RSS In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Filed in Blog, ReviewsOf all the Bryson books that I’ve read, this is the one that I found hardest to get into. It was almost like reading two separate books, and unfortunately it was the second half that was the best. Given how dense the book is, that was an awful lot of word to wade through, feeling bored, and wondering whether to just give up gracefully and pick another book.
On the other hand, I will be forever grateful to him for introducing me to the “big things”–a series of giant roadside attractions such as a lobster that dot Australia wherever tourists may be found.
| Most of Bryson’s books have been the story of one journey or quest–a single theme that binds together the narrative. This one, however, was formed from several different visits. That makes sense, because Australia is the size of the continental USA and to attempt it all in one excursion might be excessive. But I found that the first two trips were a little flat and didn’t seem to get into the “meat” of the travel experience as Bryson usually does. |
Don’t get me wrong: there’s plenty of classic Bryson humor and pathos here. I love the way he digs deep to find the obscure but fascinating stories behind places, and how he likes a little detour to follow an intriguing sign. He’s not afraid to poke fun at himself as well as others. But there was just something about this format that didn’t work for me. Normally I’m fascinated by tales of empty interiors and desert landscapes. But not this time.
Perhaps I was in a bad mood.
But the third…now that was *much* more interesting. He went to parts of Australia that tend to be skipped over, such as Northern Territory. Bryson took a road trip around Australia and visited many more interesting places. Of particular note was his finding of the original organisms, from the ancestors of which life sprang. Can I remember the names of these fascinating critters? No, I cannot. A cat ate my notes. But I can remember how Bryson was fascinated by them and what they meant, and bitterly disappointed when a busload of tourist came, looked at them and sniffed derisively: “That’s it?”
And then he went to find trees. In Brisbane, I think it was, he found huge trees with platforms (I imagined them like the elves of Lothlorien) where you could walk up in the foliage and ooh and ahh with lots of other people. I found his later comments about the loneliness he felt when he took a lesser known ground-level tour particularly poignant. How many solo travelers have felt that way–part of something when in a crowd, but somehow bereft when alone? How many times have they–I–wanted to share a particularly neat discovery?
Yeah, this struck a chord. And it’s probably because of this that I enjoyed the second half so much more–Bryson alone with his thoughts, which are plenteous.
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2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Sherrie (34 comments.)
Im reading his book on Shakespeare at the moment. Its one of the better books on the history of Shakespeare, I am really liking it. But its weird, I find I love him or I hate him. So I sympathize.
Mar 13th, 2008
Linda R. Moore
He wrote one about Shakespeare? Which one’s that?
Which of his books don’t you like?
Mar 17th, 2008
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