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In a Sunburned Country by: Bill Bryson List Price: CDN$ 22.00 City Travel Guides Price: CDN$ 16.06 You Save: CDN$5.94 (27%)Prices subject to change. |
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Binding: Paperback EAN: 9780385259415 ISBN: 0385259417 Label: Anchor Canada Manufacturer: Anchor Canada Number Of Pages: 376 Publication Date: June 12, 2001 Publisher: Anchor Canada Release Date: June 12, 2001 Studio: Anchor Canada Sales Rank: 14488 Related Items:
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Editorial Review: From Amazon.com: 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 coastlines, crisscrossing the "under-discovered" Down Under in search of all things interesting. Bryson, who could make a pile of dirt compelling--and yes, Australia is mostly dirt--finds no shortage of curiosities. When he isn't dodging Portuguese man-of-wars or considering the virtues of the remarkable platypus, he visits southwest Gippsland, home of the world's largest earthworms (up to 12 feet in length). He discovers that Australia, which began nationhood as a prison, contains the longest straight stretch of railroad track in the world (297 miles), as well as the world's largest monolith (the majestic Uluru) and largest living thing (the Great Barrier Reef). He finds ridiculous place names: "Mullumbimby Ewylamartup, Jiggalong, and the supremely satisfying Tittybong," and manages to catch a cricket game on the radio, which is like listening to two men sitting in a rowboat on a large, placid lake on a day when the fish aren't biting; it's like having a nap without losing consciousness. It actually helps not to know quite what's going on. In such a rarefied world of contentment and inactivity, comprehension would become a distraction. "You see," Bryson observes, "Australia is an interesting place. It truly is. And that really is all I'm saying." Of course, Bryson--who is as much a travel writer here as a humorist, naturalist, and historian--says much more, and does so with generous amounts of wit and hilarity. Australia may be "mostly empty and a long way away," but it's a little closer now. --Rob McDonald Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Even after a dozen or so reads I still laugh every timeI can't even remember how many times I've read this fantastic, hilarious, well-researched and touching account of author Bill Bryson's travels across distant Australia. There are endless anecdotes which are worked seamlessly into an already wonderful piece of writing. The chapter on cricket on the radio always stands out for me, my mom often quotes favorite lines from that particular section. But most of all, when I first read this book I was 13. I didn't really know anything about Australia aside from the fact that it was the home of kangaroos and dingos. Well, In A Sunburned Country made me fall in love with Oz. Now I see it as a kind of Canada of the Southern Hemisphere, rugged and very nature driven with a small population ... Read More: Rating:  - Good LaughsThis funny account of travel in Australia isn't necessarily the greatest of Bryson's works, but it is worth a read! You will find it entertaining, with his usual piercing, sarcastic, and witty insight. Rating: - A very witty story told about visiting and history of AustraliaThis book was originally recommended to me by a co-worker when he found out I was taking my annual 3 week vacation this year to Australia. This will be my first trip Down Under. He advised that it was well written, witty, informative, and kept him in stitches. I wasn't disappointed when I bought it at a travel specialty store in downtown Vancouver. The book is written in such a way that it's like the author is discussing his adventures to you over a cup of coffee at a local cafe. He pokes fun at himself over the mistakes and misadventures he gets himself into with dry humour (a bit of self depreciation too), and the people that he works with and meets in Australia are not immune to his keen observations. He also includes historical facts from ... Read More: Rating: - A Quirky TakeThe day I picked up this book, I was sitting at the bus stop reading the first couple of pages, chuckling to myself at Bryson's turn of phrase and ability to see humour it the most common of events, when a voice beside me asked what was so funny. Instantly recognizing the accent as coming from the 'sunburnt country', I proceeded to read Bryson's comments about the PM who went swimming and never came back. To paraphrase Bryson, "I had never known of a country to loose a prime minister!" The Aussie woman threw her head back and announced, amongst her laughter, that this was the best bloody description of what happened. After that recommendation, I dove into the book and devoured it quickly. Rating: - A Superb CD Book Listening ExperienceI love to hear Bill Bryson read his books aloud. His 10 disc monologue on Australia was, by turns, fascinating, LOL amusing, astonishing, informative, good natured and good company. I won't describe the book's content here - others have done a fine job in their reviews. My focus is, instead, on the experience of LISTENING to Bill Bryson. I regularly listen to books on CD as I drive around Upstate New York for work. After spending many hundreds of hours hearing recordings of books, I fancy myself an experienced and discriminating listener. IMHO, Bryson is an engaging and sociable reader as well as a superb (virtual) travelling companion. I believe he genuinely enjoys the act of reading aloud for others. After hearing this generous yet informal ... Read More: |
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