The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson is a humorous and readable travelogue, but its mean-spirited tone and relentless mockery of people make it uncomfortable at times. Despite this, the book's cutting humor and poignant moments make it a compelling read.
The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson is a travelogue that chronicles his journey through small-town America. The book is filled with cutting humor that is often snicker-out-loud funny, making it highly readable. However, the frequent vicious tone and relentless mockery of people, including fat ladies and motorhome drivers, make it uncomfortable to read at times. The needless vulgarity in some parts of the prose also adds to this discomfort. Despite these issues, the book's humor and readability keep the reader engaged. The author's snark mellows somewhat as the journey progresses, and there are genuinely poignant moments, particularly regarding his late father, widowed mother, and his own family. The book ends on an optimistic note, acknowledging that there are still places in America's hinterlands where life is slow, good, and sweet. Overall, the book is interesting for what it reveals about the author and his native land, but it comes with reservations due to its mean-spirited tone.
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An averaged-out rating. I’ll award a 10/10 for the cutting humour, which is frequently snicker-out-loud funny, and sheer readability, but balance that with a 5/5 for the frequently vicious tone, the relentless mockery of almost everyone the author sees through his car window
He could tone the rudeness down a mite — which he’s done in his later books — and still be clever and funny. I was frequently uncomfortable with myself for reading and enjoying this, as it felt like I was condoning Bryson’s mean streak, but I honestly never even came close to putting it down, and I know I will re-read it.
The scope of Bryson’s travels is truly staggering; he does cover an awful lot of ground, and though there are plenty of places he blasts right through, he stops often enough to give glimpses of back road, small-town America in the not-so-distant past.