Both a brilliant piece of travel writing, and a wonderfully funny, perceptive view of small town America.

Released on Monday, August 16, 2004 at Library Bar, Dublin in Book Crossing Meet-Up, a fellow bookcrosser Controlled Releases.

Released at the Dublin meet-up last night.

caught (unawares!) in the Library Bar last night

reserved for Ilios

released to Ilios

Thanks, nordie! I just got this in the mail. I have a big TBR pile, so it might take me a while to get to this, but I'll update this entry as soon as I am done. Thanks for sharing!

I tried to like this book, as it was a RABCK from a generous BXer, but I couldn't. I read the first few pages, then skimmed through the middle, but could only find passages complaining how small town America is backward, stupid, disgusting, etc.

One of the amazing characteristics of the American people is that they are very self-critical. This book obviously went a little bit overboard for my taste, but I am passing on the kindness and will sent it to cynnicat as part of a trade.

thanks for the lovely trade, Ilios! And I love the awesome postcard! I'm sorry you didn't like this one. You should try A Walk in the Woods which I thought was a lot more appreciating of the American wilderness that this book is of small town America. heh. I will write another journal as soon as I'm done reading this!

For a book under 300 pages it sure took me a while to trudge through. I started Dickens' Great Expectations at the same time and I finished that WEEKS ago. It started out good. Some laugh out loud parts, but then it didn't seem like Bryson had much to say. Every small town started to seem like every other. Bryson calls every town "nice" but then makes fun of the comments in a visitor book in Elvis's house because everyone calls Elvis's house different variations of "nice." I live in a small town in upstate New York and on a trip through small towns in Maine a couple years ago I started getting depressed at how similar every place is in America, so I definitely don't blame Bryson for not having a ton to say, but there should be a reason he is writing this book! As I was reading, I thought, hmm, Bryson seems to like calling Americans stupid. Then I remembered hearing it somewhere before... then I remembered I read it on a previous BC journal entry! That's pretty much when I stopped laughing out loud.

Page 71 -- Bryson talks about a college town not having a decent book store (one with actual books instead of textbooks/ tshirts/ etc). "Most American universities have upwards of 20,000 students or more, and upwards of 800 or 1,000 professors and lecturers. How can any community with that many educated people not support a single decent bookstore?"
That sort of was the only thing that made sense to me in the entire book. Oh, so is this why no one ever fails college? hmm... it's because they don't need books!

If you haven't read any Bryson yet, I suggest not starting with this one. Start with A Walk in the Woods! I wouldn't suggest this one to anyone, but A Walk in the Woods is possibly the best book I read in 2007... interesting.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Off to a local charity shop at last.

According to the last journal entry, this is in a charity shop but I actually still have it. It is available!

Sent to fancyhorse! Enjoy!

Just received this in the mail from cinnycat, in a package with two other books. Thank you, cinnycat!

I saw it was Bill Bryson, and was happy because I've read some of his books, until I saw some journal entries. I'll give it a go, anyway.

Well, cinnycat and Ilios were right. Mr. Bryson did grumble and complain a lot in this book. I would love to be able to travel around the U.S. like he did! I'm sorry he didn't enjoy it more. There were a few laughs and chuckles, though. Enough to make MrHorse curious, so I 'll let him read it before we release it.

(I wonder how B. B. got from Selma to Tuskegee in Alabama without at least passing the outskirts of Montgomery! Not a mention, amazing! Also, I've shopped in the bookstore on the Auburn University campus as well as the ones in town. The one on campus has a good selection of all kinds of books.)

Hello Friend,
I hope you will enjoy this book. Please make a journal entry here at Bookcrossing, and then send it on!
You can be an Anonymous Finder without joining the site, but If you do decide to join, please consider using me, FancyHorse, as the member who referred you. Thank you!