In a Sunburned Country
Description:
Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.
Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.
Customer Reviews:
A new Bill Bryson book is always a treat of the highest magnitude. I preordered this book and counted down the days until its arrival. This book was as wonderful as his previous efforts, in fact, maybe even more so because it hit so close to home. As a former Sydney gal, I miss my homeland and Mr. Bryson reminded me of why. He takes the reader on a journey that most people (including most Aussies) would never go on; Australians tend to travel abroad before exploring their own country. I think anyone who reads this book will want to actually travel to this beautiful country and explore its riches. The reader will discover that there’s more to Australia than Kangaroos and Foster’s Beer (which no self-respecting Aussie would ever drink.) The author introduces us to the colorful locals and explains in painful, yet hilarious detail, how he gets from place to place. He has toned down the sarcasm for this book, and one almost gets the impression that he just likes the place too darn much. This book will not disappoint fans of his previous books. Thank you, Mr. Bryson, for writing a humorous, yet flattering book about the most under-appreciated country on the planet!
Being an avid Bryson fan, I wanted to chime in with those warning readers to be careful with Bryson in public places — reading the description of his jet-lagged snooze while being shown around Sydney by a publishers rep, I was convulsed with one of those omigod-I-can’t-stop bellyachers that left me in almost as embarrassing a position as Bryson had been in. Listening to another book (I’m a Stranger Here Myself, I think) while driving from LA to SF, my son and I were laughing so hard that I missed the fork in the highway and wound up in Bakersfield, where I did not want to be.
Sunburned is a great book — very interesting and entertaining — but should definitely come with a warning label!
I loved this book and it turned me into a Bill Bryson fan. I honestly laughed out loud when I was reading this one. I’m not the type of person who gets to read all the time, but I’m glad I made the time for this one. I gave my friend a copy who will be visiting the sunburned country in a few weeks, and I know it will make the long flight go by so quickly.
The day after I’d ordered it, the new Bryson was given a mediocre review in the N.Y. Times. I’d've ordered it anyway since I’m a big fan but, in fact, my vague disquiet arising from Maslin’s negativity simply added to my utter joy as I read In a Sunburned Country. It may not be as non-stop-laugh-out-loud as some of his others but it’s far superior to A Walk in the Woods & I certainly guffawed every couple of pages. As often happens with him, things are most amusing when he just shares his thoughts: his variations on Waltzing Matilda are worthy of being compared to the bawdier works of Robert Burns. He does indulge in some more sober contemplation similar to his cantankerous observations in earlier books but since I agree with most of his opinions, I used those moments to catch my breath for the next upbeat section. As often happens with his material, there are parts I can’t ’share with friends’ because I’m laughing too hard to read the passages. It’s Bryson at his very nearly best.
Bryson provides a whimsical, humorous, and adventurous depiction; but also an informative and reflective look at the under-appreciated continent of Australia. In the same style of prose which made A Walk in the Woods such a fascinating and fun read, he triumphs again with this new subject. By travelling across Australia by train, he reveals the beauty, wonder, as well as danger and oddity that is the outback. The people, animals, landscape are all constant sources of interest and curiosity to Bryson, and he conveys his enthusiasm to the reader excellently. You will laugh and shudder, reflect and learn, and love every minute of reading this delightful account. I sure did!
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