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The Road to Little Dribbling
- Adventures of an American in Britain
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
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The Road to Little Dribbling
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-
The Lost Continent
- Travels In Small Town America
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 33
Hardly anyone ever leaves Des Moines, Iowa. But Bill Bryson did, and after 10 years in England he decided to go home, to a foreign country. In an ageing Chevrolet Chevette, he drove nearly 14,000 miles through 38 states to compile this hilarious and perceptive state-of-the-nation report on small-town America.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointing!
- By Pierre Gauthier on 2021-05-17
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
- Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes.
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Shakespeare
- The World as Stage
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful
- By PDubya on 2021-05-16
Written by: Bill Bryson
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One Summer
- America, 1927
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 33
One of the most admired nonfiction writers of our time retells the story of one truly fabulous year in the life of his native country - a fascinating and gripping narrative featuring such outsized American heroes as Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, and yes Herbert Hoover, and a gallery of criminals (Al Capone), eccentrics (Shipwreck Kelly), and close-mouthed politicians (Calvin Coolidge). It was the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things and came of age in a big, brawling manner. What a country. What a summer. And what a writer to bring it all so vividly alive.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By BW on 2022-08-10
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Life on Earth
- Written by: David Attenborough
- Narrated by: David Attenborough
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 84
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the book’s first publication, David Attenborough has revisited Life on Earth, completely updating and adding to the original text, taking account of modern scientific discoveries from around the globe....
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5 out of 5 stars
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A breath of Fresh Air for all of time
- By Anonymous User on 2021-02-18
Written by: David Attenborough
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Notes from a Small Island
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while but before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain. His aim was to take stock of the nation's public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy....
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A delightful listen
- By David S on 2021-06-02
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
The Lost Continent
- Travels In Small Town America
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 33
Hardly anyone ever leaves Des Moines, Iowa. But Bill Bryson did, and after 10 years in England he decided to go home, to a foreign country. In an ageing Chevrolet Chevette, he drove nearly 14,000 miles through 38 states to compile this hilarious and perceptive state-of-the-nation report on small-town America.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointing!
- By Pierre Gauthier on 2021-05-17
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
- Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes.
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Shakespeare
- The World as Stage
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful
- By PDubya on 2021-05-16
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
One Summer
- America, 1927
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 33
One of the most admired nonfiction writers of our time retells the story of one truly fabulous year in the life of his native country - a fascinating and gripping narrative featuring such outsized American heroes as Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, and yes Herbert Hoover, and a gallery of criminals (Al Capone), eccentrics (Shipwreck Kelly), and close-mouthed politicians (Calvin Coolidge). It was the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things and came of age in a big, brawling manner. What a country. What a summer. And what a writer to bring it all so vividly alive.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent
- By BW on 2022-08-10
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Life on Earth
- Written by: David Attenborough
- Narrated by: David Attenborough
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 84
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the book’s first publication, David Attenborough has revisited Life on Earth, completely updating and adding to the original text, taking account of modern scientific discoveries from around the globe....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A breath of Fresh Air for all of time
- By Anonymous User on 2021-02-18
Written by: David Attenborough
-
Notes from a Small Island
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while but before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain. His aim was to take stock of the nation's public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy....
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A delightful listen
- By David S on 2021-06-02
Written by: Bill Bryson
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The Honey Bus
- A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees
- Written by: Meredith May
- Narrated by: Candace Thaxton
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 12
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Story5 out of 5 stars 12
Meredith May recalls the first time a honeybee crawled on her arm. She was five years old, her parents had recently split, and suddenly, she found herself in the care of her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in a rusty old military bus in the yard. That first close encounter was at once terrifying and exhilarating for May, and in that moment, she discovered that everything she needed to know about life and family was right before her eyes, in the secret world of bees.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book but the narration not so much...
- By Amanda on 2019-05-29
Written by: Meredith May
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Made in America
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it.
