I am reading In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. Similar to his other book, A Walk in the Woods, Bryson humorously accounts his journey through foreign territory and encounters with nature. In this book, however, Bryson is braving the outback in Australia instead of hiking the treacherous Appalachian Trail.
He balances the story with anecdotes from this trip combined with brief tangents into the history of Australia. I like this technique he uses to transition between different period in time. While learning about the history of, say, Australian politics would not normally be of interest to me, Bryson describes it from an outsider’s perspective. His perspective is unique because he has lived in Britain and America, and understands very little to none of anything that happens in Australia.
It is through these witty quips that the reader can learn more about Bryson's character. Here are just a few of many examples (I could probably find one on every page) that showcase Bryson’s humorous and sarcastic style:
“I am not, I regret to say, a discreet and fetching sleeper...I look as if I could do with medical attention...I snore hugely and helplessly, like a cartoon character...Then I shriek once or twice in a piercing and effeminate manner and wake up to find that all motion within five hundred feet has stopped”(12).
 |
| Bill Bryson |
“Dogs don’t like me...Dogs that have not moved from the sofa in years will, at the sniff of me passing outside, rise in fury and hurl themselves at shut windows. I have seen dogs, no bigger than a fluffy slipper, jerk old ladies off their feet and drag them over open ground in a quest to get at my blood and sinew”(52).
“It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively;that was merely an unintended side effect...It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players-more if they are particularly restless”(106).
Bryson’s often blunt, sarcastic, humorous descriptions of the most mundane events, make this all the more enjoyable to read.
In A Sunburned Country definitely sounds like a book I would enjoy. I really like when authors use their story to tell another story, in this case the history of Australia. This summer I read a book that taught me an amazing amount of Mexican history, but it wasn't boring at all because it was all told in the context of the author's life story. I also really enjoyed the witty quotes you pulled out of the text, the author of this book has similar humorous style as Joe Muto, the author of the book I'm reading. What I wonder is whether or not you were interested in the history of Australia before reading this book? Because if not, the fact that you are enjoying this book so much shows that this author has a very effective style!
ReplyDeleteI see that this author seems to be quite the adventurer, as he is braving a treacherous part of the world for the second time. I assume he is alone, which means that without a humorous tone could make for a pretty boring book. Or maybe not, the Australian outback is definitely full of surprises, and most of them are capable of killing you!
My favourite quote you chose was about cricket. As an Indian, I watch more cricket than is probably healthy for any human being. I find it terribly boring but all my family members (most notably my dad) get super excited about it. The worst part is that the time difference between here and India is so large, that sometimes I hear him cheering for India at 5 in the morning!
I do love Bryson's voice that you bring forth in your post, Grace. He sounds like my kind of snarky guy. I wonder how his human encounters have been in Australia -- how was he received? What kind of history does he unveil -- Australia has an interesting one...
ReplyDeleteAnd, Asha, I want you to explain Cricket to me!