In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
Overview
From the Publisher
"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 curiosity." "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 the beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of a 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."--BOOK JACKET.
My thoughts
I started reading this book in the airport while waiting for a flight, and I laughed so hard I almost cried. People kept asking me what I was reading to make me laugh so hard! The book opens with a lot of humor and it keeps up throughout the book!
I will admit that I'm not really a fan of Bill Bryson -- I got on a Bill Bryson kick there for a while and read several of his books in a row, then they all started sounding the same. But this one is one of his best, and I highly recommend it.
Note from Becky
All books with a read date prior to fall 2003 were not added to this website at the time I read the books; rather they were added in late 2005 as I organized my home library. For that reason, the reviews are less substantial than the reviews of the books I have more recently read. That does not mean that the older books were less enjoyable; only that a lot of time has passed since I first read them and I haven't taken the time to go back and review the books. Perhaps in time that will come.
