254 pages
English language
Published Dec. 15, 1992 by Avon.
Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe is a 1991 humorous travelogue by American writer Bill Bryson. It documents the author's tour of Europe in 1990, with flashbacks to two summer tours he made in 1972 and 1973 in his college days. On his 1973 tour, he travelled with his friend Matt Angerer, pseudonymised in the book as Stephen Katz, who also appeared more prominently in Bryson's later book A Walk in the Woods, as well as in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Bryson's trip begins in the winter, in Hammerfest, Norway, where his goal is to see the Northern Lights. He visits numerous locations throughout Europe, commenting on the various aspects of life in different parts of Europe, and comparing them to how he experienced them in his earlier visits. The book ends with Bryson reaching Istanbul, Turkey, looking across the Bosphorus to Asia, and considering …
Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe is a 1991 humorous travelogue by American writer Bill Bryson. It documents the author's tour of Europe in 1990, with flashbacks to two summer tours he made in 1972 and 1973 in his college days. On his 1973 tour, he travelled with his friend Matt Angerer, pseudonymised in the book as Stephen Katz, who also appeared more prominently in Bryson's later book A Walk in the Woods, as well as in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Bryson's trip begins in the winter, in Hammerfest, Norway, where his goal is to see the Northern Lights. He visits numerous locations throughout Europe, commenting on the various aspects of life in different parts of Europe, and comparing them to how he experienced them in his earlier visits. The book ends with Bryson reaching Istanbul, Turkey, looking across the Bosphorus to Asia, and considering continuing his tour.
Delightful book. You travel with Bryson around Europe, from the north to the south, the west to the east, mostly touching cities. You experience food, people, history and cultural elements and you overall have good fun, the book it hilarious! Really recommended read for anyone who likes travel literature.
I read this as it was a present from my children. I don't really find Bryson funny and find his writing lazy - he seems to get into 'scrapes' partly out of his own laziness/bad planning and he's not very insightful.
Reading this 18 years after it was first published, it feels dated of course; but not quite old enough to be historical. The chapter of Bulgaria was more considered however.
