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Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe (Paperback)
by Bill Bryson
| Category:
Travel, Travel writing, Fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 158.00
MSL price:
¥ 148.00
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Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
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 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A humorous and insightful look into travelling in Europe. Typical Bill Bryson writing, good for language learning. |
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Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition
Pub. in: April, 1999
ISBN: 0380713802
Pages: 256
Measurements: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00592
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- MSL Picks -
Bill Bryson does make fun of the cultures he encounters in this book. Yep, on just about every page. But guess what? He also makes fun of his own native culture, America (for an entire book of Bryson poking fun at the oddities of American culture, see I'm A Stranger Here Myself) and of the UK, the country that he adopted as his own for 20 years. No, Bill Bryson is not a xenophobe: he makes fun of everyone equally, and he does it in a way which makes it obvious that he is in loving awe of the differences that can occur amongst members of the same species depending on where/how/by whom they were raised.
This book has two personalities to it - the involved tourist and the observational tourist. Bryson spends some time recalling the previous trek he took across Europe in the 1970's with his friend (of A Walk in the Woods notoriety) when he was much more involved in what was going on around him. He communicated with the people and the culture of the places he visited. During his return visit, 20 years later as a lone middle-aged tourist, he was less involved and chose to merely peer through the glass at the places he visited; this part of the story involves a lot of "I went from here to here, I couldn't find a hotel, the last bus had left, no one spoke English," etc. While this aspect of the book might not be as fun to read as Bryson's misadventures from other books, it is endearing because it is real. This is not a book that gushingly romanticizes travel, rather it is one witty, sarcastic man's take on the people and cultures that he encountered, both in the 1990's as a middle aged American expat, and in the 1970's as a curious 20-something backpacker. My favorite Bryson book. (From quoting Julia Webber, Czech Republic)
Target readers:
General readers
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Lonely Planet Europe On A Shoestring
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Bill Bryson's many books include, most recently In a Sunburned Country, as well as I'm a Stranger Here Myself, A walk in the Woods, Neither Here Nor There, Made in America, and The Mother Tongue. He edited The Best American Travel Writing 2000. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he lived in England for almost two decades. He now lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, with his wife and four children.
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From the Publisher:
Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early seventies - in search of enlightenment, beer, and women. Twenty years later he decided to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth. The result is Neither Here Nor There, an affectionate and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul, with stops along the way in Europe's most diverting and historic locales. Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early seventies - in search of enlightenment, beer, and women. Twenty years later he decided to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth. The result is Neither Here Nor There, an affectionate and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul, with stops along the way in Europe's most diverting and historic locales.
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Kirkus Reviews (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
Having groused his way across America in The Lost Continent, Bryson now turns his attention to Europe. If it is any consolation to Americans, Bryson, an ex-mid-Westerner who has lived in England for the past 15 years, finds almost nothing to praise between the Arctic Circle and the Bosporus. Bryson's crankiness could have proved amusing - after all, Mark Twain's did in Innocents Abroad - but the humor here is mean spirited and juvenile (in Copenhagen, a hung-over Bryson notes that "I needed coffee the way Dan Quayle needs help with an I.Q. test''), with defecation, flatulence, and eructation far too often figuring into the comic repertoire. Nor do original insights abound as Bryson retraces the steps of a journey he took two decades before, traveling from Norway to Istanbul, stopping at many of Europe's capitals (Paris, Brussels, Stockholm, Rome, etc.) along the way. He offers such comments as: "Parisians are rude,'' "Swedes are heavy drinkers,'' and "the Swiss are dull and conventional.'' Consistency is not Bryson's strong suit either. While in Naples, for instance, he complains, "I found... mean, cavernous, semi-paved alleyways with... washing hung like banners between balconies that never saw sunlight.'' Yet when he reaches modern and manicured Milan, he pines, "I wanted pandemonium and street life... washing hanging across the streets.'' Meanwhile, lines like "let's be frank, the Italians' technological contribution to humankind stopped with the pizza oven'' are also no help. Smart-alecky and obvious, with the wit of Bryson's first two books curdled into waspishness. |
Kyle Heartt (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
