 "Bill Bryson is the best travel writer ever!" | 2009-10-06 |
| - Reviewed By nut_stud |
I'm a huge fan of travel writing and love to live vicariously through other travelers' writing. This book is slightly different from his other works in terms of the subject. In this book, instead of writing about strange lands and travel, he shares what seems like minute observations that he made upon his return to America after being away for 20 years. The short essays are a pleasure to read and are of a good length for busy readers. I identify with his musings on the American way of life as I am an immigrant myself.
Although amusing and comedic, Bryson's observations are also quite astute. Some of stories are also simple and relateable things about his family, which I enjoyed very much. If you're into a well-written, funny, touching and relateable short essays about living in America, this is the book for you! |
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 "Not as funny as I expected" | 2009-09-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3RTNA9THAU2OP |
I'm a Stranger Here Myself is a collection of newspaper columns that Bill Bryson wrote about America when he moved back after living in Great Britain for twenty years. The articles appear to be written in the mid to late nineties and covers everything from holidays, to playing with the garbage disposal, to airport security, etc.
I've heard wonderful things about Bill Bryson's books, specifically, how funny they are. I didn't find this book very funny. There were a couple of instances when I found myself laughing, for example, when he was talking about his mother's cooking and said they had come to think of saran wrap as a gooey topping on the food, but for the most part, I found the book kind of "meh". I did learn a few things though and probably won't count him out because of this one book. However, if the next book I read by him is along the same lines, I don't think I'll be rushing out to get another one. |
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| "This humorous book was the perfect antidote for moving from India to the US." | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1Q8HX6HSBS1VY |
This is the most hilarious collection of memoirs on America life that I have ever come across. After traveling internationally to India, I had a different perspective on America while returning. The way he pokes fun at the US and some of our Midwestern cultural idiosyncrasies is absolutely refreshing. He seems to poke fun at everyone equally (small towns, city folk, church, highway system, government, need I go on?) This book was exactly what I needed to get a good laugh!
If you've ever been out of the USA for an extended period of time --read this for a good laugh |
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| ""What is SO funny?"" | 2009-09-01 |
| - Reviewed By castlebooknook |
I've been wanting to read "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" ever since I heard about it on the radio years ago. I must say that it was worth the wait, although some of the material is a bit dated now since it was published back in the 90s. Bill Bryson's stories are quite amusing. You can almost be guaranteed to laugh at least once (and sometimes more) per story. Each story is fairly short as they were originally for a weekly column in a British magazine. There are cute stories of befriending a skunk, stories of trips to the beach and a hilarious story about ice skating. Throughout the book Bill Bryson compares life in America to life in Britain. While reading my husband was watching "America's Got Talent" on the computer. Even though he had headphones on he could still hear me laughing. He kept saying: "What is SO funny?" For some reason this book just amused me and I've rarely laughed so many times while reading anything else. Since I myself lived overseas for many years I could relate to some of the culture shock you experience when you return to America after being gone for ten or twenty years. I will definitely try other books by this author.
~The Rebecca Review
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 "The book is nice, but comes with publisher restrictions and DRM" | 2009-08-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2NW766GSJFYEO |
| This book is an entertaining read, but the "Text to Speech" feature on my Kindle2 won't work with this book -- presumably due to the publisher wishing to sell an audio-book for an additional fee. Be careful of DRM infected eBooks! |
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| "He Can't Help It, He's a Liberal" | 2009-06-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A376ZA14TF1I5L |
I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail; therefore I've read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. (I didn't meet a soul on the AT who hadn't.) There is no disputing, Mr. Bryson is a humorous and gifted writer, so I bought I'm a Stranger Here Myself.
Unfortunately, every discriminating reader of Mr. Bryson's works will quickly realize that Mr. Bryson is also a Liberal. And like many Liberal authors, he just can't help himself. His writing is laced with tiresome liberal commentary and snide comments aimed at conservative icons (the much loved President Reagan) and traditions. He is also a true believer in the theory of evolution so we get these authoritative descriptions of how things began when none of it can possibly be proved. One also gleans that he's been snookered by the ubiquitous global warming propoganda. Further, he is mystified by the American's attachment to his guns. It would be reasonable to summarize Mr. Bryson's book content by saying that Mr. Bryson's worldview is an almalgam of every extant Liberal cliche.
There were times when I wished he had stayed in England to save America from yet another destructive Liberal elitist sneering down his nose at we pitiable, uncouth Americans. We have enough of these fools here already.
Liberal authors along with actors in Hollywood just don't get it: it is safe to assume that more than 50% of your audience aren't liberal; hence, leave the political proselytizing for political forums and please just entertain us.
There were actually moments in I'm a Stranger Here Myself where I marvelled at Mr. Bryson's flagrant ignorance. He has got to be joking, I thought. Yet, if not ignorance, then what? Could he be willingly promoting the nefarious agenda of rewriting American history to expunge all references to God? Say it isn't so! Example: Mr. Bryson claims with a straight face that Thanksgiving came about when the pilgrims thanked the Indians. I kid you not. What falacious hogwash! I had to bark a laugh of astonished derision.
But aside from the content of his books, Mr. Bryson is truly a talented compiler of sytax. He's just not that deep of a thinker or a thorough fact checker. |
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