gilda_elise

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

It’s not as if I had ever thought about visiting Australia. And given some of Bryson’s adventures, I’m not sure I would now. But if ever anyone could talk me into it, it would most likely be Bryson.

His adventures are harrowing at times, yet he manages to find the humor in all of them. And his love of the country comes through loud and clear. He pokes fun at some the country’s oddities, yet even then it’s done with love.

I wouldn’t say this is on par with A Walk In the Woods. The humor is gentler, so there so no laughing until my sides ached. But it’s a very enjoyable book. Especially, I would think, if you’ve ever been to Australia or plan on visiting there.