I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away

Not his best work. He is getting a bit too left leaning but still funny at times.

In 1995, Bill Bryson returned to live in the United States after living in England for 20 years. A British newspaper asked him to write a weekly column about America and I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away is a compilation of those columns. His observations of America and family life are laugh out loud funny. I read many of them to my husband. He wrote these lines about his oldest child going off to college and they hit close to home for us:

"Once they leave for college they never really come back," a neighbor who has lost two of her own in this way told us wistfully the other day.

"This isn't what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear that they come back a lot, only this time they hang up their clothes, admire you for your intelligence and wit, and no longer have a hankering to sink diamond studs into various odd holes in their heads. But the neighbor was right. He is gone. There is an emptiness in the house that proves it."

The columns are short and each one is an individual read making this book easy to read when you have a lot going on.

Mr. Bryson's half-hearted curmudgeonly approach to life makes for another enjoyable read by this author. He covers a wide array of society's peculiar habits with a mixture of surliness and confusion. The only editorials that were creative but somewhat ponderous were his columns dealing with his computer. With the exception of just those few pieces, I enjoyed his book. Mr. Bryson is a funny, insightful writer who is a great remedy for a case of the blues.

nothing like looking at the US from the eyes of a stranger. What a beautiful perspective. There were many times I was laughing out loud when I read this book. Also a great gift for those who are travelers. you will not be disappointed.

After quite a number of years living and writing in England, Bill Bryson returned to his native land, the United States, with his family and apparently continued his writing career. Mr. Bryson wrote a series of weekly articles, a column, for a British newspaper, recording his experiences, thoughts and observations on his native land and his return after a long absence. This book, I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a collection of these articles which were printed in that British paper.

I like Bryson. I enjoy reading his books. This one was no exception. I suppose the first thing I like about this author, is that we both have the same attitude toward life. We are both rather inept in many ways. We neither of us seem to take ourselves very seriously. I can relate to that. One of the big differences between is though, is that he has the ability to articulate his thoughts, attitude and experiences, in a way I never will be able to. They guy can write and he can write well.

When I first picked up this book, I did with a bit of a sense of dread. I did not want another "lets get together and bash American" book. I need not have worried. Yes, he does point out some funny, amusing, odd and silly things about our culture, but he is just a quick to point out that these different little oddities can be found around the world, only in different forms and customs. Let's face it, there is a lot a bout this country that is absolutely great, in fact, most things are. The author is quick point this out. On the other hand, there is much about our culture, our people, our government and our lives in general that is, if viewed from a certain angle, absolute hilarious. Bryson is quick to point this out too.

Everything is free game in this little work. Everything from the postal service, cars, diet, computers, holidays, work, play, language, government, family relationships, and so much more, are free game to his pen. Through all of his work though, he is constantly laughing at himself more than anyone else. Most of the articles are funny, many of them absolutely hilarious, and some of them are quite serious, simply due the subject matter. Each article the author has written (he even rather humorously refers to making money on his recycled work), makes up one chapter in this book. It is well written, easy to read, and, if you are like me, addresses subjects we all feel the same about, but just cannot say them in the way Bryson can.

Enjoyed this one and it was a well written, relaxing read.