In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
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Book Reviews of In a Sunburned Country
Book Review: A Wonderfully Weird Country...
Summary: 5 Stars
In looking for something to read during a rather stressful finals week, I took the recommendation of a friend and picked up Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country". Not only did it turn out to be a wonderfully light read, but it filled me so full of legitimately interesting Australia trivia that I'm torn between wanting to go there and trying to find my way onto an all-Australia version of Jeopardy.Bryson does an impressive job of detailing the entire country through a series of four trips between 1997 and 2000 that cover all the Australian states and provinces except Tasmania. In the process he visits everything from the famous (including events like the 200 Sydney Olympics) to the incredibly obscure and gives more than equal weight to the biological curiosities of the island (which go much further than simply marsupials and the Great Barrier Reef). Through this he has done extensive historical research and takes us through such bizarre events as Harold Holt, the Prime Minister in 1967 who dived into the surf one day on vacation and was never seen again. In his honor, the people of Canberra (the capital) named the municipal swimming pool after him. He discusses how Aum Shinrikyo (the cult behind the Sarin Tokyo gas attack) may or may not have set off the world's first nongovernmental nuclear explosion in a desolate corner of the Outback - for some reason, it's never been investigated. He takes an in-depth look at Australian cricket matches and the general bizarreness of Australian politics. Even with all of this wonderfully witty Australian history and the numerous biology lessons, he still finds time to visit every major city on the continent.
If there are any flaws to be found in his book, it is perhaps in the way he leaves his discussions of the Aborigines hanging as he ends it. He spends a fair amount of time discussing the intense difficulties in Caucasian-Aboriginal relations over the last two hundred years and finds much to be unhappy about. He takes a serious (if brief) look at the cultural prejudice inherent even today in the Australian culture, but he ultimately ends with shaking his head and noting that he doesn't see an answer either. While glad to see the subject addressed, I found the scope of his discussion disappointing. Admittedly, a travelogue may not necessarily be the best place for this discussion, but to get so far into the discussion and then abandon it seemed unfortunate.
Nonetheless, this doesn't interfere with my enthusiasm for the book as a whole and I am at least glad to see the topic tackled somewhat substantively. This book is simply wonderful from cover to cover. It makes great summer reading, great waiting-room reading, great reading for when you're stressed out or just plain great reading period. Having read this one, I'm now going to have to take a look at his other works. I may have to take a look at visiting Australia sometime, too...
Book Review: The Best Travel Book Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
To start this book, Bill Bryson is landing in Sydney, Australia. He remembers how much he loves Australia, and can't wait to start his journey. For most of the first third of the book he visits the major populated areas. Throughout this portion and the rest of the book, he peppers the text with little facts here and there to keep you attentive. He elaborates on some of these facts and tells stories in some parts. While in the populated areas of Australia, he mentions a lot of great things to do that aren't always common knowledge among tourists. For example, he visits the most filmed and photographed bar in Australia. It is in Cook. A town named after Australia's equivalent to Christopher Columbus. Also he visits a large casino to discover Australia is the world's largest gambler. "Australia has less than 1 percent of the world's population, but more than 20 percent of its slot machines."
After he is through with the populated areas, he moves on to the less populated and lesser known areas. These are actually where the most interesting things are. He drives everywhere except for a short spat on The India Pacific train. The places he visits are few and far between so to fill the boring time while he is driving, he tells many stories about Australia and its rich and entertaining history. A quick example is how one of the Prime ministers of Australia just disappeared one day after he was caught by the undertow while walking the beach and dragged out to sea. The two most interesting parts of the trip occur in the unpopulated "bush" as the outback is known. They are when he visits Ayers Rock, a historic megalith worshipped by the Aborigines, and a living culture of Stromatolites. Stromatolites are the most primitive living things on earth.
What I love about this book is how Bill Bryson is just so average. He seems like a regular guy. I can relate to him. He is just hilarious. He isn't afraid to make fun of anything, not even the National Anthem of Australia. Plus he gives a great insight into what Australia has to offer. Think of what I've already mentioned and that isn't even including what he had to say about the Great Barrier Reef.
The only thing I didn't like, was that despite his wit and humor, it got slow at some spots. It was just slightly boring when he elaborated too much on something I didn't care much about. But that only happened rarely, and didn't take away from the book.
Overall, I love this book. I'm going to Australia this summer and hope to see some of the things that I read about. I would recommend this book to anyone. To be honest though it probably isn't for younger kids, due to some adult language. I must say this is the best travel book I have ever read. It is also a great book to read even if you aren't planning on going to Australia.
Book Review: Excellent! Get this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Speaking as an American who moved to Australia a year ago to live and work, I was instantly curious about this book after a friend recommended it to me. I thought it might be interesting to read another American's perspective on what it's like to experience this far away country that I've decided to call home.First off, let me say that this book is an extremely easy and entertaining read from cover to cover and I never wanted to put it down. Bryson has a great writing style and he has a way of making you feel as if you're right there along side him as he travels the country, exploring the countryside and it's people. He travels far beyond the traditional tourists spots that most visiting Americans stick to when coming to Australia on vacation - namely Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Gold Coast, although his passages on these places are just insightful and funny as anything else in the book.
