Book Review: In a Sunburned Country

So I finished this book. It's actually the first book I've read in a while, so I was proud of myself.

That I can still read.

The book is only OK. Bryson annoys me at times trying to be too clever for his own good. His writing is like a petulant child, bounding up and down trying to make people like him. It reminds me too much of myself, which is probably why I despise him.

There's a bit where he attempts to describe Cricket but clearly gives up about 15 minutes into trying to understand and instead makes up a bunch of names and facts trying to sound funny. You can't have it both ways, Bryson. You can't on one hand condemn the stereotype of The Ignorant American Abroad but on the other play the fool, throwing up your hands at the first thing that's slightly too foreign for you to comprehend. On top of this, Cricket isn't even that hard to comprehend. Anyone with a passing understanding of baseball can begin to understand pretty much what is happening fairly quickly.

Not to say the book is all bad. It certainly was a good little diversion, and to some extent, it affected by perception of Australian life positively. I look forward to getting the chance to explore some of the areas he mentions. All in all, I'm glad I read it, but happy I finished.

Now let's see if I can read a real book.