Notes from a small bedroom (Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson)

Member Name: michaird

Product:	Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
Date:	20/02/03 (214 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amusing, Interesting

Disadvantages: Stereotypical, Doesnt over much of the midlands or scotland

It would be fair to say that my knowledge of the UK doesn't extend much beyond the Midlands. No, scratch that, it doesn't extend much beyond Birmingham to be honest and even then north Birmingham is a blank in my mind. So when reading a book of travels round the UK I could just as easily be reading about some foreign land.

Bill Bryson is an American, having lived in the UK for almost twenty years he decided to move back to America to give his family the chance of living in another country (and a very good idea that is to). But, before he went he embarked upon one last trip round the UK to remind himself what it is he likes about it anyway. Notes from a small island is the result.

Bill sees the UK through different eyes than the rest of us, he notices things that I never have before like our tendency to queue naturally and the way people apologise for things that are the other persons fault. However, he also seems to see the UK in a kind of quaint little way, for example the long passage regarding people who say "I'm terribly sorry but..." (Something that I, personally, have never heard). He seems to think that everyone over the age of twenty-five lives in a Marks and Spencer cardigan and in that is the books only real downfall, Bill's inability to look past the stereotype.

But that's not to say I didn't enjoy the book, I did and very much so too. You see it's a very witty and funny book. From his outrageous outburst in a Western Supermare hotel, only to feel like a total worm the next day when the hotellier pretends nothing happened, to his involuntarily running down a steep hill, and I quote, 'shitting himself with terror'. There was so much about this book that made me laugh, or made me smile.

Throughout his trip he despairs of 60s and 70s town planners (and being from Birmingham, I despair of 60s and 70s town planners). He seethes at the way that some of the most beautiful build
ings
in the country have been ruined by the add
itions of a Prontaprint, Lunn Poly or Boots frontage. He marvels as the popularity of Blackpool (and having visited once deciding it was a crap hole, I marvel at the popularity of Blackpool) concluding that the illumination may well be impressive, if you've never seen electricity before. He mourns for Bradford, cheers for Durham and is bewildered by Milton Keynes.

Most impressive of all he does pretty much all of this on public transport, a very brave soul for that he is too. As a consequence of this his journey around Scotland is limited, and follows the traditional tourist path, which is disappointing. Equally disappointing was his cursory glance at the Midlands (which probably wouldn?t bother anyone else, but as a Midlander it bothered me).

So, do I recommend the book? Yes, definitely. Despite it's shortcomings it is a witty, refreshing look at the UK and does actually make you feel a little more proud to be part of it. I wouldn't use it as a travel guide, but I may use it to compare notes should I ever visit one of Bill's featured places.

So for my final words, I'll leave you with his final words:

"What an enigma Britain will seem to historians when they look back on the second half of the twentieth century. Here is a country that fought and won a noble war, dismantled a mighty empire in a generally benign way, created a far reaching welfare state - in short, did nearly everything right - and then spent the rest of the century looking on itself as a chronic failure. The fact is that this is still the best place in the world for most things - to post a letter, go for a walk, watch television..."

Well you get the idea I'm sure.

Cover price is £7.99, and for once that's what I actually paid.

Summary: