Review Down Under Composed By Bill Bryson Format Printed Matter

developed a taste for Bill Bryson last year when I read his Short History of Nearly Everything an ambitious attempt to trace the history of life the universe and everything in justpages While many of the scientific discoveries outlined in the book were a little beyond me I thoroughly enjoyed Bryson's descriptions of the larger than life personalities behind the discoveries which really brought the science described to life So when I found out that he had also written a travelogue of a journey across the country I may soon call home Australia I simply had to read itAustralia for those of you who have never been there is one of the most colourful places on earth It has a history so bizarre that it makes China's seem normal by comparison It has insane expanses of the most arid desert imaginable as well as some of the world's most beautiful beaches where unfortunately you can't swim due to the prevalence of sharks crocs box jellyfish stingrays and murderous rip currents It houses beyond a shadow of a doubt the world's most interesting flora and fauna including twelve foot earthworms and living fossils And you thought kangaroos were exotic Ha And if all that weren't interesting enough the locals are slightly mad They eat meat pies floating in pea soup are crazy about cricket and consider shorts and knee length socks proper attire for middle aged bus drivers In short it's a uniue place and I love it I look forward to moving there in a few months' timeBill Bryson also loves Australia and it shows While he likes to remind his readers of the country's amazing collection of deathly animals over and over again and poke fun at the locals and their weird habits his affection for the place shines through in every chapter and it's uite infectious By describing his own travels and those of early settlers explorers and naturalists he provides the reader with an appreciation for how vast and unwelcoming the country is and how utterly uniue He provides background information on events of which few non Australians will have heard such as the fact that a nuclear bomb may have been detonated in the outback without anyone noticing and that an Australian Prime Minister once vanished never to be seen again waxes lyrical on trees and animals so bizarre that you'll want to hop on the first plane to Australia to check them out for yourself again kangaroos are only the beginning explains why you should go and see Ayers Rock even if you've already seen hundreds of photos of it and intersperses all this useful information with a winning combination of self deprecating humour bizarre anecdotes absurd dialogue and entertaining accounts of encounters with fellow travellers and locals The resulting book is not only completely recognisable to anyone who has visited Australia but hugely appealing to anyone who hasn't I doubt anyone can read this book without wishing to book a flight to Oz immediately afterwardsIf I have any complaint about Down Under it is that there is too little of it While Bryson's writing is entertaining and informative his choice of places to visit and describe seems rather random and limited I wish he had done travelling gone further into the interior of the country and left all traces of luxury behind him for a while so as to emulate the pioneers and explorers whose exploits he relates with such gusto I also think the book would have benefited from slightly rigorous editing as parts of it seem rather hastily written For all its small flaws though Down Under released in the US as In a Sunburned Country is a fascinating read which has whetted my appetite for Bryson travelogues And for a return to Oz but that's another story I love Bill Bryson Yep it's a full blown one sided bromance Bryson could write a book about the history of the individual rooms within the typical house and I would love it he did and I did So when I discovered he'd written about his experiences while traveling Australia I knew I'd found my next good read In a Sunburned Country takes in the Land Down Under from today traveling all the way back to its earliest historical findings You expect and get a look at modern Australia its UK convict days Sydney and other cities the bush the outback and the plight trials and importance of the aborigines All of the above also comes with a healthy dose of Bryson humor It's self deprecating it's consciously delusional for comedy's sake it's honest and it gives me the chuckles I appreciate that he puts himself in awkward situations and really enjoy his description of scenes in which he is a participating victim Australia has countless ways to kill a person what with all its deadly animals so there's plenty of opportunity for hair raising hilarity especially considering Bryson's the sort of guy who could get himself savaged by a hedgehog Fun is fun and all but in the end this book is about the knowledge so if you have an interest in learning about Australia I couldn't recommend another book highly The author is a full on philomath and he loves this country so the reader is treated to a veritable love fest spewed all over the pages of In a Sunburned Country Having travelled briefly through parts of ueensland and New South Wales several years ago I'd been waiting to catch up with Bryson's book ever since I now wish I'd read it before I travelled or even during the trip itself