Dear Bill Bryson
Footnotes from a Small Island
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Dear Bill Bryson
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Narrated by:
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Ben Aitken
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By:
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Ben Aitken
About this listen
An irreverent homage to the '95 travel classic, from the author of The Gran Tour.
In 2013, travel writer Ben Aitken decided to follow in the footsteps of his hero - literally - and started a journey around the UK, tracing the trip taken by Bill Bryon in his classic tribute to the British Isles, Notes from a Small Island.
Staying at the same hotels, ordering the same food and even spending the same amount of time in the bath, Aitken's homage - updated and with a new preface for 2022 - is filled with wit, insight and humour.
©2022 Ben Aitken (P)2022 W F HowesListeners also enjoyed...
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Francesca Stubbs has a very full life. A highly regarded expert on housing for the elderly who is herself getting on in age, she drives restlessly round England. Amid the professional conferences she attends, she fits in visits to old friends, brings home-cooked dinners to her ex-husband, texts her son, who is grieving over the sudden death of his girlfriend, and drops in on her daughter, a quirky young woman who lives in a floodplain in the West Country.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Life Observed By An Exceptional Writer
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Almost French
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After backpacking her way around Europe journalist Sarah Turnbull is ready to embark on one last adventure before heading home to Sydney. A chance meeting with a charming Frenchman in Bucharest changes her travel plans forever. Acting on impulse, she agrees to visit Fredric in Paris for a week. Put a very French Frenchman together with a strong-willed Australian girl and the result is some spectacular - and often hilarious - cultural clashes.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Almost Terrific
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The Year of Living Danishly
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When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn't Disneyland but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long, dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries. What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born or made?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting content. Unfortunate delivery.
- By Jennifer Soudagar on 11-13-15
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Surviving Ireland
- By: Colm Tobin
- Narrated by: Colm Tobin
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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It's exhausting being Irish. The constant self-flagellation is enough to put anybody off their breakfast. Why are we so hard on ourselves? Is it the postcolonial overhang following centuries of oppression at the hands of a litany of foreign invaders? Or is it collective guilt for sending Westlife out into the wider world? In Surviving Ireland, acclaimed comedy writer Colm Tobin takes the listener by the hand for a satirical romp through modern Irish life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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very fun
- By Rick on 06-12-19
By: Colm Tobin
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Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn
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- By: Jamie Maslin
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
When Jamie Maslin decides to hitchhike the entire length of the Silk Road, he decides to travel first and plan later. Then, unexpectedly stranded in Iran - a country he's only read about in newspapers - he wonders whether he'll make it out alive. After crossing the border on foot from Turkey, Maslin finds himself suddenly plunged into the subversive, contradictory world of Iranian subculture, where he is embraced by locals who are happy to show him the true Iran as they see it....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining & Informative
- By Bella Bates on 04-18-14
By: Jamie Maslin
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Dreaming of Jupiter
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- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
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-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 116
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 113
When Ted Simon rode 64,000 miles round the world on his 500c Triumph Tiger, he inspired thousands of motorcyclists to begin their own adventures, including Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who chronicled their travels in Long Way Round. Nearly 30 years later, Ted Simon took to the road again to retrace the epic journey he made in his 40s. He meets up with old friends and acquaintances, revisits old landmarks and locations, and rediscovers himself, as well as the world, along the way.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing book, Amazing Man
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By: Ted Simon
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My Twenty-Five Years in Provence
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- Narrated by: John Lee
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 269
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 233
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A celebration of 25 years of Provençal living - of lessons learned and changes observed - with his final book, Peter Mayle has crafted a lasting love letter to his adopted home, marked by his signature warmth, wit, and humor.
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3 out of 5 stars
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The narrator ruins it for me.
- By Flossiesmommy on 07-05-18
By: Peter Mayle
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Maeve's Times
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- By: Maeve Binchy
- Narrated by: Kate Binchy
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
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-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 87
From the royal wedding to boring airplane companions, Samuel Beckett to Margaret Thatcher, "senior moments" to life as a waitress, Maeve's Times gives us wonderful insight into a changing Ireland as it celebrates the work of one of our best-loved writers in all its diversity - revealing her characteristic directness, laugh-out-loud humor, and unswerving gaze into the true heart of a matter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A GLIMPSE THROUGH MAEVE'S LOOKING GLASS
- By jstrfic on 08-08-17
By: Maeve Binchy
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Lord James Harrington and the Winter Mystery
- By: Lynn Florkiewicz
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 245
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 201
1957. Lord James Harrington and his wife, Beth, run a country hotel in the village of Cavendish, deep in the heart of West Sussex. James and Beth are discussing the latest Cavendish Players production, The Devil Incarnate, when their cleaner informs them that farmer Alec Grimes is missing.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I'm Officially Hooked On Lord Harrington
- By John on 12-18-17
By: Lynn Florkiewicz
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Paris to the Moon
- By: Adam Gopnik
- Narrated by: Adam Gopnik
- Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 152
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 111
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 111
Paris. The name alone conjures images of chestnut-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés, breathtaking façades around every corner: in short, an exquisite romanticism that has captured the American imagination for as long as there have been Americans.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Wish this wasn't abridged!!
