Try free for 30 days
-
Notes from a Small Island
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Notes from a Small Island
Buy Now for $21.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Neither Here Nor There
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
Bill Bryson's first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here Nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.
-
The Road to Little Dribbling
- More Notes From a Small Island
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
Twenty years ago Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation’s heart and became the best-selling travel book ever and was voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey around Britain to see what has changed.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Typical Bryson
- By Jan on 22-10-2015
-
A Walk in the Woods
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states, and over 2,000 miles. It stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. It is famous for being the longest continuous footpath in the world. (Compare this with the Pennine Way, which is a mere 250 miles long.) It snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I love Bryson narrated Bryson books.
- By Dwayne on 03-05-2016
-
One Summer
- America 1927
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 189
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
One Summer: America, 1927, is the new book by Britain’s favourite writer of narrative nonfiction, Bill Bryson. Narrated by the man himself, One Summer takes you to the summer when America came of age, took centre stage, and changed the world forever. In the summer of 1927, America had a booming stock market, a president who worked just four hours a day, a semi-crazed sculptor with a plan to carve four giant heads into a mountain called Rushmore, a devastating flood of the Mississippi, a sensational murder trial, and a youthful aviator named Charles Lindbergh who started the summer wholly unknown, and finished it as the most famous man on Earth.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Summer more or less
- By Cainsy on 17-05-2015
-
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
- Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes.
-
Shakespeare
- The World as a Stage
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard: from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable, fun, & informative
- By Ballina Beach on 11-04-2016
-
Neither Here Nor There
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
Bill Bryson's first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here Nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.
-
The Road to Little Dribbling
- More Notes From a Small Island
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
Twenty years ago Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation’s heart and became the best-selling travel book ever and was voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey around Britain to see what has changed.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Typical Bryson
- By Jan on 22-10-2015
-
A Walk in the Woods
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states, and over 2,000 miles. It stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. It is famous for being the longest continuous footpath in the world. (Compare this with the Pennine Way, which is a mere 250 miles long.) It snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I love Bryson narrated Bryson books.
- By Dwayne on 03-05-2016
-
One Summer
- America 1927
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 189
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
One Summer: America, 1927, is the new book by Britain’s favourite writer of narrative nonfiction, Bill Bryson. Narrated by the man himself, One Summer takes you to the summer when America came of age, took centre stage, and changed the world forever. In the summer of 1927, America had a booming stock market, a president who worked just four hours a day, a semi-crazed sculptor with a plan to carve four giant heads into a mountain called Rushmore, a devastating flood of the Mississippi, a sensational murder trial, and a youthful aviator named Charles Lindbergh who started the summer wholly unknown, and finished it as the most famous man on Earth.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Summer more or less
- By Cainsy on 17-05-2015
-
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
- Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes.
-
Shakespeare
- The World as a Stage
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard: from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable, fun, & informative
- By Ballina Beach on 11-04-2016
-
Journeys in English
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
This highly entertaining BBC Radio 4 series is written and presented by Bill Bryson and based on his best-selling book, Mother Tongue. In it, he romps through the history of Britain to reveal how English became such an infuriatingly complex - but ultimately world-beating - language.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting subject but poorly mastered
- By Rachel C. on 01-03-2021
-
A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,227
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,456
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,440
A Short History of Nearly Everything is Bill Bryson's quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. He takes subjects that normally bore the pants off most of us, like geology, chemistry, and particle physics, and aims to render them comprehensible to people who have never thought they could be interested in science. In the company of some extraordinary scientists, Bill Bryson reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not what I expected but brilliant!
