In this mainly history book, Bryson takes a tour through the rooms of his (rather nice sounding) house. In each, he has much to say about the history of various objects and inventions, the people who made them and how life at home has changed over the years. I chose it solely because I love Bill Bryson.
It wasn't my favourite of his though. Usually when I read a Bill Bryson I come away with my head full of interesting facts that I can't wait to tell people. When I read A Short History of Nearly Everything I bored my friends with science for weeks. But At Home wasn't like that for me, I was interested as I read it but now I'm struggling to remember some of the facts I learned. Nothing stuck in my mind.
It wasn't an easy read for me either. It was a long book and couldn't quite seem to decide whether it wanted to be thematic (as the summary suggested) or chronological, meaning I had a bit of trouble keeping things straight and some of the information didn't seem to relate to the room the chapter was about at all. It took me over a week to read it, which is far longer than I usually spend on a book. I just wasn't rushing to pick it up and read it.
Bryson's writing was as good as ever, and I could tell that a great amount of research had gone into the book. The topic was interesting too - something just didn't click for me.
Verdict: Not one I would read again
Source: Library
Score: 3 out of 5
Interesting. This is about the only Bryson I haven't read - normally his books are like having a long-standing, really funny friend with you.
ReplyDeleteI've been wondering about this one - the topic sounds really interesting. I'm listening to an abridged version of A Short History now, and thinking it may be a little too abridged :-(
ReplyDeleteI'm new to Bryson,having just read his title about Shakespeare, but this one has been on my TBR list for so long. I'm glad you're honest about your experience with it. I'm still awaiting its publication in paperback. :)
ReplyDeleteNever read a Bill Bryson before. But his one sounds interesting enough. But after reading your review, I think I'm going to start with A Short History of Nearly Everything.
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of A Short History of Nearly Everything for a challenge but haven't gotten to it yet. Bill Bryson is so intriguing but I know nothing about his style of writing. Can't wait to explore him!
ReplyDelete@Beth - If I hadn't got my copy from the library, I would definitely have waited for the paperback too! I really enjoyed his Shakespeare book, but A Short History of Nearly Everything is my fave.
ReplyDelete@JoAnn - abridging is the one thing that irritates me about audio books. I would rather have the extra disc, because I feel like I'm cheating whenever a book is abridged :(
@Deborah - I agree about feeling like you're with a friend when you read Bryson. Which one was your favourite? For me it was A Short History of Nearly Everything.
I keep seeing this reviewed and keep thinking I need to read this soon, but still haven't yet. I'm sure I will eventually, it seems so interesting, and your review has convinced me to keep my eye out for a copy when I'm next at the shops.
ReplyDelete@Mummazappa - Hope you enjoy it :)
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to try Bryson for a long time, and just never seem to get around to it. This doesn't seem like the one to start with though; thanks for your informative review!
ReplyDeleteI like him as well and the premise of this book got my attention, but after reading your review, I'm in no rush. Thanks!
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