Bryson obviously did his research when he gets into the history behind these far flung places that dot the landscape of this vast country. He never bores you, and he has written a book that seemlessly blends historical fact with observational humor and brutally honest storytelling. I found myself nodding and laughing out loud at so many of his observations about the people, having experienced so many of the same things firsthand when I first arrived here.
I feel the Bryson hits the nail right on the head when he speaks of Australia as being a place where interesting things happen all the time.I agree wholeheartedly with him that it's unfortunate that this country 'down under' seems to go largely unnoticed by the rest of the world.
This book will give you more insight into Australia then any garden variety travel book. This book has heart, humor, and brutal honesty (the latter being what most standard travel books lack. They want to make you think that every single place in a country is worth your time).
If you've ever been curious about Australia I highly recommend this book. If you plan on visiting Australia in the future this book is definitely a must have. It will make you wish you were in Australia that much more. It truly is a special place and Bryson's book conveys this brilliantly.
To quote an excerpt:
"Australia is mostly empty and a long way away. It's population is small and it's role in the world consequently peripheral. It doesn't have coups, recklessly overfish, arm disagreeable despots, grow coca in provocative quantities or throw it's weight around in a brash and unseemly manner. It is stable and peaceful and good. It doesn't need watching, and so we don't. But I will tell you this. The loss is entirely ours."
Book Review: Delightfully presented and truly informative - quite funny!
Summary: 5 Stars
First and foremost, this is a fun book to read. It is funny, informative, insightful, and yet sincere enough that you can forgive him longing for a sunset over the Pacific which is, of course, impossible in New South Wales; ah well ...
I knew nothing about Bill Bryson until a friend of mine loaned me this book. My friend assures me that all of Bryson's writing is of this caliber and just as much fun. It seems likely that this is true.
From 1973-75 I was fortunate enough to live in Queensland and this book resonates well with my experiences from so long ago, if nicely updated. Australians (Aussies - pronounced Auzzies - NOT! with an s sound) are simply wonderful people. I am glad the Bryson points out their openness and friendly exuberance. He was fortunate enough to travel throughout the continent while I lived in a few towns up and down the coast of a really delightful place.
Queenslanders are usually and falsely cast as backward or "mad as cut snakes" (as they are here). Queensland itself is often referred to in a patronizing way, for example, being given the nickname "Cinderella state". But my experience of it was not like that at all. Yes, the more rural places lacked the infrastructure of urban places (as do all rural spaces - it is sort of the definition isn't it?) and in 1973 Brisbane was still a smallish city and felt it. But when I was able to travel there in 1995 on business, Brisbane had become a gleaming and very modern city. And in New South Wales, Sydney is utterly beautiful with delights all around you.
Anyway, Bryson gives you the flavor of many places in this vast continent (it is bigger than the 48 states of the US). He specializes in the out of the way, but manages to find things that really do tie into the history and fabric of the place. Bryson has a real talent for this and makes it all seem easy and light, but it is hard work to write like that.
I recommend this book highly to everyone who is thinking of visiting this wonderful place and to everyone who wishes they could get there. Heck, even to those who know nothing of the place and think they might like to learn something more than kangaroos and koalas!
It is a breezy read that you can get through rather quickly while learning more than you suspect. Beware, you might have to learn to turn pages while wiping tears of laughter from your eyes.
Book Review: Australia in a nutshell. A very large, very empty, very beautiful nutshell.
Summary: 5 Stars
I like to equate "In A Sunburned Country" to Australia itself. It seems to go on forever, and at some points you just want to stop, but when it is finally over you are pining for more.
I'm reluctant to give this five stars, only because I don't want to seem like "that guy" who gives everything five stars. But what the hell, it deserves it.
What made this book so excellent is Bryson's perfect blend of wit, wonder and historical facts. He never overwhelms the reader with too much dry information, his humour isn't derived from negative Australian stereotypes and he always brings to life what a wonderful, strange country it really is. The cast of characters, so to speak, are simply superb and I'm glad that Bryson decided to include them in this book.
Some people might criticize the fact that Bryson didn't spend a lot of time in each location, or that he missed some really good locations, but I think this is entirely fine. One of the main themes of this book is that Australia is simply huge and the spaces between civilized areas are massive. If he decided to spend more time in each location, why, he would still be there today.
Bryson's sense of humour in this book is just phenomenal. His conversations with his friends, his mental dialogues and the commentary about Australia's strange history will make you chuckle delightfully, if not laugh out loud.
This book isn't a comprehensive history of Australia, nor would I want it to be. What Bryson does instead of boring us to death with a dry revival is pick out some of the most interesting little tidbits of Australian history and present them to us in a way that really gives us a greater understanding of the country. He often uses the historical examples to prove a point, such as the poor sod Harold Holt and the dangers Down under, and the Japanese atomic bomb that nobody noticed because Australia is so big and empty.
As a recent resident of Australia, I can personally vouch for the claims that he makes about the country. It is outstandingly beautiful, the people are unfailingly laid back and accommodating, and you will die if you aren't careful.
This book was an absolute treat to read.