I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away

Bill Bryson is an excellent writer. Of all his numerous books that I have read, this is my favorite. I have purchased more than one copy as a gift. On my initial reading, I laughed out loud more than once on an airplane ride. Having spent many years in England, Bryson writes about his return to his native United States. He finds many of the customs in the US curious and puzzling. You will see this country with fresh eyes and humor. Each chapter stands alone so this is a great book to pick and put down. I loved reading it all in one sitting because once I was tickled by his humor, I could not bear to stop.

This is my third Bill Bryson book, and I intend to buy more. I buy the audio versions, which is narrated by the author himself. As a frequently listener of audio books, I enjoy his narration as his voice and metric is not only pleasant, but adds subtle nuances to the storytelling. I have gathered from other books that Bill is on the left side of the political fence. That's perfectly fine. I'm from the right, but it does not stop me from enjoying his books. His book about Australia (In a Sunburned Country) was almost entirely political neutral, so whatever ideological differences we have were irrelevant. This book (I'm a Stranger Here Myself) was very enjoyable until he decided to cut into Americans who oppose illegal immigration, own a gun, or believe in a strong national defense. Incredibly, in the very next chapter, he brags about living in safe, clean, friendly part of the country that's free of crime (and although he does not say this, it's also the whitest part of the country). I wonder how his views would change if he lived in southern California for a while. Anyway, the book is funny and enjoyable, but I wasn't expecting a one-sided political debate.

As a Brit transplanted to the States many years ago I don't know when I have enjoyed a book more! I laughed til I cried at some of the stories and was utterly charmed by the rest. Bill Britain's self effacing wit and the ability to see the ridiculousness in almost any situation make for a delightful read. I would recommend this collection to anyone!

I bought this book thinking there would be a lot of insightful comparisons of living in England vs. the U.S. The book, published in 1998, is actually just a collection of newspaper columns which do not seem to have been edited much. Bryson complains about things like not being able to figure out how to use his computer and his automatic garage door opener and even question their usefulness. He sounds like a silly old Luddite frankly. Only a few sections of the book compare the US and England, which makes it a bit of false advertising. Bryson does make a lot of hilarious comments about the travails of life generally and I guess that's where the value of the book lies. Phrases like "IQ of a mollusc" made me laugh out loud. He whines about a lot of other silly things that people in this day age do not because they have improved so dramatically--computers, hotel room service food, etc. I would say about 20% of this book is actually insightful or funny. The rest is just filler newspaper columns.

I will always recommend a Bill Bryson book, but this one had me laughing in every chapter except the last. Here Mr. Bryson pokes fun at the USA and England and himself. He notes the consumer's avid consumption here and the more restrained British public and we all know we deserve it. Thank you Mr. Bryson for this humorous reminder to us all of our ardent search for the next best thing.

As with Bill's books, you get a tongue in cheek narrative about things that are different about America and Britain. But also get his whimsical perspective to the changes within America over the past 20 years. The book was written before Cocvid-19. I recommend this book for a light hearted read.

Bill Bryson’s memoir is a best of collection of columns that are very funny. My disclaimer: this is for the older crowd. So many of the nostalgic topics are about motels, diners, the corner drug store . . . IOW the days before franchises took over everything. And since this book was written 24 years ago, younger readers simply won’t be familiar with many of the references. What I liked so much is the off the beaten path topics & would never have expected an article in praise of one of the most accomplished presidents in US history: Herbert Hoover! And this from a flaming liberal! A- Easy reading

I read my first Bill Bryson book. A Walk in the Woods, when it was first published and have been a fan ever since. I recently began acquiring them on my Kindle and reading them again, and they are still enjoyable. Bill Bryson has an interesting perspective on two cultures. Born in the U.S., moving to Britain in his 20s, and thenmoving back to the U.S. after 20 years, he esentially gets to be an outsider in his native country as he tries to the changes in that have occurred his home country in the two decades he has been away. The book is essentially a collection of weekly columns he wrote that were published back in Britain. They range between funny and poignant, but are all well written end will leave you smiling.

An avid Bill Bryson fan, hadn't heard of this title...because this book is published in the US. In the UK, its title was "Notes From A Big Country" as a follow on to the book that gained huge popularity in the UK, "Notes From A Small Island", a book obviously less popular/relevant with Americans. Still, an extremely enjoyable, often very funny, perceptive and very well written (from a literate perspective) collection of articles in either title, originally published in the British newspaper, The Mail On Sunday.

Bill Bryson zieht nach vielen Jahren in Großbritannien zurück in die Heimat. Mit viel Humor schreibt er wöchentliche Kolumnen über die alltäglichen Kuriositäten als Rückkehrer in die USA. Diese Kolumnen bilden die einzelnen Kapitel dieses Buches. Das Buch ist zwar schon einige Jahre alt, aber immer noch herrlich unterhaltend. Als USA-Liebhaber, der schon oft „drüben“ war, erkennt man viele Situationen wieder. Schöne Urlaubslektüre! Absolut empfehlenswert.

I love anything by Bill Bryson. I hope he has a few more books left in him!

Che ottima edizione, splendido libro, mi serve per un regalo! Lo consiglio moltissimo. Se sapete l'inglese non avrete problemi di lettura. Peccato non sia mai stato tradotto e stampato anche in Italia.

Através da sua forma divertida (e irreverente) de escrever, Bryson nos fornece informações valiosas sobre os hábitos e o jeito de pensar do povo americano, o que faz esse livro ser tão bom quanto "Notes From a Small Island".