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Comments (42)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 42 items
Sep 25, 2021terryt rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Mr. Bryson used to write well but it seems that his access to vocabulary has left him. I counted at least 12 'F-bombs' through the text. I don't know if he was trying to appeal to a younger generation or what but the use of that street…
Dec 12, 2020wendyjotaylor rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
As Mr. Bryson ages crankily he reveals a huge downfall to his travelling personality that is not that much fun to read about anymore. Does he think he is more entitled to be visiting destinations on his long must-do lists that thousands of…
Jul 01, 2020
This was a fun and entertaining book. All the more enjoyable if you've read "Notes From a Small Island". Bill Bryson never fails to make me laugh out loud at his quirky comments and his observations about himself. The references to getting…
Jun 26, 2020SandraMB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I love his writing style for his travel books. I learn so much about the places he goes to. I love his sense of humour and insights. A very unique talented person. And I love his grumpiness as he ages. Like him I hate seeing garbage…
May 25, 2020mclarjh rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Entertaining; humourous; UK-centric.
Mar 05, 2020
I remember reading the first book and laughing a lot, having been born in England and having experienced much of what he did. However this sequel was crotchety and depressing, all the more because it’s true. Even when we last went back…
Dec 26, 2019urovrdu rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
As usual, Bryson calls everyone in the public stupid morons.
Nov 07, 2019ChipperMuffy rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Not my cup of tea!!! weird humor
Honey3712
Oct 25, 2019Honey3712 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great book on England in recent times - Bill Bryson loves England and it shows in his descriptions of the wonderful countryside, laugh out loud comments and tongue in cheek observations.
Jan 07, 2019rreif2read rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Maybe Bryson's most fun, at least anyone with an ongoing curiosity about the British and Britain. Wandering around Britain, loosely guided by the ends of his "Bryson Line", reflecting on those various neuroses most of feel while wandering…
Sep 30, 2018rogebc_0 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Although Bryson's writing can get a bit tedious at times, it is a pleasure to read his small, easy essays about wonderful corners of Great Britain. It certainly inspires a deep wish to travel and see the landscapes and sit in the pubs . .…
Nov 30, 2017tjdickey rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A quirky travelogue throughout tiny and tickling corners of Britain, with plenty of belly-laughs at Bryson's turns of phrase and curmudgeonly way of interacting with the British he meets. The pacing can lag at times, but the next…
May 29, 2017pablo rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Where is the Bill Bryson of yore? In this book he's a grumpy old man (though only 65), sarcastic and mostly dull. Very disappointing.
May 08, 2017EmilyEm rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Bill Bryson travels ‘The Bryson Line’ from one end of the UK to the other, revisiting some places from his ‘Notes from a Small Island’ after 20 years. There were laugh-out-loud moments, but this outing was repetitious as Bryson traveled…
Mar 21, 2017Quietday rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you happen to love the UK like I do, Bryson's book is for you. Honest, charming and cheeky, he writes about the things that endear us most to England. I was especially struck by the chain of events that took him there in the early 70's…
Feb 16, 2017desertcammo rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Bryson has a great sense of humor which seems at it's best in the first few chapters of every book he writes. Unfortunately, he then has a tendency to devolve into 'first I did this and then I did that' chapter upon chapter. One sometimes…
Feb 14, 2017abogsted rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
The author writes about "the good ol' days" and his reminiscences are funny, but after about 100 pages, it just felt whiny. I didn't want to read a book about all the ways England used to be wonderful and is now awful.
Jan 02, 2017patcarstensen rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Had I read one more "lovely" or "splendid," I would have run screaming out of the house.
Dec 28, 2016kakacurt rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Would be more interesting if I had a more intimate knowledge of the geography of England.
Nov 10, 2016ArapahoeLesley rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Bill Bryson's quirky, endearing and yes, grumpy, voice shines in this loving yet not at all coddling portrait of the spirit of England (and other wee bits of the UK). There was not an instant while reading this book where I was not…
Sep 11, 2016jeffreyochsner rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book is entertaining, funny and informative. Mr. Bryson rhapsodizes about the beautiful English countryside. He thinks that is one of Britain's greatest achievements, even though Britain does not have the natural wonders that exist…
Aug 15, 2016ghreads rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a sequel to Bryson’s book “Notes From a Small Island” published 20 years earlier. In the first book, he travelled from Calais to John O’Groats and back to his home in the Yorkshire Dales. This second book starts in Bognor Regis…
Jul 12, 2016sess430 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This summer read provided me with plenty of guffaws. I certainly identified with his hilarious list of annoying things for which an explanation is unnecessary (as to why they are irksome). Although the humor is, at times, coarse, it's…
Jul 06, 2016pscho rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Bill Bryson makes me laugh out loud. This follow-up book on travelling the UK is right on form and highly recommended.
Jun 17, 2016JILLYJELLY rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I liked this book. Yes, he's feisty in his opinions but now as I'M aging, I can understand! I liked this book a lot since I love to travel and I like to laugh. Some good history sprinkled throughout too.