Topic > Notes from a Great Country by Bill Bryson and the portrait of the United Kingdom compared to the United States

If you ever wanted to know how an American, who has spent the last twenty years of his life on another continent, would behave, when comes home after all that time, then “Notes from a Great Country” is a great book for you. Bill Bryson explains the advantages and disadvantages of being away for so long and puts the differences between the UK and the US into perspective in a series of articles he has written. These columns were written starting in September 1996, every week for two full years. It is a collection of short essays on garbage disposals, on linguistic peculiarities due to great cultural and geographical differences, as well as on the essential discrepancies between the life of an American and that of an Englishman through mundane everyday events such as going to the post office. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The satirical and humorous atmosphere is easily evident as it is an important and consistent part of almost all the columns in this collection. It is a mix of British and American comedy that depicts the two countries through criticism and evaluation of American and British values ​​from both an insider and outsider approach. His split identity as a born American who spent his key years of life in England left him stuck and almost lost, so much so that he was forced to find his way out through humor and satire. The reader will find himself stunned as he reads about everyday, mundane things in a way that is peculiar only to the satirical mind of a writer like Bill Bryson. The value of the book lies in the fact that it conveys a powerful message that differences are not bad, they can help you experience life through more complex lenses and notice relationships that you wouldn't notice living in one country and behaving in ways in accordance with a cultural paradigm. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay All in all, this book may not seem like it contains valuable lessons, but if we look deeper into the meaning of every word that Bryson intentionally used, we will see that this book is much more than a collection of newspaper articles.