- By Michael on 27-11-2015
-
The Body
- A Guide for Occupants
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 618
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 497
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 491
In the best-selling, prize-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson achieved the seemingly impossible by making the science of our world both understandable and entertaining to millions of people around the globe. Now he turns his attention inwards to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological makeup.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not Bryson’s best
- By Chelsea on 08-10-2019
-
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 16 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 997
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 863
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 858
Bill Bryson was struck one day by the thought that we devote more time to studying the battles and wars of history than to considering what history really consists of: centuries of people quietly going about their daily business. This inspired him to start a journey around his own house, an old rectory in Norfolk, considering how the ordinary things in life came to be.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best use of a credit
- By Rachel on 29-07-2015
-
Down Under
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,024
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,023
Australia has more things that can kill you than anywhere else. Nevertheless, Bill Bryson journeyed to the country and promptly fell in love with it. The people are cheerful, their cities are clean, the beer is cold, and the sun nearly always shines.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
It's OK but --------------------
- By Extraordinary Gent. on 26-04-2015
-
Travelling to Work
- Diaries 1988–1998 (Volume 3)
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 23 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Travelling to Work is the third volume of Michael Palin's widely acclaimed diaries. After the Python years and a decade of filming, writing and acting, Palin's career takes an unexpected direction into travel, which will shape his working life for the next 25 years. Yet, as the diaries reveal, he remained ferociously busy on a host of other projects throughout this whirlwind period.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Loved the adventure
- By Anonymous User on 07-12-2023
-
Made in America
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 214
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 188
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very entertaining account of American vocabulary
- By Aileen on 03-07-2015
-
A Walk in the Woods
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 485
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 432
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 431
The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states and over 2,000 miles, snaking through some of the most spectacular landscapes in America. Reluctant adventurer Bryson recounts his gruelling hike along the longest continuous footpath in the world.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A realists view into hiking long distance
- By Peter on 30-08-2018
-
The Lost Continent
- Travels In Small Town America
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 193
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 192
Hardly anyone ever leaves Des Moines, Iowa. But Bill Bryson did, and after 10 years in England he decided to go home, to a foreign country. In an ageing Chevrolet Chevette, he drove nearly 14,000 miles through 38 states to compile this hilarious and perceptive state-of-the-nation report on small-town America.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Worst Bryson Book
- By Anonymous User on 21-05-2019
-
Icons of England
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: David Rintoul, Barnaby Edwards, Ben Eagle, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 8
This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Perhaps if you’d grown up in UK it’d be ok.
- By Chris Pedder on 13-10-2020
-
Around the World in 80 Trains
- A 45,000-Mile Adventure
- By: Monisha Rajesh
- Narrated by: Monisha Rajesh
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
When Monisha Rajesh announced plans to circumnavigate the globe in 80 train journeys, she was met with wide-eyed disbelief. But it wasn’t long before she was carefully plotting a route that would cover 45,000 miles - almost twice the circumference of the earth - coasting along the world’s most remarkable railways; from the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet’s Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Packing up her rucksack - and her fiancé, Jem, Monisha embarks on an unforgettable adventure.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An amazing book that took me on a journey
- By Anonymous User on 15-08-2020
-
Erebus: The Story of a Ship
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 144
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 135
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 135
In his major new work, Michael Palin - former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globe-trotter - brings to life the world and voyages of HMS Erebus, from its construction in the naval dockyards of Pembroke, to the part it played in Ross’s Antarctic expedition of 1839-43, to its abandonment during Franklin’s ill-fated Arctic expedition, and to its final rediscovery on the seabed in Queen Maud Gulf in 2014.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Totally absorbing
- By The Quiet Reader on 14-10-2018
Publisher's Summary
After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while but before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain. His aim was to take stock of the nation's public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy, place names like Farleigh Wallop and Shellow Bowells, people who said 'Mustn't grumble', and Gardeners' Question Time.