- By Sarah D. on 03-25-17
By: Adam Gopnik
-
Flesh Wounds
- By: Richard Glover
- Narrated by: Richard Glover
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
A mother who invented her past, a father who was often absent, a son who wondered if this could really be his family...Richard Glover's favourite dinner-party game is called 'Who's Got the Weirdest Parents?' It's a game he always thinks he'll win. There was his mother, a deluded snob who made up large swathes of her past and who ran away with Richard's English teacher, a Tolkien devotee, nudist and stuffed toy collector.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Such a Meaningful Reflection
- By Awarenessing on 11-28-15
By: Richard Glover
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How It All Began
- By: Penelope Lively
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 459
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 392
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 390
When Charlotte Rainsford, a retired schoolteacher, is accosted by a petty thief on a London street, the consequences ripple across the lives of acquaintances and strangers alike. A marriage unravels after an illicit love affair is revealed through an errant cell phone message; a posh yet financially strapped interior designer meets a business partner who might prove too good to be true.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful and beautifully written
- By Molly-o on 02-15-12
By: Penelope Lively
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Missing Susan
- By: Sharyn McCrumb
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
When Rowan Rover is offered $50,000 to murder a woman on his September Mystery Tour, he is surprised to find himself accepting the offer. The thought of committing murder chills him, until he meets the beautiful Susan Cohen. After days of listening to her nonstop chatter, with insults tossed in every direction, Rowan reaches a startling conclusion: she is someone he would like to kill.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Anyone who has taken a package tour can relate.
- By Barbara Kindle Customer on 12-30-17
By: Sharyn McCrumb
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Lost on Planet China
- By: J. Maarten Troost
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 754
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 506
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 506
When the travel bug bit, J. Maarten Troost took on the world's most populous and intriguing nation. As Troost relates his gonzo adventure - dodging deadly drivers in Shanghai, eating yak in Tibet, deciphering restaurant menus (offering local favorites such as cattle penis with garlic), and visiting with Chairman Mao (still dead) - he reveals a vast, complex country on the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all work, live, and think.
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3 out of 5 stars
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I love Troost but...
- By Abigail on 02-25-09
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Time Pieces
- A Dublin Memoir
- By: John Banville
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
As much about the life of the city as it is about a life lived, sometimes, in the city, John Banville's "quasi-memoir" is as layered, emotionally rich, witty, and unexpected as any of his novels. Born and bred in a small town a train ride away from Dublin, Banville saw the city as a place of enchantment when he was a child, a birthday treat, the place where his beloved, eccentric aunt lived.
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5 out of 5 stars
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‘loved it!
- By SandyK on 02-24-24
By: John Banville
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I Regret Nothing
- A Memoir
- By: Jen Lancaster
- Narrated by: Jen Lancaster
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 411
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 368
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 364
New York Times best-selling author Jen Lancaster has lived a life based on re-invention and self-improvement. From Bitter Is the New Black to The Tao of Martha, she’s managed to document her (and her generation’s) attempts to shape up, grow up, and have it all - sometimes with disastrous results...Mistakes are one thing; regrets are another. After a girls’ weekend in Savannah makes her realize that she is - yikes! - middle-aged (binge watching is so the new binge drinking), Jen decides to make a bucket list and seize the day.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
The Smug Is Strong With This One
- By T. Filowitz on 05-24-15
By: Jen Lancaster
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In the first of three essays included in this audiobook, Bill Bryson decides to move his wife and kids back to his homeland, the United States, after nearly two decades in Britain. But not before taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. The result is a hilarious social commentary.
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America's most hilarious sportsman returns with this collection of insights about youth, the great outdoors, and the philosophy of fileting fish. When best-selling author Patrick McManus looks at a subject, you're sure to come away with an outrageously new perspective.
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In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.
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Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body - how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted."
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Must Read for the Sheer Fun of It
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Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.”
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What listeners say about Dear Bill Bryson
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara Richards
- 08-22-24
A Grand Triumph
This book makes me want to go back, across the pond, and visit the UK, again. Aitken goes beyond the famous, phone boxes, and the double-decker buses, to weave an account that may inspire one, to, also, follow, in Bryson's footsteps.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacob Nance
- 05-24-22
Very nicely done!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read (listen to) more books from Ben.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- A. BAKA
- 06-16-24
Liked it actually
After getting used to the writer’s quirky humour, it is really interesting and a nice overview of UK. Natives will understand more but good for non natives as well
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- susan w
- 01-20-24
Narration distracts from content
The intent was intriguing. I was curious to see what a later journey discovered that was same and different from Bryson's original. However Aitken's speech rhythm, dropping down at the end of each sentence becomes dreary. He does seem depressed by much of his travels. Even enthusiastic reviews have the same down tone. I gave up about two thirds through .
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- John R. Galloway Jr.
- 08-02-23
Not funny, just boring
Sadly, at least with this example, Ben Aitken shows himself to be an even worse narrator than he is an author, and he is not a very good author. I have not listened to Bryson's Notes From A Small Island, but of the ones to which I have listened they make me chukle and Bryson is a decent narrator. I can not recall a single moment of amusement listening to Aitken's 8.5 hrs of droning. The last 2 hrs are a little better but not by much. I did manage to listen to the entire thing so that gets from 1 star up to 2 stars.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- I. Sherman
- 11-29-23
Nope
I love Bill Bryson’s work; I did NOT love this. While Bryson writes with wit, charm and a sparkle, Aitken comes across as pretentious, negative and easily disappointed by anything and everything. His narration doesn’t make up for it as he delivers a lifeless performance that seems to emphasize his negativity. If you like Bryson, give this a miss.
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