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Bill Bryson 1927

10 replies

maudpringle · 21/01/2014 13:51

I am a massive Bill Bryson fan and have enjoyed his books over the years.
However, I just couldn't get going with this one, which is a real shame.
I have thoroughly enjoyed his more fact based books but can't help thinking that maybe it was very detailed about superbowl/baseball of which I have no interest or understandingSmile
I also noticed it was no where to be seen on The Sunday Times bestsellers and his books are always there.

OP posts:
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Potus · 21/01/2014 21:38

Me too. I usually devour his books but I'm just not finding the looong bits about aviation that interesting Sad I'll persevere in the hope it gets more interesting.

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CaptainTripps · 15/06/2014 21:38

I loved it. The themes all seemed to weave in and out seamlessly.

The other main themes were: crime, Prohibition, Lindbergh and the race to cross the Atlantic, Coolidge, Hoover, the seeds of the Depression...so many more.

Brilliant. I am not at all interested in any of the above but he hooked me and I learnt so much.

I really recommend.

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JodieGarberJacob · 15/06/2014 21:46

I'm a bit disappointed with this one at the moment. I prefer his autobiographical ones and found I lost interest in the At Home and Short History tomes quite early on but thought this would be different! Unfortunately I'm flagging and I've only just covered the first bit about Lindbergh. The only fact book I enjoyed of his was Made in America

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JodieGarberJacob · 15/06/2014 21:51

..... but felt that he was making some of the stuff up to make the book more comic. Some of the stuff in the Short History I didn't believe at all! So I'm approaching this with some doubt about authenticity which may be why I'm not enjoying it. I don't mean the major facts, just aspects of some of the personalities and their actions. I will carry on though even though it's taken me 3 weeks to get this far! I wish he'd write another travel book...

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KarlWrenbury · 17/06/2014 17:11

i loved the start then got SO BORED with it

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BrennieGirl · 17/06/2014 17:15

I am a huge Bill Bryson fan but really didn't enjoy this book at all. In fact I didn't even finish it which is unusual for me. I adore his travel books and have read them all several times. Very disappointed with the latest offering.

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Mcnorton · 17/06/2014 17:23

I was less keen on this one compared to others, but skipped a lot of baseball and got through it.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 21/07/2014 18:34

Loved the stuff about planes and Prohibition etc, but found the baseball stuff really boring.

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manofsponge · 19/08/2014 01:40

Loved the beginning. Then it got bogged down into sport which apart from babe Ruth was dull

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halfdrunkcoffee · 24/08/2014 11:04

I love Bill Bryson and enjoyed 1927, but as I hate sport I did find some of the baseball chapters a bit boring. However, I enjoyed reading about the personal life of Babe Ruth and other players. I thought he brought the past to life and I learned a lot I didn't know about Lindbergh - all in all, not my favourite of his but still a good read.

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