What listeners say about Notes from a Small Island
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-02-2022
Another excellent Bryson book
You can't go wrong with Bill Bryson, interesting fact filled with a good dose of dry humour.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Whyme
- 22-05-2020
Takes me Back
Having lived in Australia for the past 30 years this wonderful book brought many dim memories of the Britain of my youth flooding back. Bill expresses my feelings for Britishness in ways that I cannot, things that seem inconsequential but add up to a uniqueness of character so easily overlooked or in my case forgotten. My only grumble is the music which the producers must have thought a clever idea. It isn’t and just grated.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- diane
- 06-02-2020
entertaining, informative and wonderful
I loved this book, and more especially since it is narrated by Mr Bryson himself. He is fun and funny. he is able to encapsulate ideas and feelings that most of us have but have never been able to put into words. I was disappointed to get to the end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Diana
- 07-10-2014
Short and charming
Would you consider the audio edition of Notes from a Small Island to be better than the print version?
About the same -- though Bill Bryson's reading is quite lovely.
Would you be willing to try another book from Bill Bryson? Why or why not?
Yes, as he is prone to take notice of all sorts of interesting details.
What does Bill Bryson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
The almost-deadpan delivery -- which is oddly enjoyable.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- udidit
- 07-10-2012
Disappointing !
I was a fan of Bill Bryson until this book, which I was really looking forward to listening to.
We all have bad days and he, at least, admits to having several whilst journeying through Britain. Unfortunately he comes over as being or trying to be funny and cynical at the same time and does not pull it off 99% of the time, making the listener yawn and hope that the weather and story will improve, but sadly for him at least, neither seem to and the reader/listener is left wishing the agony would stop! Its basically very boring.
I was so glad that he decided later in his life to return to his native country because having personally lived in both countries myself, I truly believe that the "chip" he carried around on his shoulder whilst trying to write this book would have lightened as soon as he was amongst his own again in Iowa and I mean this kindly having also lived in Iowa!
I really enjoyed other books that he has written and will try to lighten up regarding this one but to date have not changed my initial reaction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Punchedtoast
- 21-11-2023
Always Entertaining
Bryson produces some of the easiest content to listen to. I am always baffled when the books end so soon because I’ve been listening to them nonstop. Another winner full of hilarious charm. There does seem to be a weird, misplaced musical interlude about 20 minutes from the end at full volume. So, just be ready.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- paola
- 23-02-2023
disappointingly boring
I was SURE this was going to be at least as funny as the one about Australia. That one is one of the - if not the absolute - funniest books I’ve ever read. This one was torture. At one point I decided to speed the voice up for it to get to the end sooner. It got worse and worse. Narration was great though.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Andre
- 15-02-2016
pleasantville
A languid, amiable account of BB's travels to the UK, which at times had me chortling, but I enjoyed most of his other books more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rachel
- 03-08-2015
Bryson does it again!
Bryson turns one man's travels through England to a masterclass in intelligent commentary, exquisitely crafted story, and humorous tales. Would definitely recommend to all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jim Gibson
- 25-05-2019
Edited version
This is a very short version of the great book. Still enjoyable but the 10 hour version is the whole book. Not worth a whole credit.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Chris
- 10-02-2013
Love The Narration
I have listen to Bill Bryson books narrated by BIll himself, and by William Roberts (The Lost Continent). Having originally listened to the Roberts narration, I thought I liked it, however, I then moved on to this book narrated by Bill himself. The difference is amazing. Roberts is a more polished audiobook reader, but he also makes the book sound somehow detached from what is going on. Bill, although more gentle in tone, is simply delightful when he comes across a particularly fond memory, and it feels as though you can hear him smile as he reads it back to himself, forgetting he is even being recorded.
This quirk in the reading is so endearing that I now cannot go back and listen to William Roberts who obviously cannot relate to the material in the same way. These books are after all a personal tale of adventure and experiences.
I do not think there is anything wrong with the Roberts narration, but I can only recommend you listen to all the books narrated by him BEFORE listening to one narrated by Bill Bryson himself. Only you have heard the difference, you cannot go back. I only wish Bill had narrated all of his books on Audible.
