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson is without doubt one of the best of modern American humorists and he does not fail to build on this reputation in his book on travels in Australia "In a Sunburned Country." Despite the very real problems that he outlines in his more sober discussion of the Australian aborigines, this is certainly one of the funniest books I've ever read.
From the outback to the large cities of the only country that is also a continent, Bryson covers the essence of a land not that dissimilar from the American Southwest, where I grew up. Yet, as he acknowledges, he has only touched on this really huge country.
From trying to explain the significance of stromatolites to an elderly day-tripper at Shark Bay to discussing the various deadly organisms in Australia (and they have a lot!) with various companions, to traveling to really out of the way parts of the outback like Stingybark Creek, and conversely to big modern cities like Brisbane and Sydney, Bryson gives us a tantalizing glimpse of a very complex land.
Having never been to Australia, I have to rely on the few Australian friends and acquaintances I have accumulated for my own impression. If they are any indication, than Bryson has not painted too extreme a picture.
Now if Bryson would only write a book on the American Southwest! I'm sure he would find a lot of material in Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas!
Read this book if you are at all interested in Australia or just like to read humorous travel books. Bryson does not cover everything of interest, to be sure, but he should wet you appitite for the land down under!
Book Review: Typically good Bryson book
Summary: 4 Stars
'In A Sunburnt Country'/'Down Under' is another entertaining Bryson travelogue, as he grapples with the Australian language, environment, wildlife, and vast distances. Australia is enourmous and incredibly diverse, but Bryson is able to provide a fairly comprehensive view of the country as a whole. He actually made a number of independent trips Down Under, all to different parts of the country, for this book.
As always, Bryson has done his homework, reciting an impressive series of historical and geographical facts of which even Australians may not be fully aware. However, it is important to emphasise that Bryson's main objective is to tell an entertaining story, so not every word needs to be taken literally. He will often exaggerate and stereotype for humour, he makes a few minor geographic errors here and there, and he seems to have let one bad incident in Darwin tar his view of the whole town. Nevertheless, most of the personal anecdotes and observations are so funny, you won't care if there's a little embellishment here and there.
It is clear Bryson loves Australia and its people, and as someone from Midwestern USA, he seems to feel an strong affinity with the Australian culture and lifestyle. Apart from a couple of individuals, Bryson in general has great respect for ordinary Australian people. There is little of the snarky cynicism and borderline-elitist sentiment which plagued 'The Lost Continent' on display here.
In all, this is a typically interesting (if not 100% accurate) Bryson book, which provides a reasonably informative and highly entertaining introduction to Australia.
Book Review: A More Mature Bryson
Summary: 4 Stars
This is Bill Bryson's fifth and latest (last?) travel narrative and in it he writes with a bit more confidence and maturity as he navigates from the "frappaccino heaven that is modern Sydney" to the Gold Coast, Ayers Rock, the tropics, and beyond. And he does so in the classically effervescent, witty, and thoughful manner for which he has become famous. This first-hand account gets lots of support from historical snippets and overviews, almost all of which are intriquing, and it's clear Bryson has done his homework. It is not as humourous as his other books nor is it as fast. Yes, in some sections, it is even somewhat slow, but certainly this only mirrors what travelling in a country as vast and relatively empty as Australia must really be like. Largely absent from this book are the author's famous rants. He is enamoured with Australia and seldom has a bad encounter or a negative thing to say, although when he does it's typically amusing. His estimation of the country is that it is largely a blend of American and British influences, primarily the positive influences. And therein may lie the book's chief flaw. It's a bit too positive in places. Later, I read Paul Theroux's The Happy Isles of Oceania, familar with the premise, but oblivious to the fact that New Zealand and Australia would occupy the first hundred pages. Theroux's descriptions of Australia, though not complete (nor intended to be), were arguably more revealing about the national character, at least to my way of thinking. Nevertheless, In a Sunburned Country is a fine book written by a fine writer.
Troy Parfitt, author
Book Review: A Good Read!
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson's excellent writing makes "In a Sunburned Country" a good read. I felt like I was traveling with him and I'm now more knowledgeable about Australia's people, politics, geography and history. Bryson's books are also wonderfully funny. And he doesn't mind making fun of himself. I loved his description of what happens when he falls asleep. "I'm not a discreet and fetching sleeper...I sleep as if injected with a powerful experimental muscle relaxant...My head tips forward to empty drool onto my lap, then falls back to begin loading again. And I snore, hugely and helplessly with rubber lips flapping and prolonged steam-valve exhalations." Another of my favorite stories involved Bryson and a friend having too much to drink at a bar. The following morning Bryson asked his friend, "Did I disgrace myself?" His friend replied, "You're doing a house swap next summer with a family from Korea." Bill responds, "I pursed my lips thoughtfully. "North or South?" I asked. When his friend said he did not know Bryson accused him of making the story up. Bryson said his friend "reached over and deftly plucked from my shirt pocket a business card, which he presented to me. It said, "Park Ho Lee, Meat Wholesaler" or something and gave and address in Pusan. Underneath it, in my own handwriting, it said, "June 10-August 27. No worries." I placed the card, folded once, in the ashtray."I also appreciate Bryson's willingness to be a human rights advocate (he brings attention to the plight of the Aboriginal people) and he's a powerful voice for the preservation and conservation of our planet.
Book Review: America's finest travel writer scores again
Summary: 5 Stars
In this, yet another jewel in Bryson's considerable literary crown, the author takes his readership into the exotic, eccentric and dangerous world of Australia. Using his unique blend of travellouge, history and personal memoir Bryson paints a fascinating portrait of a nation rich in culture and vast in space but unfortunately overlooked by much of the rest of the world.
Using his unique brand of scatalogical humor and personal insight (his description of not only how he sleeps but how he reacts to fear inspires peals of raging laughter)Bryson journeys throughout Australia's varied continent absorbing many of her treasures and traps. IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY, Bryson debunks many misconceptions about the former British Penal Colony as well as holds up the special personalities that make her citizens stand proud. He goes beyond the "Steve Irwin and Crocodile Dundee" stereotypes and paints a picture of a nation filled with world class intellectuals and athletes.
He also refuses to pull any punches as he frequently tempers the humor with many sobering truths (the treatment of the Aboriginies to mention just one example). That he can be so balanced is a testament to his talent as a writer.
According to Bryson, Australia is a country filled with the most hostile ecosystem on earth and yet thrives with perhaps the most diverse biological assortment known to man. It is a special place. I may not be able to afford a trip yet. But Bryson's book is almost as good as being there.
Almost.