Amazon.com: Customer reviews: I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away

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Another Hilarious Bill Bryson story of his experiences traveling around the U.S.

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018

If you saw "Walk in the Woods" movie with Robert Redford (as Bill Bryson) and Nick Nolte, you will love this book. You will be laughing through every page. Bryson id the best storyteller for those of us who travel, whether in the U.S. or Europe. Again, it is hilarious because it is so true and because Bryson tells it so well. See the "Walk in the Woods" movie too. You will laugh yourself sick through it - especially if you are reaching your mid to late 50s and contemplating what adventures to put on your bucket list.

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Classic Bryson humor, but less of everything else

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2015

“I’m a Stranger Here Myself” is the 3rd Bill Bryson book I’ve read. The other two books (“A Short History of Nearly Everything” and “One Summer -- America 1927”) taught you something – but did so with a wonderful sense of humor, too. This book has the humor, but is more reflective than educational – and so just seemed to have less “meat” on its “bones”. Also, be warned that, since the book is simply a collection of articles that Bryson wrote for a British newspaper (back in the 1990’s, by the way), each chapter is very short (about 5 minutes reading time) and the articles are more directed at a British audience than an American audience.

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From the United States

Classic Bryson humor, but less of everything else

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2015

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20 people found this helpful

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L Schulz

This is generally funny, though one has to take into consideration how ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2018

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This is generally funny, though one has to take into consideration how dated it is. I found particularly shocking, his dismissal of the effects of second hand smoke in the chapter "The Risk Factor" Since the 90s a great deal more scientific data has brought forth evidence of the effects of second hand smoke. This particular passage read like a personal justification.
I enjoyed the retro take on US life and products, and this should be at least enough fun for those of us of the older set. It has interesting historical references.
If you haven't read A Walk In the Woods I would pick that up first.

3 people found this helpful

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B Tatum

Another Hilarious Bill Bryson story of his experiences traveling around the U.S.

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018

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3 people found this helpful

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John Scalice

Bryson is a gem

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2015

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I read my first Bill Bryson book. A Walk in the Woods, when it was first published and have been a fan ever since. I recently began acquiring them on my Kindle and reading them again, and they are still enjoyable.

Bill Bryson has an interesting perspective on two cultures. Born in the U.S., moving to Britain in his 20s, and thenmoving back to the U.S. after 20 years, he esentially gets to be an outsider in his native country as he tries to the changes in that have occurred his home country in the two decades he has been away. The book is essentially a collection of weekly columns he wrote that were published back in Britain. They range between funny and poignant, but are all well written end will leave you smiling.

6 people found this helpful

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H. Roach

Good for international students

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2019

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I used this book as a required reading for my adult, university-level ESL classroom. The students found it funny, challenging, and engaging. They could relate to many of Bryson’s “culture shock moments” and also learned about American cultural values and some pop culture references. The only complaint was that out if the 70 short essays, a few were repetitive/boring, and a few seemed outdated (we’re going on 25 years since these columns were originally penned). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book, and I think my students did, too.

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Idle Expatter

Man, this is funny.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2014

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I have read and re-read this book a number of times, but recently I came back to the States after spending three years living abroad. Mr. Bryson's already sharp, hilarious commentary took on a whole new glow under those conditions. I have had some of the exact same experiences he describes in the book: the glorious carnival of an American grocery store, the overwhelming magnificence of American customer service. A few of his chapters are now entirely outdated, but you can't help wishing for an update (given his struggles with fax machines, one wonders what Mr. Bryson might make of smartphones).

What sets this book apart - though not surprising to those who have read certain others of his titles - are the countless moments of actual, out-loud bursts of laughter. If you read this around other people, expect to be frequently shoving it at your neighbors so they can experience it for themselves.

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Shutterbug

An American observes America with British eyes

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2019

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I'm a stranger here myself too, so this book resonated with me probably more than it will with 'normal' Americans. The daily life observations are written for a regular column for a British newspaper, slightly redacted for the book. Bill is very very funny with his self deprecating humor. Delightful reading about American peculiarities and the cultural differences between UK and US. A bit dated, was quite obviously written in the late 90' (computers, Y2K panic), but mostly still quite relevant. Loved the commencement address.

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Sarah

Hilarious!

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2022

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I love the way this man uses words! But I checked the audio version out at my library and the guy who read this book for that version was completely was a complete DUDA. I don't like audio books to be over-emoted, but some comprehension of the genius of the author's use of language would seem easy enough to catch.

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mercat37

Hilarious

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2006

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Bill Bryson is a great travel writer. His descriptions are evocative and his prose is gut-wrenchingly funny. In fact, I don't read his books in public because I usually wind up crying from laughter. This one, the first of his books that I read, is a classic. Bryson details his readjustment to American culture after 20 years in England, and offers a number of hilarious insights about life in both countries - and about his unfailing ability to poke fun at any situation. Because it's basically a collection of short (2-4 page) newspaper columns, it's particularly easy to read. You can also take a break without losing the narrative flow - there really isn't one. When you're done with this one, hopefully having decided you love Bill Bryson as much as I do, move on to two of his best works: A Walk in the Woods, about his adventures on the Appalachian Trial, and In a Sunburned Country, about the wilds of Australia.

2 people found this helpful

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Pebbles Eight

laughed 'til I cried

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2000

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This book was so funny. Written as a compilation of a series of newspaper columns, Bryson makes fun of everything from junk food to the English language, but, most of all, Bryson makes fun of himself. I was reading it on a plane, and it was all I could do not to bust out laughing, and have my fellow passengers think me a lunatic. Bryson's gift is in the rhythm of his humour, the way he nostalgicly describes the disappearing All-American diner or the post office community, then blind sides you with a sarcastic remark so sharp you laugh until you're in pain. You would laugh, then stop and realize he is not just describing his own experiences, but those of everyone else's as well. I look forward to reading his other memoirs.

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