This book itself is great, and I chuckle to myself in public often at the observations about British life going on around me. Recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Monty
- 19-02-2021
Hilarious but the abridged version
Simply brilliant. However a very un-briliant idea to make this an abridged version. Love Bill, but wanted the full story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-01-2021
A nice story humorously told, but not all that interesting
Firstly, I did enjoy this and particularly enjoyed listening to Bryson read it himself. It’s a humorous travelogue and presents an interesting picture of a Britain that doesn’t really exist anymore - though a place’s importance is possibly still in part designated by whether or not it has a Marks and Spencer’s. However, as a Scot and recent inhabitant of the north east of England I felt a bit aggrieved. Bryson spends the vast majority of the book in England, which I can accept considering its geographical size, but a truly amazing proportion of that in the south before eventually arriving in the north and realising its not half as bad, ugly or poor as its rumoured in the south to be. Having recently spent a year at Durham University I was waiting patiently for him to arrive in Durham and his commentary was lovely as expected (this man really loves a cathedral), but now I am left wondering what he thinks of his ugly and uninspiring namesake, Durham’s Bill Bryson Library, given his sensitivity to ugly architecture.
If you’re looking for a roundup of Britain’s best and most beautiful bits, that’s not what you’ll get. Instead he presents a detailed though accurate portrayal of Britain’s inadequate public transport and plenty of descriptions of dirty guesthouses. However, Bill Bryson clearly loves Britain for its faults and not in spite of them and that’s quite endearing.
Finally, there were a few production issues on this version to watch out for (if you’re thinking of paying for this). There’s a section of jumpy audio and one bit (if I remember correctly, in the section where he speeds through a tiny fragment of Scotland and doesn’t seem to like it much) where some background music suddenly appears, suddenly gets very loud, and then suddenly disappears, just as you’ve finished checking whether you’ve accidentally set a video running in the background of your phone or laptop.
Overall a nice story to have on in the background of lockdown pacing in your house which doesn’t actually fill you with a great desire to get out and see many of the places mentioned... but that’s both it’s merit and it’s shortcoming.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- DR
- 17-09-2016
Wonderful!
Really fantastic, this is a must listen! ... only small gripe is the bizarre music which appeared a 2 or 3 times and almost obscured the speech. Fortunately it only lasts a minute or so each time so doesn't cause a problem overall, but was an odd production choice which I can't fathom!
Don't let that put you off though, I'm really writing it for the production company to see ... I still recommend without hesitation!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Letty
- 11-09-2015
Love this book
This is such a good book which I read years ago. It's funny, quirky and gently mocks the British way of doing things.
I like Bill Brysons narration of his own books very much.
The book was great apart from very odd music suddenly drowning out much of the narration when Bill Bryson reached John O Groats. It was most peculiar and unnecessary....I didn't know where the music was coming from initially and then it swelled louder and louder until I wondered whether to turn off the book! Luckily it only lasted a few minutes but I do wonder what it was for and how it was supposed to enhance the recording.
Apart from that I thought it a good recording and would recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Craig
- 28-09-2023
Bill is Fantastic
Having emigrated myself not happy with Britain I came back. Then I truly appreciated the place much like Bill did having come from US. Maybe you don’t know what you’ve got till you don’t have it anymore? Maybe grass ain’t always greener? Or maybe Britain is good. No country is perfect but they all have their plusses.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maddy Burger
- 16-05-2023
Love the humour
Now that I’m living in the Isle of Man, I appreciate the book more. Many of Bryson’s descriptions, I can relate to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Ashfield
- 09-02-2023
glitches in audio
charming little book but audio glitches towards the end. from skipping to random music which increases and decreases over the narrators voice
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-01-2023
Amusing, quaint, from the heart
This is the 2nd time I’ve listened to the book. I’ve read it, too. Bill Bryson speaks from my heart when he describes this little island that I’ve, too, called my home for the last 25 years and simply afire - with the good and the bad.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
