Books: The Road to Little Dribbling

If you live in the United Kingdom, then you should read "The Road to Little Dribbling" by Bill Bryson. You may pick up the book even if you are planning to visit this country. However, there is a drawback. If you are unaware of the layout of the country, and it is various subdivisions, you might be lost in the description. For people living outside the country, this book offers an excellent insight into the British way of living and also the British mindset.

This book is primarily a travelogue. It is a sequel to the author's book titled "Notes from a Small Island". At this point, I have to confess I have not read the prequel. After reading the sequel, I am interested in reading the prequel. I am now interested in reading the prequel. The travelogue contains a shade of anthropology because Bill Bryson has lived in this country for decades. Using the years of association, he can provide a unique perspective on British psyche. He conveys his adventures with a flamboyant coating of humour. As a result, we are glued to the novel often smiling if not laughing out aloud.

There are two ways Bill Bryson builds the humour. You will find this style in many of his books and is also a good pointer on creating comedy. While describing an interaction with a third party, Bill Bryson starts explaining the little voice of reason without letting the reader know that the conversation is happening in his mind. So we are surprised at the witty and insulting responses thrown to the third party by Bill Bryson. While we are shocked at the audacity, Bill Bryson tells us that this was an imaginary conversation. Bill Bryson strikes a chord with us because he describes a way in which we all would like to let our steam out in such a situation, but we do not because we are prisoners of good behaviour and upbringing.

The second way Bill Bryson adopts is equivalent to the sleight of hand tricks performed by a magician. A magician forces our attention to a different object to perform a magic act. Similarly, Bill Bryson begins with a problem. Then swiftly moves on to a different topic. As a reader, we seldom notice this shift. The new item eventually ends up in a dilemma. Then he connects the new issue with the conversation he started in the form of a hypothesis. The contrast of the new topic and the correlating hypothesis makes us end up with a belly aching laugh.

This book gives a glimpse of British life. You may be an armchair traveller, a person who loves to travel or a resident of the United Kingdom. Regardless, you will enjoy this book. Your takeaways will differ depending on who you are. You may get to know a little about the people inhabiting this island. You may realise there are stereotypes. Whatever be your personal discovery, you will be doing that with a big smile.

Tags: Books,Bill Bryson,British