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In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
The clever account of a life changing trip to the most remote regions of Australia and back.
“In a Sunburned Country” is Bill Bryson’s humorous account of one astounding trip down under. He takes the reader across this sunburned nation (appropriately labeled as it fields the largest hole in the Earth’s o-zone layer), in a travel documentary that is knowledgeable, entertaining and impressive.
Bryson has a remarkable aptitude for Australian history. His depth of research and knowledge is presented in a series of clever anecdotes as he experiences the people and culture of this self-proclaimed ‘forgotten’ nation.
The dry humor Bryson employs is witty but not overdone. Certainly worth mentioning are his descriptions of both the Australian obsession with Cricket, and their awesomely nominal number of radio stations (let alone any worth their call number in entertainment value) as one treks across the outback.
Simultaneous he leaves you laughing at the foolish blunders made by many of the country’s founders, while wiping your tears at the injustices faced by the aborigines. He takes pains to emphasize the underestimated splendor of the country, but provides an honest replay of his experience both good and bad.
Bryson’s vibrant style allows the reader to truly enjoy both the history lesson he has to offer, and the travel advice he relays from his own experience. If you didn’t have a desire to travel there before, once “In a Sunburned Country” is under your reading belt there will be no doubt in your mind. Bryson succeeds in painting a most auspicious portrait of Australia to hermit and travel enthusiast alike.
As Bryson convinces the reader of his authority as a both a writer and a critic, traveling down under will become a certain destination.
Title: In a Sunburned Country
Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Broadway Books
ISBN: 0767903862
Review written by: Laura Anderson
Reviewer's Rating:8
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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