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Neither Here Nor There
Neither Here Nor There | Bill Bryson
Bryson brings his unique brand of humour to travel writing as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet and heads for Europe. Travelling with Stephen Katz--also his wonderful sidekick in A Walk in the Woods--he wanders from Hammerfest in the far north, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia. As he makes his way round this incredibly varied continent, he retraces his travels as a student twenty years before with caustic hilarity. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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review
mabell
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Bailedbailed

Oh Bryson, this is just too much. Too many gratuitous sexual or other ick comments. In general, fairly negative about everywhere he goes, and very little sense of place for a travel memoir. Just not fun, and *quite* uncomfortable reading.

Not a Bryson I would recommend, obviously. 😄 A Walk in the Woods, In a Sunburnt Country, Notes From a Small Island, are humorous, enjoyable reads (with classic Bryson uncomfortable comments, of course)

dabbe #hailthebail! 🧡🎃🧡 13mo
rwmg Yeah my book club found this one rather distasteful as well. I don't think his humour works with people he can't find any cultural "kinship" with 13mo
mabell @dabbe Definitely in this case! 😂 13mo
mabell @rwmg Bryson is certainly unapologetically opinionated and sometimes I find his humor quite entertaining and other times cringey or offensive. This is an earlier book, and that may be part of it - he mellowed a bit in later years 😄 13mo
20 likes4 comments
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Augustdana
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The vibes were off from the beginning and I‘m telling you, I knew something was up. It wasn‘t until the second to last excruciatingly long page that he casually mentions he should go home because HIS WIFE IS PREGNANT!! I knew it!!!! Rotten. 🤢

18 likes1 stack add
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Ang203l
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By the time she settles hopefully I‘ll have this one finished!

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BMWtheAuthor
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Mehso-so

Bill Bryson‘s travel log from his trips to Europe. For the full review, please visit http://benjamin-m-weilert.com/index.php/2021/07/28/book-neither-here-nor-there-1...

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Victoria_Clyne
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Mehso-so

In this book Bill Bryson retraces a trip through Europe that he took as a young man. Whilst I mostly enjoyed this I found it long. I also found some of the depictions of women cringe worthy.

rwmg I enjoyed Small Island and his Australian one but in the others of his I've read including this one I felt he was being mean just for the sake of it, if not downright nasty 3y
Victoria_Clyne @rwmg Thanks for the recommendations. I've read his book about 1927 which I found fascinating so I will try him again. 3y
Teresereading I agree. I'm listening on audiobook, and I'm finding his comments sexist and/or obnoxious. Disappointing 1y
21 likes3 comments
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OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

Bryson travels through Europe calling at places in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria to name a few. Having travelled in Europe as a young man, Bryson retreads his steps as an older (wiser?) man, to see what has changed during the passing of time. There were a few comments that did make me LOL, but I found some of his comments seemed to be a wee bit sexist, therefore I can only rate this one average at 3⭐

#20in4 @andrew65

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 3y
26 likes1 comment
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OutsmartYourShelf
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Fourth attempt at #20in4 this weekend.

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Good luck, fourth time lucky. 😊👍 3y
20 likes1 comment
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Smarkies
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Mehso-so

This book chronicles Bryson's travels in Europee. Decent but not one of his better ones.
Read this as one of my #nfn2020

rwmg I agree. I enjoyed the others of his I've read but this one felt mean-spirited rather than humorous 4y
12 likes1 comment
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quietjenn
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Re-visiting Bryson, whom I‘m seeing at the library this week.

LauraBrook Lucky you! Haven‘t seen him live in probably 20 years. How was it? 5y
quietjenn @laurabrook SO great! I'd never seen him before and have been a fan for years, so it was such a treat! 5y
42 likes1 stack add2 comments
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andrew61
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#marchintothe70s #wishyouwerehere
Playing catch up but thought id post the first bill bryson i read, which arrived in an unsought qpd parcel back in the day. Reminds me of my interrail in the 80's when w/o mobile phones my main contact with my parents was a postcard that probably reached them before i did.

23 likes1 stack add
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whatrebeccasread
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Panpan

I was really looking forward to learning about the cities and countries of Europe. I really did enjoy the first few chapters, but when Bryson‘s humour went a bit too far, I lost interest and by the end I had almost given up. It‘s 2 stars from me!

My full review is up on my blog now 📚

Swe_Eva I had the same experience with that one. 6y
77 likes1 comment
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Joanne1
Pickpick

This was funny is Bryson‘s typical highly observant way. But it was also quite repetitive and showed it‘s age at times - especially in terms of some sexist attitudes.

