'Down Under' - a fantastic and funny introduction to the wonderful country of Australia (Down Under - Bill Bryson)

Member Name: claridge

Product:	Down Under - Bill Bryson
Date:	14/07/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, easy to read, extremely informative. Great geographical coverage.

Disadvantages: None - Bryson has done it again.

'Down Under' is Bill Bryson's travel account of his time spent exploring Australia. It was written in 2000, and is 394 pages long. It is available in hardback and paperback - the paperback is on sale on Amazon for £5.39.

Having already read several other Bryson's books, when I spotted this one in my local library, I was extremely keen to read it. I was not disappointed.

The book begins with several maps of Australia, each map indicating Bryson's different trips and journeys across what is a extremely large country. I found this inclusion particularly useful - when reading the book, you can easily refer back to the maps to clarify exactly where he is. It also gives you an idea of the immensity of some of his trips-i.e. Sidney to Perth. For anyone not familiar with the exact geography of Australia, the maps are a godsend. From there, the book is divided into 3 parts, with a total of 17 chapters. As a general rule, each chapter signifies a new place that Bryson is visiting. This makes the progression of the book logical and easy to follow.

The amount of ground Bryson covers is impressive - he not only visits most major cities in Australia (Melbourne, Sidney, Perth, etc) but he also visits the Great Barrier Reef, and ventures into the "outback" to such significant landmarks as Ayers Rock. What I feel is a particular strength of Brysons, is that he not only describes these places, but he actually tells you about the journey to get to each one. His train journey to Perth and 4WD adventures across the outback are fascinating reading.

Stylistically, Bryson is bang on form. His writing is personal, and his viewpoint is clearly expressed humorously, and in a wonderfully observational style. He manages to see the funny side to everything- there is a excellent part where he enters a museum tour, where each new joiner is handed a large yellow carrier bag of leaflets - completely useless and undesirable to all who recieve them, and he hilariously describes how each new tourist tries to discreetly dispose of them. These are the kind of funny anecdotes that so many travel writers would fail to include, but actually bring a real comic sense of realism to the work.

From an informative point of view, Bryson has clearly done his homework. Throughout the book he continuously makes reference to Australia's history and founding, its natural flora and fauna, some of its astonishing wildlife. Near the beginning of the book he explains that Australia is a bit of a forgotten land - we all know it's there, but what we know and hear about it is relatively little. However, one read of this book changes that. All the facts and figures Bryson informs the reader of are carefully embedded within the book's narrative - i.e. a trip to the sea encourages Bryson to discuss sharks. He carefully chooses fascinating stories from Australia's history - from crocodile attacks, to tourists getting stranded on the Barrier Reef. You can guarantee, you will not of heard these tales before.

Bryson also describes his encounters with the locals - from the friendly settlers in the Outback, to the "crazy" folk of north Queensland. Bryson continuously makes reference to his love of Australia, and such encounters with the local residents express this in a very genuine and endearing manner.

I would really recommend this book - it is easy to read, laugh out loud funny, and extremely informative - you will find yourself learning copious amounts about Australia without even trying. And yes - you will want to go and experience it all yourself.

Summary: Travel writing at its very best - if you haven't done so yet, jump on the Bryson bandwagon!