It's full interesting information and ideas for places to visit and gave me loads of laughs A really good read whether you're planning a trip or just looking to enjoy BB's hilariously entertaining anecdotes I've read a few of his books in the past and I do find him to be an interesting companion as I've travelled with him His books on visits to the UK in particular are great fun even if he pokes fun at some places uite close to my heart I'm not sure how accurate some of his adventures are they seem a bit tuned for laughs to me but that's ok it's what you pick up a book like this for I think I'd recommend this book to anyone thinking about a trip to Oz or readers who just enjoy tales of travel and amusing things that can happen when you're in the hands of a natural raconteur Bill Bryson never seems to use the same approach to each of his books Is this book going to be snarky Bill Is this going to be funny Bill Is this going to be funny yet informative Bill Is this going to be snarky yet informative Bill I could go on but my hands would start to cramp up with the unlimited combinationsThis one is reverential informative and mostly self effacing humor Bill Bill loves Australians but he hates the fact that the country is over run with hordes of killer species and theres a big hot assed desert in the middle of the continentAustralians are lovely people The ones Ive known were incredibly friendly and generous I worked with a couple who were touring the United States and working at odd jobs along the way When they were leaving they gave me their contact information and invited me to visit at any time If they are reading this my family will be

down under in a week or so and plan to stay for about a month We dont eat much beyond shrimp and steak and dont wish to try vegemite so thanks and keep that stuff to yourself So good onya mates and crikey and stuffAlthough its a topic that needs examining Brysons writing on the treatment of Aborigines seems out of place and shrill compared with the Australian lovefest and repeated warnings about deadly jelly fish killer spiders and gun toting snakesThis was a buddy read with la doyenne of non fiction buddy reads Le Trish Bill Bryson is on a short list of go to writers when I need a thoughtful but not too taxing book His travel works seem to follow the Bryson formulaBryson travels around a country and gets drunk in hotel barsBryson gets pissed off at rude and stupid people but is usually forgiving and self depreciatingBryson assiduously researches the locales beforehand and integrates history into his itineraries and narrativesBryson writes with impeccable skillBryson balances mundane details with broader musings about wherever he's visitingBryson makes travel writing look easy but I don't undervalue his talent He's funny often than not like when he describes the joys of tacky roadside attractions and his decision to trespass through a suburban backyard when he thinks a dog is chasing him through a park He keeps the text moving and harmonizes the personal and cultural with respect but without sanctimony Bryson maintains a willingness to criticize and even mock a culture when well the culture deserves criticism or mockery Bryson doesn't look or sound like one might expect from a travel writer he's a fat middle aged guy who grew up in Iowa not some tanned and overtly fit mountain climber with flowing locks and a beard styled to look un styled He can dispense with all pretense of coolness and write about his travels from a laid back perspectiveIn a Sunburned Country outlines four central messages about AustraliaThe country is so huge and varied that comprehending all the disparate elements as representative of one cohesive nation is very difficultThe rest of the world kind of forgets about Australia most of the time except for New Year's Eve or whenever there's reason to show fireworks over the Sydney Opera HouseYou can get killed in many interesting ways thereWhile many white Australians are preternaturally friendly the country still shits on the Aborigines Bryson faces a curious paradox when addressing Australia When describing the country's expanse and diversity he runs the risk of repeating himself He seems to get a little frustrated with the idea that for example while he doesn't have the space or time to describe all the nuances of the huge barren bush country that comprises much of non coastal Australia he's essentially describing you know the bush country over and over again You can say “we are way out in the middle of nowhere” but communicating exactly what that means is difficult than one can expect from even the best travel writer Bryson does his best by adding key details eg describing how much he hates the ocean and fears jellyfish and his best is damn good He also avoids the cliches never once mentioning vegemite or Men at Work I liked In a Sunburned Country and I don't want to downplay Bryson's hard work and excellent narratives His humility is admirable and I think he's underrated possibly because he's so damn uncool And I'd rather drive around Australia with someone uncool but courteous and appreciative of decent hotel rooms than a guy who wants to mine the trip for hipster stories he can tell at coffee shops back home Bryson delivers with In a Sunburned Country The next time my brain is slightly fried I'll work through the next book in his catalog and be happy I imagine I did.