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The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain

Review

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain

In 1995, Bill Bryson, an Iowa native, shared with us his comedic and touching view of Great Britain and her people when he wrote and published the highly successful NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND. Now it's 2016, and we get another glimpse of Bryson's adopted homeland through his eyes as he makes his way from the southern coast of England to the northern tip of Scotland, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of a place he still views with wonder and warmth after all these years.

Starting his journey in Bognor Regis, a seaside resort town that once hosted George V during a period of his convalescence from illness, Bryson slowly but surely makes his way north over time, all the while providing us with amusing commentary on the sights he sees and the people he encounters. Witty anecdotes comparing his native homeland of America to his adopted country of England also fill the pages of his latest work.

"Whether describing his travels in a well-known city like London or a smaller, lesser known locale like Chawton, you can be sure that Bryson's impressions will be witty, wonderful and wise."

Readers will acquire useful information that will help them along their journey in case they, too, should find themselves traveling in Great Britain. For instance, while most people naturally fear encountering bulls in the rolling green pastures that dot the countryside, few probably realize that a much greater number of travelers are killed by cows instead. This is a fact that may come in handy for the intrepid hiker who finds himself confronted by a seemingly harmless bovine.

On a journey from Penzance to Tintagel, a promontory off the Cornish coast that houses the ruins of a castle associated with King Arthur, Bryson accepts a lift from a seemingly harmless pair of ladies only to find himself quizzed about his dietary preferences in English cuisine and eventually labeled ill-mannered by the duo, no matter how polite his answers to their incessant questions are.

Bryson also shares with us his views on English food at various points throughout the book, choosing to name some of his favorites while narrating the tale of his trip to Yorkshire in the northern part of England. In spite of the fact that some visitors to England find the food unpalatable, he insists that among the jewels in the crown of English food are chocolate digestive biscuits, plum pudding, hot cross buns, mince pies, scones and veal-and-ham pie.

Throughout the book, Bryson paints a clear and vivid picture of Great Britain that makes us feel as though we're there with him. Whether describing his travels in a well-known city like London or a smaller, lesser known locale like Chawton, you can be sure that Bryson's impressions will be witty, wonderful and wise. After reading THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING, I, too, am ready to pack my bags and explore Britain from end to end.

Reviewed by Amie Taylor on January 21, 2016

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain
by Bill Bryson

  • Publication Date: October 25, 2016
  • Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Travel
  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Anchor
  • ISBN-10: 0804172714
  • ISBN-13: 9780804172714