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Joanne1
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I find Bill Bryson a reliable laugh-out-loud writer and I‘ve did that several times on my commute this morning. After a couple of dark thriller/mysteries a little humour was definitely in order!

47 likes1 stack add
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JennyM
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20 | #SeptemberDanes

Pretty sure Bill Bryson went #FromParisToBerlin on his hilarious jaunt across Europe.

LeeRHarry Bill Bryson 💕 6y
Cinfhen Lots of Bill Bryson!!! I only read & really enjoyed 6y
Kalalalatja I haven‘t read any of his books yet 🙊 6y
LeahBergen I love Bill Bryson. 👏🏻👏🏻 6y
56 likes4 comments
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Emilymdxn
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Mehso-so

Eh. This was funny but not as much as the Lost Continent, and I was surprised to find myself made a little uncomfortable by some of his views. I guess it hasn‘t aged as well as some of his other books.

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Tashreads
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Day 26| #Readingresolutions #traveltuesday

Ah travel. How I adore thee, how I miss thee. But we always have books to transport us while we wait for the next big adventure.

44 likes1 stack add
review
rwmg
Panpan

Disappointing. The humour doesn't work when he's not talking about one more or less homogenous culture, when we can laugh at ourselves. Here it verges on racist they talk funny and eat funny in furrin parts.

Swe_Eva Agree. I tried that one but had to give up. 👎 6y
7 likes1 comment
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rwmg
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@rabbitprincess The colour version

rabbitprincess Oh yes, it's gorgeous in colour! ♥️ 6y
8 likes1 stack add1 comment
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rwmg
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Back home. Different cover from Litsy's.

rabbitprincess I like that cover! 6y
rwmg @rabbitprincess It's better in colour. 6y
7 likes2 comments
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Azar
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The only good thing about me spending the summer holiday with Katz was that the rest of the America didn't have to do that!

mania Ah, Katz is back in this? I have to read it! 😃 7y
Azar @mania so far he's just mentioned a few things of him in a trip they had done years ago. Here's hoping there will be more of him 😁😁 read it anyway. It's hilarious! 7y
9 likes1 stack add2 comments
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nickimags
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I was saying to my hubby the other about how I'd like to listen to another Bill Bryson audiobook as I'm really enjoying The Road to Little Dribbling . Then this turned up for £1.99 with audible's daily deal today. Was audible/Amazon secretly listening to me? 🤤

15 likes1 stack add
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bookworm.krizia
Pickpick

I absolutely love Bill Bryson. This one of the best travel book I've read. It's funny and very enlightening in a way. I love reading about his stories. This book made me want to go to Europe and just walk around, drink in their cafes, see the museums and jump on the train for the next destination.

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AvidReader25
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Love this sign in a Wisconsin bookstore!

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Brie
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Pickpick

I love Bryson's travel books. This one's dated--written in the 90s, but still a pleasure to read and very funny. A bit of history thrown in too. It made me wish I could backpack through Europe.

Demanda He's so great! I read a bunch of his books in high school and have been a traveler ever since. He gave me the bug. 7y
62 likes1 comment
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Bookwitchery
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My pick for #anditsaugust #drinksoncovers is Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There. I haven't read it yet but I love this man's writing. First thing I ever read by him was I'm a Stranger Here Myself. I started reading it on a break at work and had go buy it so I could finish it at home!

16 likes1 stack add
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Brie
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My #currentread has wine on the cover. #drinksoncovers #anditsaugust

Sydsavvy I ❤️❤️❤️ him. And this cover!!! 7y
Brie I love his books too! @Sydsavvy 7y
77 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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readtheworld
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Some of my favorite travel books! 📚🌍📚

#travel #bookstack #1001places

minkyb Love this photo! 7y
readtheworld @minkyb thanks! 😊 7y
86 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheLondonBookworm
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Damn you Bill Bryson! Every time I read one of his books I get wanderlust... #wanderlust #travellingbookworm

JanuarieTimewalker13 I have to read him! 7y
TheLondonBookworm @JanuarieTimewalker13 he's opinionated for sure- but very amusing! 7y
JanuarieTimewalker13 I live for amusement. Lol 7y
See All 7 Comments
MariaW 😍😍😍 7y
Zelma That is definitely my favorite of his books. 👍 7y
TheLondonBookworm @MariaW 👍👍👍☺️☺️ 7y
TheLondonBookworm @Zelma really? Awesome I haven't read many yet only Down under and notes on a small island but I love it when he talks about places I've been. 7y
65 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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andrew61
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#wannabe #90sinjuly
This was my first Bill Bryson which made me laugh out loud as it reminded me of my interrail trip with friends back in the 1980's, im just cheesed that i can't find my physical copy. I wannabe in my 20's again hitting the Europe of the 1980's with a rucksack and tent.

