Very Funny, Very Honest. (Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson)

Member Name: Vivien

Product:	Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
Date:	12/07/00 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very funny and Accurate observations

Disadvantages: it Rushes at the end

I am a bit of a Bill Bryson addict having read most of his books and just about to start on his latest "Down Under"

Notes from a small Island had me engrossed from the start as it was the first book he wrote that I could really identify with as I live in Britain.

It starts off a bit slowly ( as I find with all of his books), and he spends a lot of time re living his early days spent in England. There are some very funny annecdotes such as an observation about the englishmans method of giving a route direction, and how it would transgress to a 3 hour discussion over a pint of beer in a pub.
There are many moans and groans about the British public transport network, and honest opinions of our citys ie Manchester Arndale - 'Looks like a public Toilet'.

Parts of the book make you laugh out loud, which can be a problem, as I then have to Re-Read the bit out Loud to My Husband, Such as When in Scotland he visited a woolens shop which looked like it had had no customers all day, so he muddled up a few jumpers "just to give the ladys something to do after I Left".

The only complaint I have with the book is that by the time he reaches northern England he is spending less and less time describing each place, ie there are pages and pages on dover, and only a couple of paragraphs on Liverpool or Manchester. By the time he reaches scotland I feel he is rushing to finish the book, and could have written a lot more .

Summary: