Notes from a Big Country

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'ONE OF HIS BEST BOOKS' Scott Bradfield, Independettt Bili Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world's bestloved travel writer upped sticks with Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. and returned to live in the country he had leit as a youth. Of course there were things Bryson nnssed about Blighty but any sense of loss was countered by thejoy of rediscovering somé of the forgottén treasures of his childhood: the glories of a New England autumn; the pleasingly comical sight of oneself in shorts; and motel rooms where you can generally count on being awakened in the night by a piercmg shriek and the sound of a female voice pleading, 'Put the gun down, Vinnie, I'll do anything you say.' Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, the jaw-slackening... Tovább

Fülszöveg

'ONE OF HIS BEST BOOKS' Scott Bradfield, Independettt Bili Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world's bestloved travel writer upped sticks with Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. and returned to live in the country he had leit as a youth. Of course there were things Bryson nnssed about Blighty but any sense of loss was countered by thejoy of rediscovering somé of the forgottén treasures of his childhood: the glories of a New England autumn; the pleasingly comical sight of oneself in shorts; and motel rooms where you can generally count on being awakened in the night by a piercmg shriek and the sound of a female voice pleading, 'Put the gun down, Vinnie, I'll do anything you say.' Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, the jaw-slackening direness of American TV or the smug pleasure of being able to eat your beef without having to wonder if when you rise from the table you will walk sideways into the wall, Bili Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on that strangest of phenomena - the American way of life. 'Delightful bite-size essays that exude affection while debunking the ridiculous with wonderful succinctness ... This is not a book to be read in a single sitting. It is one to be savoured' Martin Fletcher, The Times 'Bili Bryson's answer to Alastair Cooke's Letter From America... not only hilarious but alsó insightful and informative' Jeremy Atiyah, Independent on Sunday Vissza