This book informs as much as it entertains and it will take you on an interesting and very funny journey through the country of Australia because Mr Bryson is a very fun and well informed travelling companion indeed. So funny.Īnother example would be when he is describing the different unusual names of towns down under, even without comment he makes it funny in his relay of such information.

With Mr Bryson we are told about the nation's quirks as well as hearing it praised.įor example he recounts a story sent to him by an Australian friend who has recently passed on about a family she knew of and the interpretation of such events by the families little girl. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. I love his very honest descriptions of those he comes across minus the usual political correctness. Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His self deprecation is so endearing as he tells us about his lack of social success when eating alone in various hotels and restaurants and his interactions with the natives.

For example the history of Australia and random facts about the background of it's cities are so well delivered, and keep you wanting more. His blend of cultural and historical information coupled with subtle humour and gentle ribbing is so infectious. Reading this is like time travel for me, and immediately took me right back to that moment of loveliness. 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.Īustralia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.It is years and years now since I read the eponymous line which introduced me to Bill Bryson through his novel, America: The Lost Continent. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.ĭespite 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.

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. Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out.

Bill bryson in a sunburned country