Rating: 
Summary: Not Bryson's Best
Review: Notes From a Small Island has all the Bryson hallmarks: long sentences that are well crafted and use words in interesting ways; amusing anecdotes; laugh out loud lines and description of travel.Unfortunately, this travel book of Great Britain focus more on Bryson's personal experiences at every stop instead of telling the interesting stories of the places he visits. This book has far too many recitations of Bryson's breakfasts, lunches, dinners and teas. We are regaled nightly with a critique of the room, hotel and appointments of is current lodgings. I had one moment of irony. Toward the end of the book, the author stated that it was getting difficult to get up to see places during the latter stages of his trip. He allowed that this was because British towns all had a degree of sameness in their Marks and Spencer's stores, corner pubs and British Rail stations. His writing struck me the same way. Too many of his landings featured a walk up a dreary main street, a meal of indian cuisine that was less than satisfying and a stay in a room that failed to meet his expectation. I wondered if the author's editor was struck by this congruence of story and story pace. His more recent books, "A Walk in the Woods," and "In a Sunburnt Country" featured much more insightful writing. In these books, Bryson told the history, background and odd tidbit about the places he visited. The meals, motels and transport were background that filled out rather interesting place descriptions.
In this book, Bryson reverses the emphasis. The result is an account where Bryson is the main focus rather than the places he is describing. That doesn't mean that this book is without some interesting moments or amusing passages. Bryson is, after all, an engaging writer. It just seems that in this effort he set out to write a quickie book that relied heavily on his notes and too lightly on the place research that makes some of his other offerings amusing and fascinating learning experiences.
Rating:
Summary: Project week at Putney
Review: What I really liked about reading this book were those moments when I caught myself unconsciously belting out a laugh in a quiet room of people. I found these moments sporadically tucked into the pages of this book. It was like coming across pieces of candy during treasure hunt. The body of the book, however, I found more or less overly critical. Now I am aware that Bryson's critical tone was partially sarcasm and humorous, but I found his negative tone had the ability to grow a little old. Throughout Bryson's journey around Briton the descriptive memories were detailed and held many entertaining events. I was impressed by Bryson's honesty of his feelings about each town or city he visited. He shared his impression elaborately when he enjoyed and despised the atmosphere of each stop. If your reading this book for the fun of it, you have come to the right place, but if this is your means of planning a trip around England, Bill Bryson's journey was definitely enjoyed (or lack of) through his eye of strong opinions.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing Interesting
Review: This book has been placed in many different categories, such as travel and non-fiction. But in my opinion, it seems as if it is just the story of a bitter old man being miserable on his trip around England.
There were excerpts of this book that were, in fact, pretty amusing. But overall it was relatively boring and hard to get through. If you're looking for an informative, fun travel book about England, I suggest you look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: ohh, lovely
Review: Bill Bryson's Notes from Small Island makes me want to pack my bags and purchase the earliest flight to England. What can I say, his account of England made me laugh, and even his worst experiences made me want to see if it was truly real.
His style of humor is one big hilarious ramble that makes you have to read it out load to the nearest person in your vicinity (even if there a total stranger that gets taken aback by an outburst of incoherent mumbles disturbed by spluttering bursts of laughter.)
His random historical facts are truly interesting, and great stories. In general it was a good book, and I recommend it to anyone that wants a good time, British style with a good cup of tea.
Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious
Review: I listed to an un-abridged audio version read by Bill Bryson and I loved the book. Bill Bryson is hilarious, honest and a just plain excellent writer. His historic notes are useful and his descriptions paint a vivid picture. He's dry and sarcastic but very, very real and very very funny. By the time you're done with this book you will have an honest to God, realistic and in-depth narrative of a country that, like anything familiar and dear, can be beautful,imperfect,nerve-wracking and glorious but always well-loved.
Rating: 
Summary: A long bitter goodbye
Review: It's a wonder that so many travel writers profess to love a region or country seemingly in spite of the local countryside and, most of all, its people. Unfortunately Bill Bryson is one of those writers. The genesis of "Notes from a Small Island" was a final goodbye tour of the country where the American Bryson had lived for the last 20 years. While it opens promisingly enough with witty descriptions of typical English conversations, it soon degenerates into a mean description of mile upon mile walking, alone, though rainy, off-season (read empty) countryside. Such walks were described just as nauseatingly by Susan Allen Toth who, while writing endlessly of bucolic English footpaths and gardens, freely admits she couldn't stand to live there. Having studied at Oxford and visited England several times, I looked forward to an amusing description of the England I, as an American, came to know and love. However, this was not to be. Bryson's occasionally amusing stories grow fewer and further between and turn into increasingly bitter rants about the weather and lack of customer service in English guest houses. It's a wonder Bryson stayed so long in the country and that they didn't kick his ungracious arse out long ago.
Rating:
Summary: Mean spirited
Review: After loving A Walk in the Woods and In Sunburned Country, I bought Notes from a Small Island. It was disappointing. It seemed mean sprited to me in that he took shots at people without letting the reader know why they deserved it. At first I thought okay, maybe it's just me. I put the book down and went back to it weeks later on several different occasions and just couldn't get through it.
Rating:
Summary: Funny but repetitive trip across England, Scotland...
Review: This often hilarious book (I listened to the excellent unabridged casette narrated by William Roberts, not Mr. Bryson) is perfect for Americans with an interest in merry old England (or Scotland for that matter) and its many bizarre quirks. It's also a treat for Brits who want a different take on their homeland. Since my father is English but my mother American, it was great fun for the whole family, despite the rather frequent use of profanity. I suppose I should also warn you that Bryson is a bit of a grump, and if this book is wholely truthful, he must be one of the absolute worst travel planners in world history. He seems to find only hapless hotels and seedy dives along the way. (If his guidebook was so bad, you'd think he'd buy a second). He's also an extreme cheapskate. So mark, this is NOT a travel guide. This is rather more of an anti-travel guide with humorous misadventures. Along the way we learn that:
1) Bryson really, really hates modern architecture and really, really loves old stuff (even when it turns out to be fake).
2) Bryson really, really hates cars and parking lots and really, really loves trains, especially ones that serve no known purpose. One other criticism: Bryson seems convinced that we, the reader, are fascinated by HIS idiosyncracies and weirdnesses, sometimes to the point of tedium. But he is not the story, the small island is. That's why this only gets 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book by Bryson... very funny in places
Review: Bill Bryson's keen eye and gift for writing come together in this book. Who better than a foreigner to write a book like this?
Rating:
Summary: This book is great travel commentary
Review: I am tired of reading of how people heard that Bryson is a whiner and went out and bought the book anyway. Makes no sense. I too am American, lived in England for an extended period of time - 5 years - held a job there, used the NHS, used the rails that he speaks so much of in this book and I will tell you that his commentary on British society is very much the same outlook and experience that I had. Just like many people are bewildered when visiting America, I too was bewildered when living in England - most importantly because we share the same language, many customs, yet we are very different. If you don't like reading travel commentary and like to think that England hasn't changed since Victoria then this book isn't for you. It is however interesting and pokes fun at british nature. If you're too serious to have a laugh then please don't buy it - it will might cause you to smile!
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