Bill Bryson wrote Notes from a Small Island after his farewell tour of England in 1995, detailing his thoughts and reactions to the countryside and the people. The book blurb says it is hilarious, I don’t agree. Funny, yes in parts. Insightful, yes.
Parts of the book were appalling, especially when Bryson describes his rude response to waiters and hotel clerks. He admitted he treated people poorly a few times but other times seemed almost tone deaf. One example was when he got soaked in a rainstorm walking back to his his hotel and had to wait a few minutes for the clerk to open up. He recognized his rudeness but didn’t seem particularly ashamed or sorry.
I enjoyed reading about the countryside very much. He spent most of his time in scenic, wilder places or small towns, not the typical London/Tower of England tour, and I loved reading about the beautiful countryside.
Bryson had interesting insights into the British character. I was particularly struck by the “one mustn’t grumble” attitude he described several times. It’s a refreshing change to see people who are content, even if they don’t have a lot of extras, and who appreciate what they do have. I wonder whether this attitude is still prevalent or has shifted to the “I want” and the “more” attitude we see too often.
I liked reading about the walks; I would enjoy some of that although 10 miles is probably a bit much. Bryson took public transportation or walked, and hired a car for only a few days out of a 7 week trip.
Some of his musings on politics and economics were worth reading. He doesn’t see why certain things need to pay for themselves, and includes public transit, museums, national parks in that group. I agree although I think public transit should make some sort of sense. On the flip side he worked through a very long strike by the various printers/news workers unions early in his time in England and had nothing good to say about groups that insisted on ridiculous work rules and over staffing.
Late in the book he visits Durham and fell in love with the place. I read about him online and saw that he did indeed go back to England after several years back in the US and settled in Durham.
I recommend this book although it didn’t inspire me to seek out more of Bryson’s writing. He has a keen eye for place, the nuances of character that people display, interesting thoughts and ideas. The downsides were the slow pace, glacial in spots, and the occasional display of mean temper. Otherwise it was interesting but I wouldn’t call it a fun read.
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