In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
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Book Reviews of In a Sunburned Country
Book Review: Don't be a drongo, enjoy this book
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson loves and hates Australia. It's sunny climes and lush hills on the Gold Coast, flat open seemingly endless expanse of desert, and then another wonderful coast all serve to fill him with prose of praise for the place, and remarks on some of the stranger aspects of Ozzie life.
The people's charm is pleasantly placed next to the strangeness of a land where a Prime Minister can walk into the sea and no one hear from him again. Or that they built a city to house all the politicians, filled it with fantastic gardens, and yet have no idea how the government actually works.
The book follow Bryson on his trip around and across the southern-most continent and is chock-a-block full of interesting stories, people, and places. His usual wit and sarcasm does seem to fall off a bit, but (having been there I can say) that has more to do with the place than the writer. It's almost impossible to find nasty things to say about Oz.
If you've even been to Aussie-land you'll love this book for the memories it evokes, and if you have never been consider this book as a fantastic rainy-day travel guide and let your imagination sore (then get down to your travel agent and book a flight ;) ).
Book Review: A Must Reading Before Going to Australia
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson has written a very entertaining and very informative travelog about Australia. He begins with an analysis of just how neglected this country is from our current media. Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw an article in the newspaper about Australia. Fortunately, Bryson has set out to do justice. While relating his adventures wandering around the country on long drives that most of us would fly over, he also fills us in on the history of this island/continent, beyond the commonly known convict dumping ground part. Despite being keenly aware of all the dangerous and deadly snakes, spiders and jellies, Bryson manages to make it through unscathed, despite the hunger of some very mean dogs. He also discusses the unique ecology of the land, and the various problems caused by introduced species: rabbits, foxes, camels and others. This is all done with great humor, and his description of cricket radio commentary had me roaring with laughter. Equally interesting are Bryson's descriptions of Australians, contemporary individuals he meets on his wanderings as wel as the famous and infamous from history. For those who wish to explore some more of Australia, there is a valuable bibliography at the end.Book Review: Good Book Mate
Summary: 5 Stars
This is terrific travel literature. I had never read Bryson before, but I cannot wait to read his other books. In this book, Bryson travels to Australia multiple time to see everything he can of the "Sunburned Country," which proves to be an enormous, though empty, home to fascinating people, places and things. Using his terrific sense of humor, Bryson chronicles his tours through the cities and countryside, all the while stopping at every roadside attraction he can find. He also gives excellent historical background with adds rich texture to his stories. Bryson writes very well, tells engaging tales and really makes Australia look beautiful, welcoming and completely unique. This is not an on-the-beaten-path tourist guide, rather it is a terrific journal of the real Australia that only ambitious tourists usually find, but he makes it seem like a wonderful place. I would recommend this as the first book for would be Australia visitors (it will make you very excited for your trip) or people looking for an introduction to Bryson. It is, however, a great book for anyone looking for an enjoyable book to read, regardless of their interest in the land down under and I would recommend its purchase to anyone.
Book Review: my fave Bryson book so far
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the fourth book I've read by Bryson and it's my favorite so far. The titular country is Australia and Bryson clearly loves the country even though he repeatedly reminds you that it can be very dangerous. Of the ten most dangerous snakes in the world, all ten are Australian. And then there's the lethal Red Back spider, the deadly blue-ringed octopus, and box jellyfish, perhaps the most feared animal of all. One expert had his wrist accidentally brush up a small bit of tentacle and described it has being akin to having a lit cigarette held to your skin for at least 30 seconds. Bill Bryson is often amusing and I found myself chuckling aloud in several places. And the book, like the country, is fascinating. As Bryson says, it's an interesting place. The Outback is one of the largest, hottest, deadliest places to find yourself but had countless explorers taking trips into it. Temperatures within can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can get literally cooked in there. I usually gravitate towards fiction but this is one of the more gripping non-fiction books I've come across. Whether he's relating a curious anecdote, or kvetching about the tedious aspects of travel, Bryson is always entertaining.Book Review: Bryson - The King of Wry Travel Writing
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson has written his impressions of England as an American, and his impressions of the U.S. as a longtime British resident, and here he travels to the corners of Australia to chronicle his impressions as a wide-eyed outsider. Bryson is the kind of writer who has no ego. He makes fun of himself as quickly as he does everyone and everything else he finds absurd in this vast, sun-baked country-continent. His sense of humor varies from gentle to wicked, and he educates even as he jokes, sharing his wonder that there are such rare animals as monotremes, a species which gives birth through the same hole (the "cloaca") it uses for defecating. Coming upon an echidna, a monotreme, in the wild, he is, as he puts it, "thrilled right down to my cloaca."
Pick up any Bryson book and you will find yourself laughing soon, and learning more than you thought you'd be interested in on any given subject. He makes facts and figures, usually about how fast our environment is being thoughtlessly ravaged by humans, so easy to swallow you don't even notice you have learned something. Bryson is one of a kind.
George Waters
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