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A review of Neither here nor there

by Bill Bryson

Interesting and amusing stories from the writers travels around Europe

Reviewed by: Alan McClymont
About Alan McClymont

Neither here nor there I first read this book about 6 years ago primarily because my room-mate at the time refused to stop pestering me about doing so. When I finally gave in I really didn't expect to enjoy it very much but I figured I should at least give it a try. What I actually found when I started reading was a book which I couldn't take my eyes off of from start to finish.

The book describes Bryson's travels from the northernmost tip of Europe to the most southerly and describes all of the places in between. He is repeating (to a certain extent) a journey which he and a college friend undertook when they were teenagers. Twenty years later not only does he explore in the present but we find out what the places he is visiting were like in the past. The way in which he travels (apart from his occasional expensive dinner) makes this lifestyle seem accessible to all of us. He is unfit, he drinks too much beer and he likes to eat. In short, he is just like the rest of us.

The author writes with a style which sets him apart from most of his contemporaries. While giving accurate and useful descriptions of the places he visits, he also manages to fit in at least one side-splittingly funny anecdote every few pages. This is the real thing about Bryson. Not only does he make you want to go to the places which he describes (even if they are not really attractive) but he also makes you laugh in a way that few other travel writers can.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Neither here nor there

Copyright © by Alan McClymont, 2003

Reviewed by Alan McClymont :
-- Dead Famous - by Ben Elton
-- Neither here nor there - by Bill Bryson
-- Lucky Jim - by Kingsley Amis
-- Round Ireland with a fridge - by Tony Hawks
-- The River at the Center of the World - by Simon Winchester
-- The Rape of Nanking - by Iris Chang
-- Timeline - by Michael Crichton
-- How to Be Good - by Nick Hornby
-- Notes from a Small Island - by Bill Bryson
-- Player Piano - by Kurt Vonnegut
-- Wilt - by Tom Sharpe
-- Number9dream - by David Mitchell









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