In a Sunburned Country

Bryson, who could make a pile of dirt compelling--and yes, Australia is mostly dirt--finds no shortage of curiosities. When he isn't dodging Portuguese man-of-wars or considering the virtues of the remarkable platypus, he visits southwest Gippsland, home of the world's largest earthworms (up to 12 feet in length). He discovers that Australia, which began nationhood as a prison, contains the longest straight stretch of railroad track in the world (297 miles), as well as the world's largest monolith (the majestic Uluru) and largest living thing (the Great Barrier Reef). He finds ridiculous place names: "Mullumbimby Ewylamartup, Jiggalong, and the supremely satisfying Tittybong," and manages to catch a cricket game on the radio, which is like

listening to two men sitting in a rowboat on a large, placid lake on a day when the fish aren't biting; it's like having a nap without losing consciousness. It actually helps not to know quite what's going on. In such a rarefied world of contentment and inactivity, comprehension would become a distraction.

"You see," Bryson observes, "Australia is an interesting place. It truly is. And that really is all I'm saying." Of course, Bryson--who is as much a travel writer here as a humorist, naturalist, and historian--says much more, and does so with generous amounts of wit and hilarity. Australia may be "mostly empty and a long way away," but it's a little closer now. --Rob McDonald

Product Description
Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

Download Description
Compared to his Australian excursions, Bill Bryson had it easy on the Appalachian Trail. Nonetheless, Bryson has on several occasions embarked on seemingly endless flights bound for a land where Little Debbies are scarce but insects are abundant (up to 220,000 species of them), not to mention the crocodiles.

Taking readers on a rollicking ride far beyond packaged-tour routes, In a Sunburned Country introduces a place where interesting things happen all the time, from a Prime Minister who was lost at sea while swimming at a Victoria beach to Japanese cult members who managed to set off an atomic bomb unnoticed on their 500,000-acre property. Leaving no Vegemite unsavored readers will accompany Bryson as he dodges jellyfish while learning to surf at Bondi Beach, discovers a fish that can climb trees, dehydrates in deserts where the temperatures leap to 140degreeF, and tells the true story of the rejected Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House.

Published just in time for the Olympics, In a Sunburned Country provides a singularly intriguing, wonderfully wacky take on a glorious, adventure-filled locale.

This is a terrific read. Bryson has, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore many different parts of Australia - the cities, the outback, the tropics, and everything else in between. But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more than the destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there. Laugh-out-loud moments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of "A Walk in the Woods", as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is "Neither Here Nor There".

You don't have to be at all familiar with Australia to appreciate and enjoy this book. I am, sadly, one of those Australians to which Bryson refers that has never seen Ayers Rock / Uluru myself. In fact, I have never been to the majority of places Bryson visits. It was a revelation for me, too.

Bryson once again recounts numerous historical and trivial anecdotes which, together with his unique view of the world, elevate this book well above the mere travel genre. This is insightful, this is informative, this is FUNNY.

Perversely, my only criticism is perhaps that he likes Australia a little too much. God knows, I'm so pleased that he does. However, he is, I believe, at his best when distressed. Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring out the devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here - his body boarding experience, his views on Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists in Darwin - but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic wit are somewhat limited.

Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the great Stephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with the hardships of outback Australia. He would have absolutely LOATHED it.

Read this book. It is a treat.


Mixed reviews from this reader   July 21, 2000
A Reader (Washington, DC)
55 out of 67 found this review helpful

When Bill Bryson's newest book was published, I had been home from my 5 month semester abroad in Australia for almost as long. Still achingly missing a country I had come to love and feel at home in, I eagerly ran to the bookstore to buy Bryson's book.

Yes, the book is overall entertaining and pretty much witty; it's easy to read and a little hard to put down. But for the most part, i was disappointed. Occasionally, I would even find myself thinking, "I could have written this book and done Australia more justice!"

Australia is a spectacular, wonderful, welcoming, enchanting country. As if anyone could have any doubt about that after listening to Bryson effuse for 300 pages. Perhaps some will find the fact that he sings the Lucky Country's praises page after page grating; for me, I felt I had found someone with whom I could sympathize about missing the place!

