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After nearly two decades spent on British soil, Bill Bryson-bestsellingauthor of The Mother Tongue and Made in America-decided to returnto the United States. ("I had recently read," Bryson writes, "that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another,so it was clear that my people needed me.") But before departing, he set out ona grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home.

Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Island is a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile.

After nearly two decades spent on British soil, Bill Bryson-bestselling author of ,i>The Mother Tongue and Made in America-decided to return to the United States. ("I had recently read," Bryson writes, "that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, so it was clear that my people needed me.") But before departing, he set out on a grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home.

Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Island is a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile.

Average Customer Rating:

Notes from a Small Island	Customer Rating:
Funny, insightful comments about the English, plus a sort of travelogue to obscure (and other) parts of Great Britain. Desperately in need of chapters or some kind of organization! It's all pretty much run together.

Notes from a Gonna Be Big Author

Customer Rating:

While not his best, it is always enjoyable to read the work of this, then aspiring, bestselling author. He just got better and better over time and Notes from a Small Island clearly shows his potential. Some of his authorial quirks, like overuse of sensational adjectives and truly uncontrolled use adverbs, aren't as charming in this earlier work but I'm glad he tamed those quirks latter without eliminating altogether. I've not spent any time in Britain and so some of his trademark dry wit may have whizzed over my head. Still, his style hits the mark.

Bless Bill Bryson

Customer Rating:

If there is anyone out there who has never read Bill Bryson I urge you to start. His books will warm your heart and make you laugh out loud....you can't stay blue or depressed when you're engrossed in one of his works. In spite of his penchant for being an Anglophile (no doubt because he's married to an Englishwoman), you realize, after reading between the lines, he's an all-American kid. What's so delightful about him is that he not only entertains but educates as well. Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! Bill. There is no one like you. I have one complaint and that is there aren't any new 'travelogues' on the horizon. Come on, Bill. You're not that old!.

Amusing but somewhat repetitive	Customer Rating:
Bryson has a keen eye for the amusing and unusual details of British life and culture and he writes some very witty and memorable lines. I enjoyed much of this but at times it seemed he was stretching his idea a bit and the book became repetitive. This could have been a funny magazine article if edited down to the best bits but there's really not enough here to rate this more than 3 stars.

Couldn't finish this one....

Customer Rating:

I've read five of Bryson's books so far, but this one has put the nail in the coffin for me-there will be no more Bryson books for a while. I'm about half way through it but am finding it increasingly difficult to tolerate Bryson's mean-spirited remarks about people he's never met. Bryson's comment that an overweight teenager was a, "greedy, fat, pig" wasn't funny at all. It was just mean, plain and simple...and this coming from an author who needs to take a look at himself in the mirror. In the last Bryson book I read, his wife comments that all he does is, "b**ch, b**ch, b**ch. I agree with her. I find this book to be repeatedly filled with whining, and mean-spirited comments about people Bryson has never met and places he doesn't spend enough time in to know anything about. If you want to read good Bryson books try, "A Walk in The Woods" or "A Short History of Nearly Everything". This one will will be going out, half-finished, with our summer tag sale items.