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It is as one would expect the
story of his exploits in Australia, where
A-bombs go off unnoticed, prime ministers disappear into the
surf (just as Bryson himself did in the surfing experience he
got caught in), happy folks ho never forget to greet absolute
strangers ‘Hey Mate’. They co-exist with some of the world’s
deadliest creatures. And they’re cool about it. In Bryson’s
book there are toxic caterpillars, aggressive seashells,
crocodiles, sharks, snakes and the dreaded box jellyfish.
If you think
that’s scary, hang on, its just the beginning. Bryson’s
treks will take you through sunbaked deserts, up endless
coastlines, crisscrossing the "under-discovered"
Down Under in search of all things interesting.
For all you
cricket lovers, you can even catch a cricket game on the
radio. Which, in Bryson’s words, is like listening to two
men sitting in a rowboat on a large, placid lake on a day when
the fish aren’t biting; it’s like having a nap without
losing consciousness. It actually helps not to know quite what’s
going on. In such a rarefied world of contentment and
inactivity, comprehension would become a distraction.
Sample this
for instance: "Neasden, it appeared, was turning in a
solid performance at square bowel, while Packet had been a
stalwart in the dribbles, though even these exemplary
performances paled when set aside the outstanding play of
young Hugo Twain-Buttocks at middle nipple. The commentators
were in calm agreement that they had not seen anyone caught
behind with such panache since Tandoori took Rogan Josh for a
stiffy at Vindaloo in ’61."
You get the
drift. In Australia, Bill Bryson has an intrinsically
fascinating subject: spaces extreme in their vastness,
primeval landscapes and improbable creatures. His travelogue
is sprinkled with history and contemporary culture notes, all
of which are inevitably amusing.
It’s hard
to see how anyone could not share his delight in monotremes
and stromatolites or cringe just a little when he discovered
that he had drunkenly agreed to a house swap.
Whether he is
taking you along as he crosses the great outback, daring death
at every turn, or just kicking back for a beer or two (or
three, or four or more.....) in homey Australian pubs he
manages to portray a sense of what it s really like, just to
make sure you are absolutely crazy if you want to gothere. He
takes you to some of Australia’s most ignored wonders, like
a tree walk, a 100ft high board walk, among some of the
tallest, most magnificent trees in Australia. He brings you to
a colony of stromatolites, the first living organism on earth,
the largest of three known surviving colonies.
Whether Bryson’s
floundering in the water off the Great Barrier Reef or boogie
boarding in a swarm of poisonous jellyfish he brings together
the most exciting and the most mundane parts of life down
under for all to see and share. Australia may be "mostly
empty and a long way away," but with Bryson’s latest
offering it’s isn’t quite Down Under. Read it even if you
have a mild interest in geography, you’re bound to
entertained, enlightened and eager to get there. "You
see," Bryson observes, "Australia is an interesting
place. It truly is. And that really is all I’m saying."
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I
haven’t stopped laughing! Its Bryson back again with a
vengeance. His incomparable humour and unmatched style never
comprising on his wonderful insights.
