Laughing hysterically while reading a book in public is not something I do very often, but Notes from a Small Island caused me to chortle, snort and sob in the most embarrassing places.Although Bill Bryson's book about Great Britain is already 10 years old, and presents more about Thatcher's legacy than may be relevant today, it still gives a delightfully hilarious vision of the small but mighty nation.
Whether you're an Anglophile or an Anglophobe, you will find something to enjoy in Bryson's caustic, keenly astute, and ultimately fond portrayal of "the Small Island."
6 comments:
"presents more about Thatcher's legacy than may be relevant today"
Blair was even more of a Thatcherite than Thatcher, so you might be surprised.
You may be right -- I'm no great student of British politics. It does seem to me the country is much more vibrant and jolly since Blair came to power than during the Thatcher years, but I'm no expert.
There are bits in that book that I have tried to tell people - but I still laugh so hard just remembering that I can never get it out!
i'll have to add this one to my list of things to read....
Have you read any of his other books? I've read alomost all of them and they're all pretty funny...though I think "notes from a small island" was one of my favorites. I also really like the one where he moved back to the US after living in the UK for several years.
The only other one I've read is "The Thunderbird Kid," which I think is a novelized version of his childhood. It made me very nostalgic, although I must point out he is a bit older than me! I really want to read as many as possible this year, though -- I loved "Small Island" so much.
Post a Comment