Bill Bryson - In a Sunburned Country

Pros: Factual, funny and a damn good read
Cons: non

Well, it’s very difficult to work out but my son in law recently went to New York State (I think it’s called) to share some business information with the USA – and what does he buy me, (ever trying to impress) – this bloody book. Now ...

Pros: entertaining read in places.
Cons: too much like a reference book in places.

Any fanciful notion I may have been harbouring about walking the Appalachian Trail went flying out the window while reading this book. I have to thank Bill Bryson for taking upon himself the challange of the unfit, middle aged person who in a fit of...

Pros: The funniest book you will read or hear in a long time.
Cons: Possibly may offend many Australians and give an unreal impression about the country.

Not long ago I embarked on a 1400-mile round trip to Colorado on mainly flat and featureless interstate highways, and I wanted to stay awake.

Also, having perused the colorful opinions of several wonderful Australian epinionators like...

Pros: A tour of several area of Australia and writing about his experience.
Cons: None

I discovered this book IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY by Bill Bryson by accident while surfing through Amazon.com and ordered it immediately. Since reading many of Smithswoodside’s reviews on Australia, this book would add more to my education of this strange...

Pros: Bryson visits many places in Australia, provides many laughs
Cons: Skips many great places, lacks detail, inaccurate representation of Australia

As an Australian and a big fan of Bill Bryson I began reading In A Sunburned Country with great excitement. Upon finishing the book, however, I felt great disappointment. One of my favourite authors had taken upon himself the gargantuan task of...

Pros: Lively, sometimes funny, generous
Cons: Tedious, culturally deaf and massively self-absorbed.

Pros: hilarious accounts, Bryson's self-deprecating humor, quirky stories
Cons: might offend Australians, sometimes a bit flippant

I've been hearing about Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country for some time. Some lauded its witty observations, some deplored its cultural insensitivity and Bryson's often flippant attitudes toward Australia's history and people. As usual, I...

Pros: Very funny account of the nation's premiere hiking trail
Cons: Dashed my dreams of actually doing it

Like many Americans, I've had dreams (delusions) of hiking the Appalachian Trail. My reaction to the AT was the same as Bryson's; "Sound's neat! Let's do it!" I would stroll along wildflower-bouqueted ridgetops in crisp, cool sunshine...

Pros: Well-written. Funny at times.
Cons: Too many facts and figures. Boring at times. Too much unnecessary drama.

If I had to pick, for whatever reason, the most important paragraph out of this 274-page trade paperback it would be this one:

“Now here is a thought to consider. Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than...

Pros: A grand adventure well told
Cons: The ugly American plaint can get tiresome

Planning a long, remote wilderness hike? Then read this book. Not even remotely interested in hiking from your car to the nearest Barnes and Noble? Then read this book anyway. Can A Walk in the Woods satisfy all your literary needs? No, but it...

Pros: Humor off the laugh meter scale
Cons: You'll have to drag out the dictionary to look up antipodean

Bill Bryson's dry wit both amuses and informs. If you've read A Walk In The Woods, his previous best-seller, you're familiar with his droll delivery. In Sunburned Country we're treated to more information about Australia than commonly found in American...

Pros: Entertaining; conveys Australia's vastness and natural diversity.
Cons: Sometimes the author tries too hard to play the clown.

I'd love to spend an evening in the company of Bill Bryson, preferably near the fireplace in a cozy British pub. Bryson's bright, he's funny, and I'm sure he'd amuse everyone in the house with his stories. He might even lead us all in a rousing chorus of...

Pros: Commentary on our culture, great adventure story
Cons: the pace slows when the author spends time alone

In June, while staying at a mountain cabin near Front Royal, Virginia I spent several days walking for awhile on the Appalachian Trial. I carried no pack. In fact, I doubt that I ever got more than two or three miles from my car. The weather was warm and...

Pros: Humour, bear stories and classic Bryson
Cons: Terminal laughter

The Appalachian Trail is the longest continuous footpath in the world, running for over 2,100 miles along the East coast of the USA. Imagine, if you will, going for a walk in the woods near your hometown; a pleasant Sunday stroll, perhaps with your dog,...

Pros: Fascinating anecdotes and statistics, some very funny passages
Cons: Some of the material is recycled

While A Walk In The Woods is not my favourite Bill Bryson book, it is nevertheless a fantastic read (I personally think that Notes On A Small Island is his wittiest work). Bryson's trademark sense of humor winds its way through the book,...