The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
by Bill Bryson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bill BrysonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1990-08-03
ISBN: 0060920084
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
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Book Reviews of The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
Book Review: Very biting humor
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a big fan of Bill Bryson and have read nearly all of his books but I didn't realize that this was his first until I read some of the reviews here. Still, I knew this book was different from his other books. As enjoyable as they were, this was the one that really had me laughing and oftentimes wiping away tears of laughter. While Bryson is always funny, he is viciously so in this book and I could see how that would not appeal to some people.
While a good number of Bryson's books are travelogues of a sort, I don't think categorizing them as such really does his works justice. They are not only a man's descriptions of his travels but also windows into his very psyche. He has always poked fun at the people of various cultures he encounters during his travels but he is sometimes downright mean in this book. While I certainly don't advocate being mean to others, the fact of the matter is that Bryson strikes me as a man who is really mild-mannered and rather awkward. What we're reading in his books, and in this one in particular, is what goes on inside his head and what I really admire about this is his candor. There are often things that run through my head that I would never want anyone else to know about and so I frankly can't help but be a bit in awe of someone who actually exposes those thoughts to the light of day. I think if we're all honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we all share the same pettiness that Bryson sometimes exhibits.
As for his comments about the places to which he travels, it is true that they aren't always kind. I'm a native of Michigan and so I eagerly devoured the section of his book that had to do with Michigan and, frankly, I was surprised that it was as positive as it was. While I do love my home state, I was rather shocked that Bryson didn't comment on the tackiness of the downtown area of Mackinac Island and that he was so mild in his descriptions of the tourist trap that is Mackinaw City. Bear in mind that the island is one of my most favorite places in the world. Even so, I do acknowledge that parts of it are more than deserving of criticism. It can be very painful to hear someone criticize a place that we love but it is also worth listening because there may just be some value to their criticisms. And, if not, it's always possible to laugh with friends later over what a jerk the person doing the criticizing is.
Bryson, though, is a native of the U.S. The fact that he lived in England for so long is relevant only because the changes to his native country are so shocking to him upon his return. Yes, he is critical but he is critical of every country that he visits, including England. This is proven by his book "Notes from a Small Island". Bryson is good at picking out the things about which people are most sensitive and poking at them. This will naturally not endear him to everyone but I don't think that this book singles the U.S. out in any way. Instead, I think he has a very valid point about how sad it is that the U.S. is becoming more and more generic every day--and this book was written long before you could find a Starbucks on every corner. His points bear consideration. What have we sacrificed in our quest for convenience and 24-hour service?
Summary of The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
An unsparing and hilarious account of one man's rediscovery of America and his search for the perfect small town.A travelogue by Bill Bryson is as close to a sure thing as funny books get. The Lost Continent is no exception. Following an urge to rediscover his youth (he should know better), the author leaves his native Des Moines, Iowa, in a journey that takes him across 38 states. Lucky for us, he brought a notebook.
With a razor wit and a kind heart, Bryson serves up a colorful tale of boredom, kitsch, and beauty when you least expect it. Gentler elements aside, The Lost Continent is an amusing book. Here's Bryson on the women of his native state: "I will say this, however--and it's a strange, strange thing--the teenaged daughters of these fat women are always utterly delectable ... I don't know what it is that happens to them, but it must be awful to marry one of those nubile cuties knowing that there is a time bomb ticking away in her that will at some unknown date make her bloat out into something huge and grotesque, presumably all of a sudden and without much notice, like a self-inflating raft from which the pin has been yanked."
Yes, Bill, but be honest: what do you really think?
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