In a Sunburned Country (Paperback)
June 1, 2009 by Aussie
Filed under Outback Guide Reviews
Review
Bill Bryson follows his Appalachian amble, A Walk in the Woods, with the story of his exploits in Australia, where A-bombs go off unnoticed, prime ministers disappear into the surf, and cheery citizens coexist with the world’s deadliest creatures: toxic caterpillars, aggressive seashells, crocodiles, sharks, snakes, and the deadliest of them all, the dreaded box jellyfish. And that’s just the beginning, as Bryson treks through sunbaked deserts and up endless coastline (more…)
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bill. As a proud Australian, it has been a never-ending source of irritation that Australia is forever portrayed as a land of beer-swilling “yobbos” who say “cobber” and “fair dinkum” rather a lot. For instance, ‘The Simpsons’ – usually such a witty, clever and insightful show – completely missed the point in their Australian episode. Finally, someone has managed to capture a bit of the character of this great country. He releases it from the shackles of the Paul Hogan stereotype.
This is a terrific read. Bryson has, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore many different parts of Australia – the cities, the outback, the tropics, and everything else in between. But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more than the destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there. Laugh-out-loud moments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of “A Walk in the Woods”, as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is “Neither Here Nor There”.
You don’t have to be at all familiar with Australia to appreciate and enjoy this book. I am, sadly, one of those Australians to which Bryson refers that has never seen Ayers Rock / Uluru myself. In fact, I have never been to the majority of places Bryson visits. It was a revelation for me, too.
Bryson once again recounts numerous historical and trivial anecdotes which, together with his unique view of the world, elevate this book well above the mere travel genre. This is insightful, this is informative, this is FUNNY.
Perversely, my only criticism is perhaps that he likes Australia a little too much. God knows, I’m so pleased that he does. However, he is, I believe, at his best when distressed. Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring out the devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here – his body boarding experience, his views on Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists in Darwin – but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic wit are somewhat limited.
Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the great Stephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with the hardships of outback Australia. He would have absolutely LOATHED it.
Read this book. It is a treat.
I am an unreserved Bryson fan. I love “Made In America” about the English language, and, as an Australian living in England for an extended time, thought he captured perfectly both the expat experience, and the endearing and irritating qualities of the Brits in “Notes from a small island” . This book is factually correct. That might sound inane, but there is nothing more irritating than reading about your own place and finding it tritely stereotypical or factually incorrect. Bill scores well on both counts.
Bill’s take on the Australian Prime Minister of the day (a small, invisible and colourless entity) is a reasonably brave thing to say in a sense – an outsider commenting on a political identity invites derision, but he captures the essence of the man so well.
The other special moment for me is his discovery of cricket on the radio…when all other stations fade out to static, there is the mighty game. Somehow or other, despite writing nonsense words, he captures the rhythm and cadences of radio cricket commentary PERFECTLY. To me, cricket on the radio is as much about summer as cicadas, running under the sprinkler and crackling heat. Beautifully pulled off!
A good read, and for the first time since leaving school I actually engaged with some of the stories of explorers! A wry but never cynical tone makes for an entertaining read. I am glad he pays “homage” to that other good ‘outsider’s book’ – “Sydney” by Jan Morris.
Bill Bryson covers much of the same terrain as the other great US travel writer, Paul Theroux, and seems to meet as many odd or intersting characters. Bill’s disposition, however, makes him far more open to LIKING a place, and enormously less self-absorbed.
Recommended.
Bill Bryson has an excellent way with words, especially with his descriptive writing. For a travel writer, I suppose this is a must. He’s also a humorist, and I laughed out loud on at least a half a dozen occasions while enjoying his adventures down under. Particularly amusing were his descriptions of a Cricket match, of a particularly bad hotel in Darwin and and of a drunken night in the Outback. He also gives a fine overall view of Austrailia, of which he covered much, but alas not nearly as much as he wanted. Though some might gripe that he spends too much time ruminating over the poisonous wildlife and looking for a cold beer, overall this is an exceptionally fun book to read. He includes many historical facts about Australia and even devotes some space to the unfortunate condition of the Aborigines. But not too much to spoil the fun. Bryson’s travel writings remind me of an apolitical P.J. O’Rourke, and for that he’s worth a read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great introduction to Australia in a really fun way.
This was my first Bryson book and it was a lot of fun. When I was in Australia other tourists kept asking me is I read the book so I had to get it and see what all the fuss was…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bill Bryson – In a Sunburned Country
“Sunburned Country” is one fantastic audio book. I had no idea what I was in for, knowing very little about Australia, but Mr.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bryson’s Best
Bill Bryson has the great ability to make the commonplace both interesting and hilarious. He makes Australia come alive, it’s people, it’s history, and it’s many oddities, from…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Choking Hazard – Do Not Read While Eating!
During several lunches, I laughed so hard I snorted salsa up my nose (twice) and diet coke (once). Not only is it descriptive and informative, it’s funny as heck!
5.0 out of 5 stars
In a Sunburned Country
This is a wonderfully insightful and accurate observation of Australia. The author thoroughly researched his subject, then added his own perspective and views. I real joy to read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bryson Downunder
This book is great very entertaining. I purchased the book because I am planning on moving to Australia and wanted to get some perspective on what it was like.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and hilarious
This is for the audio version of In a Sunburned Country. I laughed nonstop while listening to this. It’s narrated by the author, which I really enjoyed.
5.0 out of 5 stars
All Travel Books Should Be This Good
Bryson manages to convey enormous amounts of information and a fair bit of commentary about Australia in a fun, easy-to-read package that makes you care about the country, the…
4.0 out of 5 stars
MUST READ BEFORE LANDING!
I didn’t finish reading the book so I can’t give a complete review – the only thing I have to strongly suggest is that you read before landing in Australia.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful read.
It was a delightfully painless travel read. Very well researched, a lot of background but the the anecdotes were so humorous that it was very hard to put down.