The Road to Little Dribbling

Bryson doesn't have a bad book, but this one is easily his worst. An awful lot of curmudgeonly complaining. The “Here's what I was thinking in my head” conversations pall after a while. His liberal politics are also somewhat intrusive. I still laughed out loud in places but disappointing.

I think I have read 90% of what Bryson has written including his wonderful books on Shakespeare and on the English language. Since joining goodreads I have just added the latest ones - a definite 5 star History of Everything and which spanned macroscopic and the equally delightful 1927 which spanned microscopically.
I got the impression the book was a contractual obligation. Yes there are amusing parts, and the summary at the end was cogent, albeit a bit pastoral (he obviously, but who can blame him, avoided inner city Britain at all costs). However I love Bryson for his snarkyness but I got the feeling I just saw bitterness in this one.
He made his name with travel books, but I think he is now at his best in books like Home, or the other two mentioned above where his pedagogy is pure unadulterated fun fact digging. I feel, in reading those, just like Bryson does in delighting at reading a museum note in this book - he does not remember a single thing it said but he hugely enjoyed it.
So this one was “mailed in” and though I did not waste my time reading it I will use it for a next visit to the uK, I feel the need to re-read A Short History...

I <3 the UK, and so does Bill Bryson.