Few weeks back while at my US trip I read this book "Notes
from a Big Country" by Bill
Bryson. Like his other books, Bryson's humour is unmistakable in this book as
well. Like others have said in the Amazon's book comments you will find yourself laughing
loud in many places.
The book is a collection of a weekly column in Mail
on Sundays Night and Day magazine in UK. So this book has been written more
for an international audience who will find things different in USA from their country.
Having visited USA many times I can say I was baffled too at many of similar scenes
observed by Bryson. So in many places of the book I could relate to his experience
and enjoy the scene. Commenting on common American living habits, you might be mistaken
like some Americans (who have commented in Amazon)
that Byrson is making "fun" of Americans at large. This being my fourth
book written by Bryson, I can say that he has nothing against America, this is his
style - It is the same when he writes about UK, Europe or
even Shakespeare,
so nothing different here. More than the scenes described, what I really liked is
Bryson's extraction of Humour from all the weird situations like the once I have mentioned
below:
-
Picture ID to be shown in US Airports (Bryson calls this as Permissible Visual Cognitive
Imaging)
-
Junk Food Heaven - "We don't usually clean our fridge - we just box it up
every four or five years and send it off to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta
with a note to help themselves to anything that looks scientifically promising"
-
The countless forms used by American Immigration - "You can spend days repeatedly
dialling a phone number that is forever engaged, only to be told when you finally
do get through that you must call another number, which the person tells you once
in a mumble and you don't quite catch before you are cut off"
-
Commercials - "The new Dodge Backfire. Rated number one against the Chrysler
Inert for Handling. Rated number one against the Plymouth Repellant for mileage"
-
Cupholder Revolution - "But our computers don't come with cupholders"
-
Why no one walks - "Not long after we moved here we had the people next door
round for dinner and - I swear this is true - they drove"
-
The great indoors and the obsession for living always in a climate controlled environment
- "Skywalks - enclosed pedestrian flyovers"
-
Abundance of choice in American super markets - "Thirty five varieties of
Crest Toothpaste"
-
Spinning the truth - how the "special offer" advertisements exasperates
the truth
If you have visited USA and felt things are different from your country then this
book is a must read for you.
Read the complete post at http://www.venkatarangan.com/blog/2008/11/14/Notes+From+A+Big+Country.aspx