NEITHER HERE NOR THERE

TITLE: NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
AUTHOR: BILL BRYSON
Pages: 232
Date: 08/06/2011
Grade: 4
Library


This was my third book by Bill Bryson in just over two weeks, and I think that, for the time being, it will be my last. Not that I didn't enjoy this book, I did, but I think it is possible to overdo it with any author and I fear that if I read another Bryson book anytime soon I won't find it funny anymore because I'd be too used to his sense of humour. I didn't have that problem while reading Neither Here Nor There though. I had quite a few laugh out loud moments.

In this book Bryson describes his solitary travels through Europe in 1990. And he does see a lot of Europe, travelling through Norway, Sweden and Denmark (but not Finland), the low countries, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and ending his travels in Istanbul.
He has made this trip before, in the early 1970's with Stephen Katz, the same person he paired up with for his Walk in the Woods. It's a bit of a mystery though why he would want to journey with Katz again in that later book, Considering the memories he describes in this one I would have had no problem believing that he and Katz had never spoken to each other again.
His observations of the places he visits and the people he observes and meets is, as expected, sharp and funny and his descriptions do make me wish for a windfall large enough to extensively travel through Europe myself.
Overall this was an informative, interesting, fun and funny read written by a man who has a unique way with words.