However, for all his accolades, Bryson seems to only brush the surface of a country rich in history, landscape, and experiences waiting to be had. He spends only ONE DAY at one of Australia's most recognizable landmarks, Uluru, the giant monolith; he is too much of a sissy to even GO UNDER WATER at the Great Barrier Reef; he misses out on the beauty and home-i-ness of Adelaide (my home away from home!); he doesn't see an opera at the world famous Opera House; and he doesn't even VISIT Tasmania, a place almost too beautiful and wild to put into words.

Having lived in Australia for those 5 months, and having traveled extensively, I was looking for something to aleviate the sadness of having had to come "home" from a place I had become so attached to. I wanted something to evoke a vivid trip down memory lane. What I found did not live up to those expectations, and I suspect for those like me, the feeling will be the same. And for those of you who have yet to visit Australia, there's more out there than Bryson relays; it's better than the book.


Very informative and quite funny   July 25, 2000
Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA)
53 out of 60 found this review helpful

Bill Bryson has an excellent way with words, especially with his descriptive writing. For a travel writer, I suppose this is a must. He's also a humorist, and I laughed out loud on at least a half a dozen occasions while enjoying his adventures down under. Particularly amusing were his descriptions of a Cricket match, of a particularly bad hotel in Darwin and and of a drunken night in the Outback. He also gives a fine overall view of Austrailia, of which he covered much, but alas not nearly as much as he wanted. Though some might gripe that he spends too much time ruminating over the poisonous wildlife and looking for a cold beer, overall this is an exceptionally fun book to read. He includes many historical facts about Australia and even devotes some space to the unfortunate condition of the Aborigines. But not too much to spoil the fun. Bryson's travel writings remind me of an apolitical P.J. O'Rourke, and for that he's worth a read.


Throw Another Bryson On The Barbie, Mate.......   June 14, 2000
36 out of 51 found this review helpful

Having been a Bill Bryson fan for the last 10 years, I couldn't wait for the latest Bryson offering. Did "In A Sunburned Country" make me laugh out loud? Nah. Not like "The Lost Continent" did. Now THAT was a side splitter. The odd chortle here & there is the best I could muster whilst reading "Sunburned".

But, a travel book does not have to be a rollicking riot of laughs to be a success. But it does have to give an informative, balanced view of the country in question. Which "In A Sunburned Country" does not. Contrary to popular opinion, we do not all live in the outback with the 'roos & emus. The majority of Australians live in the major cities, more at home with hailing a taxi than fondling a wombat. I feel Bryson should have spent much more time in the cities, to give a truly balanced view of Australia.

And too many history lessons contained in this book. Stop already! If I want to read Australian history I will sink my teeth into the "The Fatal Shore". I don't need history crammed down my throat in a travel book.

When it comes to Bill Bryson I want savage asides, blinding wit, & informative titbits about the country in question. Not an unbalanced, rural view of a country that does NOT have constant sunshine! Melbourne in winter is not pleasant. And speaking of chilly places in winter, poor Tasmania barely rates a mention! A truly beautiful place, well worth a visit.

I await Bill Bryson's next book with interest. May he rediscover his acerbic wit in the meantime.


Another Bryson winner   June 14, 2000
saliero (NSW Australia)
32 out of 34 found this review helpful

I am an unreserved Bryson fan. I love "Made In America" about the English language, and, as an Australian living in England for an extended time, thought he captured perfectly both the expat experience, and the endearing and irritating qualities of the Brits in "Notes from a small island" . This book is factually correct. That might sound inane, but there is nothing more irritating than reading about your own place and finding it tritely stereotypical or factually incorrect. Bill scores well on both counts.

Bill's take on the Australian Prime Minister of the day (a small, invisible and colourless entity) is a reasonably brave thing to say in a sense - an outsider commenting on a political identity invites derision, but he captures the essence of the man so well.

The other special moment for me is his discovery of cricket on the radio...when all other stations fade out to static, there is the mighty game. Somehow or other, despite writing nonsense words, he captures the rhythm and cadences of radio cricket commentary PERFECTLY. To me, cricket on the radio is as much about summer as cicadas, running under the sprinkler and crackling heat. Beautifully pulled off!

A good read, and for the first time since leaving school I actually engaged with some of the stories of explorers! A wry but never cynical tone makes for an entertaining read. I am glad he pays "homage" to that other good 'outsider's book' - "Sydney" by Jan Morris.

Bill Bryson covers much of the same terrain as the other great US travel writer, Paul Theroux, and seems to meet as many odd or intersting characters. Bill's disposition, however, makes him far more open to LIKING a place, and enormously less self-absorbed.

Recommended.