Neither Here Nor There
Travels in Europe
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3.3 • 8 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Bryson brings his unique brand of humour to travel writing as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet and heads for Europe. Travelling with Stephen Katz—also his wonderful sidekick in A Walk in the Woods—he wanders from Hammerfest in the far north, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia. As he makes his way round this incredibly varied continent, he retraces his travels as a student twenty years before with caustic hilarity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After 20 years as a London-based reporter, American journalist Bryson ( The Mother Tongue ) set out to retrace a youthful European backpacking trip, from arctic Norway's northern lights to romantic Capri and the ``collective delirium'' of Istanbul. Descriptions of historic and artistic sights in the Continent's capitals are cursory; Bryson prefers lesser-known locales, whose peculiar flavor he skillfully conveys in anecdotes that don't scant the seamy side and often portray eccentric characters encountered during untoward adventures of the road. He enlivens the narrative with keen, sometimes acerbic observations of national quirks like the timed light switches in French hallways, but tends to strive too hard for comic effects, some in dubious taste. He also joins other travelers in deploring the growing hordes of peddlers who overrun major tourist meccas.
Customer Reviews
Great Expectations
Bill Bryson certainly has a way with words; I was laughing at his turn of phrase while describing and comparing the differences between his earlier Grand Tour of Europe and the changes he found when the old places were revisited. Few of the countries he visited lived up to his memory of them, and he lamented those changes that occurred. Our memories are fickle things that are colored with a wishful thinking that can bear little resemblance to what actually existed. Nothing escapes change and our attempts to revisit old destinations rarely live up to our expectations. We change and our destinations change over time into something that can be unrecognizable when compared to what we remember about a place. It can be difficult when we realize that there is no such thing as a quintessential European city, or a typical American small town for that matter. But, that said, I enjoy Mr. Bryson's writing style and his own self- deprecating sense of humor. A very enjoyable read.