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Dotty old England and narrator-host Bill Bryson are the stars of Notes from a Small Island, based on Bryson's 1995 gentle skewering of all things British. Bryson's fondness for the country comes from his 20 years of living there. So when the ex-Midwesterner says, with a curiously Anglicized accent, that the country exceeds at dottiness, you can't help but smile with him as he pokes fun at what the country seems to be about. "New towns feel like they were designed by people who heard about America on the radio," he laments, before spotlighting an old one built in the mid-1800s. He touches on the Americanization of the Queen's English, then focuses on the Hebrides, where Gaelic is still spoken. This second of three volumes also explores Britain's once-technological dominance with a trip to a patent library, a visit to one of the subway's closed "ghost stations," and a recounting of William Morris, who left school at 15 to become a bike mechanic and design the car that became the MG. It's filled with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, presented with engaging eccentricity. --Valerie J. Nelson
| CATEGORY: | Video |
| DIRECTOR: | Bill Bryson |
| MANUFACTURER: | Kultur Video |
| MPAA RATING: | NR (Not Rated) |
| FEATURES: | Color, NTSC |
| TYPE: | Documentary |
| MEDIA: | VHS Tape |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 032031196834 |
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Customer Reviews of Notes from a Small Island: An Affectionate Portrait of Britain, Vol. 2
The Boring Mr Bryson, volume II I had the dubious pleasure of Bryson's self-satisfied ramblings in the book form of "Notes from a small island" a year or two ago. It was something to read at a time in my life when I had very little to do, I suppose!
This Christmas I had the even more dubious pleasure of seeing Mr Bryson on film presenting a screen adaption of his highly overrated work. As a travelogue in itself it is not bad at all. You do get quite a sense of the Ukfrom it. Pity about the presenter!
As an English person myself, I became very bored with the fact that Bryson consantly puts Britain down, albeit in a backhanded way. Also, if you listen carefully, you will see that what Bryson is really doing is talking about America. His references and comparisons are very often made with America. So what! He s supposed to be talking about the UK not the USA. I suppose it is an arrogant trait that many Yanks are predisposed towards, however for me, and I imagine for many other natives of what Brysonmakes out to be a small and insignificant isle populated solely by freks and eccentrics of all persuasions, Bryson's contant references to himself and his home country soon become very tiresome!
From reading the book, you just don't get a sense of how monotonous Bryson's drawl actually is. From what I recall, Bryson makes some very acrid remarks about many of my countrymen and women, but really, when you see Bryson, who obviously thinks he looks good like a bearded John Denver in a hiking jumper, you know he hasn't got a leg to stand on. Bryson has left the UK to go back to his beloved America. No doubt he is boring people to death over there with his so-called witticisms and anecdotes about the British. Good riddance is what I say!
Spectacular!!!
Bill Bryson's wit is unparalleled, as he proves so well in this movie. He travels through Britain, occassionally quoting his book of the same title, and shares his hysterical remark with his viewers. A must for any anglophile!