Cinfhen Ha! I hit up Europe with my friends in the summer of 85 and then again in 88 with my hubby for our honeymoon 😍😍so fun!!! 7y
andrew61 @Cinfhen i went around in friends in 85 as well 😀 7y
Cinfhen We could have been riding the rails together and just not known 💗😁 7y
andrew61 @Cinfhen 😂☺ 7y
18 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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DishaMehta
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“What is it about maps? I could look at them all day, earnestly studying the names of towns and villages I have never heard of and will never visit...”

review
Shemac77
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Pickpick

Laugh out loud funny. This man's writing is wonderful escapist fun. He also tosses in some history and gives you a real sense of where he's visiting.

#readeverydayeverywhere
#nslitten
#readingissexy
#paramediclitten

Reviewsbylola That looks like the perfect little reading nook. 😍 7y
LauraBeth That's what I was just thinking @Reviewsbylola 😍 7y
Suet624 Bryson 💕💕💕 7y
Shemac77 It is! It's at my sisters place. She's raising two little voracious readers and saw something like this on Pinterest. Good thing my brother in law is handy! @Reviewsbylola @LauraBeth 7y
Shemac77 He's so wonderful! I love his humor. @Suet624 7y
47 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Shemac77
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I didn't think he could be funnier than he was in In a Sunburned Country; I might be wrong. I've been laughing out loud almost every page.

#readeverydayeverywhere
#nslitten
#readingissexy
#paramediclitten

Chelsey I freaking love Bill Bryson! 🙌🎉💜 7y
MyNamesParadise Nice pic!! 7y
44 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Shemac77
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Zelma I absolutely love that book and that beer! This book me laugh out loud often. 😆👍🍻 7y
Shemac77 I've been laughing out loud almost every page! He's just so funny. @Zelma 7y
48 likes2 comments
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Shemac77
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saresmoore
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Taking @Eamann 's advice and doing some light Bryson reading as I wait with one of my two tiny dancers. Saturday mornings are busy with ballet/tap classes for both kiddos. I don't know when this became my life, but I don't hate it.

Ericmanciniwriter That's so funny- my 3 yo is at ballet right now and I'm writing. I thought I'd find all of it pretty boring but man, when they first put that outfit on - ❤️💕 8y
saresmoore @Eamann I know. It's the most adorable. 8y
andrew61 It's really nice when you post something and see that a litsy pal has already posted. I really miss those ballet Saturdays . 7y
saresmoore @andrew61 Yes! Isn't it fun? I had a moment today when I realized that in ten short years, my eldest will be an adult. The ballet years slip quickly into memories, don't they? 7y
andrew61 @saresmoore my oldest Madeleine (22) just got her degree results today and she did really well but it doesn't feel like two minutes since we were packing her leotard and ballet shoes in her pink bag on a Saturday morning :) 7y
80 likes5 comments
quote
GoneFishing

The best that can be said for Norwegian television is that it gives you the sensation of a coma without the worry and inconvenience.

MrsMalaprop 😄We travelled to New Zealand last year. This statement applies to their 'free to air' for sure. 8y
Texreader Husband from Norway said of this quote: "I'm not surprised." ?? 8y
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Kyjin
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I don't share Bill Bryson's love of cows, but I do appreciate his insights XD

3 likes1 stack add
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GoneFishing

But that's the glory of foreign travel...I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.

Cobscook I love Bill Bryson! 8y
anwade88 So true! Going to have to read this! 8y
45 likes7 stack adds2 comments
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PurpleyPumpkin
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Started the audio version of this book today. I like the author's reading style, kinda quirky. I can even hear him smiling, or so I imagine. 💭

Zelma This is my favorite Bryson book. He is fantastic and this one made me laugh out loud often. 8y
PurpleyPumpkin @Zelma Glad to hear it! Did you recently mention Bill Bryson on someone's post? If so, thank you because that's why I looked for his books. 😉 8y
23 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Infinitus
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Pickpick

Overall pretty entertaining, though not my favorite of his. Still made me want to go backpack around Europe though. Reading travel books is terrible for my wanderlust.

10 likes2 stack adds
review
britt_brooke
Bailedbailed

I just could not get into his writing. Maybe I should try a different book??