Bill Bryson

I discovered something amazing today, it is Bill Bryson’s book Notes From Small Island.

I laughed so much while reading this.

Bryson is an American who has lived in England for about many years. His affection for the people and the places is unmistakable, and his "outsider's" perspective combined with a wry wit make for entertaining - and hilarious - reading.

Bryson has written numerous other books, and now I want to read them, too!

I like Bill Bryson style of writing; he's very informative and funny, even if sometimes you have to check to see if he's pulling your leg.

He travels by train and by foot, and only occasionally by car and stays in hotels and guesthouses, stops for drinks in pubs great and awful. It’s all quite fun to read.

He clearly loves Britain and in the manner of those you love, finds it quite irritating.

Bryson has his serious moments too, and he uses them to showcase the Britain he knows and loves in all its understated glory.

He's got an admirable eye for detail and an obvious love for the history of the British Isles.

In his travels across the United Kingdom, Bryson seems to prefer the small places, (same as I prefer) the places nobody goes much or talks about, places like Weston-super-Mare and Durham and Bournemouth, and he gives we the readers a delightful look into some of the nooks and crannies in each of these places.

He visits some of the big cities as well, like Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London but his affections clearly lie in the charming-small places, the ones that maintain a sense of their history and their character.

 "Notes from a Small Island" is an ideal book for both those who have lived in Great Britain and those who have never even been there.

Bryson provides a unique perspective and a clear love for the country, his salient and funny points will help steer you in surprising directions.

 I am an anglophile. An anglophile is someone who is fond of British culture.

I believe it probably began from my childhood reading with my introduction to the Alice in Wonderland and just snowballed from there. Alice in Wonderland turned me on to British language and slang, British geography, and more about the culture. From there, I began seeking out books and films that took place in Britain just to experience that same feel.

What I felt most while reading this book was an overwhelming sense of envy and love.

From beginning to end this book was an utter joy to read. One of the best parts was that Bryson began the book by telling of his first encounter with Great Britain being stranded under an outdoor shelter of sorts in a torrential rainstorm because all the hotels had closed for the evening. 

“The tearoom lady called me love. All the shop ladies called me love and most of the men called me mate. I hadn't been here twelve hours and already they loved me.”
― Bill Bryson, Notes from a Small Island