Notes from a Small Island. Bill Bryson

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I am relieved to say that I felt a lot better about this book by the end then I did at the start. Bryson's journey begins with flashing back to areas he previously visited and lived and worked in, in the 70s, and there seems to be more of a cantankerous, cynical, judgemental attitude on display. There may be some cranky old guy 'when I was your age' deploring the changes time has wrought,and the bad choices by civic planning, at play. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Gradually, as he travels into areas with more pleasing architecture and scenery, and even to new places and experiences, the tone becomes less misanthropic-trying-to-be-funny, and his love for this 'small island' and his concern for the preservation of historic and natural features, his knowledge of underfunded institutions he wishes to bring to the reader's attention, and historical tidbits throughout, create a much more enjoyable reading 2d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? experience. I suppose I could sum it up and say he's scrupulously honest, about the condition of his rooms, the food on offer, the architecture, the place as experience and even occasionally his own less than sterling behaviour, and when other people are both intolerable and lovely. There are a number of moments however, where I think he could have said things differently, and indeed, if this were written today, no doubt would have. 2d

Robotswithpersonality 4/? I appreciate that when the accommodations/eateries are good the place is named, and when they are not, it is nameless, there's no specific attacks (libel concern?), beyond some very unflattering portraits of fellow anonymous travelers. There's a general shift from personal history to place history, which adds something to an account that would otherwise be solely 'I went here and saw this, did this', not to knock the framework of the tradition 2d

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? travelogue! 😅
I am curious what this trip would have yielded if he had not traveled during the 'off season', evidently more things would be open, but he would probably also have been complaining volubly about the crush of crowds. Likewise, as 30 years have transpired since publication, I wonder both whether this book had an effect on tourism, increasing visits to less well known spots, and whether the passage of time 2d

Robotswithpersonality 6/? means that certain places no longer bear much similarity to the way they are described. It is 'Notes', not a comprehensive look, at anything really, but a decent meander from someone with an overall positive perspective.
I think I will pick up his other books. Having started with A Walk in the Woods, I was not entirely sold, and maybe the difference here was knowing and loving a good portion of the area involved beforehand, 2d

Robotswithpersonality 7/7 but I can see the potential for observational humour that's not quite as mean, and truly caring investigation of the places traveled, which I enjoy. I'm also very interested in travelogues where the majority if not the entirety of the rambling is on foot, and this definitely fit the bill. ⚠️ fatphobia 2d

willaful His books have gotten very “get off my lawn“ in tone in recent years, unfortunately. 2d

Robotswithpersonality @willaful 😬 I was afraid of that.... 2d

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