The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America

Bill Bryson returns to the USA after a decade in England and looks at the land of his childhood with both the eyes of a stranger and with fondness. This is the premise of The Lost Continent. The author is somewhat of a professional curmudgeon - taking after his father - and this makes for some witty company on this long road trip across thirty-something of the United States. The book is split into two halves although it is not clear to me why. In the first half he makes his way home towards Des Moines, Iowa, and this is filled with his memories of childhood road trips and observations of the USA in the late 1980s, which are interesting for the pure contrast between then and today: driving past surburbia, Bryson sees for the first time a leaf-blower; in New York, there is a passing sentence on Donald Trump as a property developer; and Detroit is a booming town. In the second half of the book, the journey grows too long for my liking. Like the vast expanse that is the West, there is a lot of distance between the stuff of interest. I generally believe you may as well use the time and effort you spend reading a travel book to actually travel, and I thought this more and more throughout the second half. I'm glad to have read it, but I do not recommend it.

When I opened this book, subtitled "travels in small town America," I was expecting a pleasant journey through America's heartland that would remind me of why our great country is unique. I admit humor is not my genre, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood. After reading the first two chapters, it became clear to me that I am not the right kind of white person to read this book (see "Stuff White People Like" by Christian Lander). Humorous travel writing is a tricky business, and while i cannot deny it is well written, I was disgusted. Bryson's pretentious, self-indulgent tone could have been forgiven, were it not for his crudeness. In the first two chapters he finds it necessary to drop the F-bomb twice and regale us with comments like, "Everybody you meet acts like he would gladly give you his last beer and let you sleep with his sister." And, mind you, this comment takes place in one of the few COMPLEMENTARY paragraphs. If you are the type of white person (or non-white) who thinks democrats are intellectually superior, believes city life a necessity for authentic living, favors all things European, disdains middle-America, belittles your parents, is convinced that growing food to feed people is of less value than whatever it is you do and relies on the availability of the "New York Times" to define the presence of civilization, you will enjoy the first two chapters. If you find that you are like me, and not the right kind of person, you may get discouraged after the first two chapters and return it to the library where it belongs. 1 star and very cautious about picking up anything written by him again.

I read this book in two days....because I have been taking the train A LOT. This book is good for the train. You do NOT need to concentrate too much...and you do not need to follow much of a story line. Bryson is visiting the United States...it is the 80s. He just spent a long period of time living across the pond. He definitely tries humor by mocking the small towns and world he sees. It was entertaining....but I could have skipped a chapter or two and not noticed. I was a little annoyed the he didn't bother to actually visit Monticello (personal issue!)....and also his comment about Mexicans. BUT, if you are a fan of Bryson, this book is typical Bryson...and besides being outdated, it is nice to read. On to the next train....and the next book.

Amusing. Witty. A bit pretentious, condescending which is a bit off putting. Will give him another go as I have another of his books at hand.

Appropriate sub-title: 'hemorrhoidal old man, stuck on non-stop Greyhound bus with a broken toilet, shares his view of small-town America as he rides cross-country.' I'm actually surprised that the publisher sub-titled this "Travels in Small Town America", since the author rarely gets out of his car and actually talks to anyone in the small towns he travels through. It seems he's too busy disparaging the towns as he drives by to offer any real insight into the people who've created lives there. I've had the pleasure of driving across America several times in my life and never cease to be impressed with its beauty and the kindness of the people you find in its small towns. That kindness is one of the things I love most about living in my adopted small town in Colorado. Mr. Bryson's book is so lacking in detail and authenticity, one wonders if he ever got out of the car, or just sat in the back seat reading the latest issue of The New Yorker.

I wasn't overly keen on this book, I put it aside for about a month before I decided that I would indeed finish listening to it. The majority of the time, Bryson just slags off the places he visits and the people he meets and not in a funny or witty manner. He comes across as entitled and up himself instead. I normally enjoy Bill Bryson's writing but I the last two books I've read of his have put me off him as an author

Bryson in 1990s America is fun, but dated.

There are many different communities in America with different racial distinctions,etc.

Far from twee, I think Bryson comes very close to being obnoxious, but not quite. Wickedly funny.

It was the first book I've picked up by Bill Bryson; I was surprised by how mean the jokes were. How many times can you make fun of fat people in one book? It left a bad taste in my mouth, but had enough redeeming qualities that I actually want to read it again and pick up some of his other stuff. At least Bill Bryson acknowledges (unlike Chris Gardner) he's an ass and makes it part of the joke.