Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson***

Have you ever happened to embark on a conversation with that "experienced" gentleman at church? You know the one ... everyone knows him because he shares these stories of when he was in college, or in the war, or on his mission, or working in Washington. And these stories seem to have nothing to do with what you're talking about at present? Well, having grown up with one of those gentlemen as my father, I've learned over time that there often is a reason to the story, and it often is a good one ... it just may take hours to get to that point.

This book is a lot like that.

Bill Bryson is an American who moved to England shortly after college, got a job, met a girl, started a family and a career, and over a decade later is preparing to return to the States. He takes a farewell tour to as many locations on the "small island" as he can via train, bus, foot, taxi. Though, you'll notice a recurring statement that goes something like this: "I'm sure the village is a lot more quaint when it's not out of season." So, what it ends up being is a travelogue about riding a bus or walking 10 miles to another small town, eating Chinese food (often the only establishment open "out of season" apparently), thinking this town has something cool to offer ... only to realize that it doesn't, or it's closed, and anyway he has to leave before anything can happen because he has to check out of his old motel before they charge him for a second night.

But ... there is something quite enjoyable about this book. Maybe it's the fact that the constant rain, train rides, and tellings of Chinese dinners puts me in a comfy mood that sends me straight to a nap. It took me forever to read this book because I kept falling asleep (seriously ... it's only 317 pages and took me almost 3 weeks to finish. The last book I spent this long reading was Les Miserables with its 1000+ pages). Maybe it was his descriptions of the unexpected surprises, like his discovery of Durham, or the fact that he got a chance to see This is Cinerama in one of the towns, or the night he discovered he was just 20 miles from home and decided to leave off traveling for one night and spend some time with them, or the overall understated way that he obviously cares tremendously for his family, or the unexplained loathing he has of those who drink tea with milk in it (brilliant idea, Brits), or his story of the retail magnate who went all Hugh Hefner on everyone with a pair of twins, or the many ways he's able to capture the pervading wit of the British people in all types of circumstances ... maybe all those little things added up to make something that, while not dramatic, not compelling, still imparts a fondness. Yes, I think that's the best word: I have a fondness for this book and its author. It made me more excited about my trip to London this summer than I was before I started (did I mention that I'm going to London this summer? I meant to). But it did - I'm more excited than before. And that's the main thing.