I just returned from a Eurail trip, through Europe of all places, last week. I had never heard of Bill Bryson before I left, but I met this girl laughing out loud in a London Youth Hostel. She was reading Brysons book about travelling through the States and highly recommended it to me. Unfortunately I was on my way out of London that day and never got to a bookstore, but the name stuck in my mind. Four countries later (having looked in Spanish and Portugese bookstores) I was desperately in need of something more to read than my Let's Go and Thomas Cook (which I was near having completely memorized). Lucky for me I was in Gibraltar where I found a nice little english bookstore. Fortunately they didn't have "Travels...", but had this other book Neither Here, Nor There. Since it was about Europe it only made sense to buy this book and have a go at it. Having just previously been or been close to all of the places he highlights, I absolutely busted a gut every time I read a chapter or two. I was thoroughly enjoying this book and looking forward to fininshing it in tandem with finishing my own trip, when something ironic occurred in Italy. I had just been reading the chapter (laughing of course!) where Bryson gets pickpocketed in the Italian quarter of Switzerland; that night I was on a train to Rome when my backpack was nicked from underneath me. Despite losing really really important stuff, I also lost "Neither Here, Nor There." I couldn't help but think of Brysons similar situation which I had just read, thinking of this made my situation all the more funny, despite not being able to finish my trip. The main point here, although this is not your regular review format, is that Bryson is an extremely witty writer and right on in his assessment/observations of Europe and its people. Newsweek would say "Brillianly Funny!" I just say if you've been to Europe, or know anything about it, read this book. It doesn't matter if you've been to all the places or not, you'll still be crying by the end each chapter! One word of caution; if you take this book along and read it on your trip, he may rub off on you as you write in your own journal. You'll begin to see places through a slightly distorted, although humorous, lens. I even started to write a bit like him. In any case enjoy, and happy travels! Oh yes, I would probably give this book a five star rating, but I still haven't read the last few chapters; so all I can say were that 4/5 of this book were excellent! |
Claire Vandenbroek (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
To those of you who have not visited Europe, do so and this book will be even more funny than it already is. Amazingly recognizably and absolutely hilarious, Bill really captured the essence of Europe (J/K)! But to be serious, which even Bryson can do and in a very entertaining and interesting way, he seems to have experienced exactly those little things that you might not notice when you're doing the Europe-in-a-Week tour, but that are definitely there for the more observant traveler.
I am quite sure most Europeans will recognize their own country in this book. I know I did! (The Netherlands) But even more interesting were the countries I visited, such as Norway, where the movies are quite a strange experience. One buys a ticket that has a pre-assigned seat, as theatres in Europe often do. Naturally you just sit down wherever you like, who cares about the ticket? And even then the tickets are distributed so that people are evenly spread through the theater. However, in Norway, they have a mysterious system that, I'm sure for some strange incomprehensible reason, places everyone in the middle of the theater, stuck together in a small group. Now the system wasn't what amazed. What was truly strange, was that people actually abided by these "rules"! It wasn't until my Norwegian friend and I decided this was absurd, got up, and reassigned our own seats, that soe people suddenly managed to get the courage to get out of those seats and actually... move two seats over! Wow.
Then of course there are the French. Whenever I tell people about Bill Bryson, I grab this book, and look up the story about Bryson going to the bakery's in Paris. (not exactly quoted, don't have the book with me, but pretty accurate probably) In French, he attempts to ask for a loaf of bread please. Of course he gets the "who the hell are you and what the hell are you trying to say" look first, then the woman reaches behind the counter, grabs something, and then slams a dead beaver onto the counter. In his very best French, he tries to explain that he did not ASK for a dead beaver, he wanted a loaf of BREAD. The woman looks at the other costumers and says, in French much too fast for him to understand, something about the stupid foreigner asking for a dead beaver, about her then giving him a dead beaver, and now he's saying he didn't want a dead beaver at all, he wants a loaf of bread. Of course the other customers then looked at him "like he had just farted in their handbags", and he quickly leaves France for Belgium, where he'll hopefully get something to eat again.
This is just a taste of what you'll read. Need I say more? Bill Bryson speaks for himself, wherever he travels. |
Michael LaRocca (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
You must know by now that I never write a bad review about this guy. In this book, we take a whirlwind tour of Europe. You can read the cover blurbs about how funny and perceptive he is, and how skillful he is with the language, and how eminently readable he is. I agree with every word. But I'd like to mention that this isn't some snooty tour guide or gushing forth bubblehead. He's an average guy who won't hesitate to tell you what sucks, or leave a place that he doesn't like, or bend over backwards to say nice things. He'll bash anybody, himself included. He's refreshingly honest.
Plus, if you had it in your head that Europe was just one homogenous place, or if perhaps you've heard a whole bunch of national or cities names and characteristics and can't keep them all straight, this book will fix that right up. In addition, if you're overseas but in a country nowhere near Europe, perhaps some place in Asia, you can still enjoy some very familiar situations. In case you haven't guessed, I highly recommend this book. |
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