Issue 2

  Book Review

One of our avid writers and readers, Mick Burchfield, sent us this book review. Thanks, Mick!

I’m a Stranger Here Myself is a very comical account of author Bill Bryson’s return to America after living in England for 20 years. The book is actually a series of articles that were published as a weekly column for the British newspaper, Mail on Sunday. This structure of short independent articles lends itself well to the flow of the book as a whole. One can simply skip around or pick and choose without worrying about chronology or storyline. The articles, divided up as chapters, primarily focus on Mr. Bryson’s return to the U.S. with his family. They settle in Hanover, New Hampshire, and thus much of his fodder comes from daily life in a small town.

Mr. Bryson’s irreverent accounts of American culture provide fresh and humorous insights into the unique aspects of daily life in the U.S. He expertly turns innocuous accounts of setting up a computer or decorating a Christmas tree into gut-busting chapters on his own incompetence and struggles to readapt.

The unique perspective that Mr. Bryson enjoys as a long-time resident of Britain also provides for poignant and telling commentary on the changes that have occurred over that period as well as interesting differences between America and the rest of the world. At times, the tone waxes nostalgic. This is especially notable in the chapters where he discusses the disappearance of small-town American institutions like drive-ins, diners, and motels. However, it is done artfully and blends perfectly with the comedic tone. The articles or chapters also make hilarious observations about differences between the U.S. and Europe as exemplified by his discussion on the U.S. and British Immigration Services.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable read that most readers will not want to put down. It will appeal to almost anyone as it has many different elements, not the least of which is its uproarious humor, making it an enjoyable read.

—Mick Burchfield