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-06-28
Written by: Bill Bryson
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Neither Here Nor There
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
Bill Bryson's first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here Nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another great Bill Bryson title
- By James Roberts on 2023-02-26
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Notes from a Small Island
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Bill Bryson is an unabashed Anglophile who, through a mistake of history, happened to be born and bred in Iowa. Righting that error, he spent 20 years in England before deciding to repatriate. This was partly to let his wife and children experience life in Bryson's homeland - and partly because he had read that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another. It was thus clear to him that his people needed him. But before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Perfect Picture
- By Ken Y on 2023-06-13
Written by: Bill Bryson
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At Home
- A Short History of Private Life
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 156
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 135
Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.”
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting, I learned a lot
- By Karen on 2018-02-25
Written by: Bill Bryson
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The Body
- A Guide for Occupants
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 552
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 463
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 459
Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body - how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Required reading for the self-aware
- By Dr. Gordon K. McIvor on 2020-02-04
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Neither Here Nor There
- Travels in Europe
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 6
You'll stop at Europe's most diverting and historic locales and view the Old World through Bryson's tourist eye view in this affectionate, blisteringly insightful, and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul.
Written by: Bill Bryson
-
Blowing the Bloody Doors Off
- And Other Lessons in Life
- Written by: Michael Caine
- Narrated by: Michael Caine
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 126
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
One of our best-loved actors, Michael Caine has starred in over 100 films in his six-decade career, spanning classic movies like Alfie, Zulu, and The Italian Job (the inspiration for the book title) to playing Alfred opposite Christian Bale's Batman in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster Dark Knight trilogy. Caine has excelled in every kind of role - with a skill that's made it look easy. As he says, "Small parts can lead to big things. And if you keep doing things right, the stars will align when you least expect it."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful
- By Lou on 2019-01-26
Written by: Michael Caine
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Whatever You Do, Don't Run
- True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide
- Written by: Peter Allison
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 106
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 97
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 96
Whatever You Do, Don't Run is a hilarious collection of true tales from top safari guide Peter Allison. In a place where the wrong behavior could get you eaten, Allison has survived face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry elephants, and the world's most unpredictable animals: herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides whose outrageous antics sometimes make them even more dangerous than a pride of hungry lions!
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable light listening
- By Barb Hamilton on 2020-04-02
Written by: Peter Allison
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Neither Here nor There
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 13
In Neither Here nor There Bill Bryson brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Another funny travel account!
- By William Jones on 2023-05-10
Written by: Bill Bryson
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The Secret History of Christmas
- Written by: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
Christmas is the single biggest annual event on the planet, a time for merry-making, over-indulgence, peace, goodwill, and the occasional family row. It’s as comfortable and familiar as a pair of old shoes and yet still glittery and exciting. But what do you really know about it? It’s stuffed full of traditions and rituals that most of us have been observing all our lives without having the slightest idea of where they come from.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Pretty good - Short and Sweet
- By RICHARD E on 2022-11-29
Written by: Bill Bryson
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The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story
- Written by: Hyeonseo Lee, David John
- Narrated by: Josie Dunn
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 104
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
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Story5 out of 5 stars 86
An extraordinary insight into life under one of the world's most ruthless and secretive dictatorships - and the story of one woman's terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom. As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal communist regime. Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic True Story
- By Sally on 2023-06-13
Written by: Hyeonseo Lee, and others
Publisher's Summary
A loving and hilarious—if occasionally spiky—valentine to Bill Bryson’s adopted country, Great Britain. Prepare for total joy and multiple episodes of unseemly laughter.
Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to discover and celebrate that green and pleasant land. The result was Notes from a Small Island, a true classic and one of the bestselling travel books ever written. Now he has traveled about Britain again, by bus and train and rental car and on foot, to see what has changed—and what hasn’t.
Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis in the south to Cape Wrath in the north, by way of places few travelers ever get to at all, Bryson rediscovers the wondrously beautiful, magnificently eccentric, endearingly singular country that he both celebrates and, when called for, twits. With his matchless instinct for the funniest and quirkiest and his unerring eye for the idiotic, the bewildering, the appealing, and the ridiculous, he offers acute and perceptive insights into all that is best and worst about Britain today.
Nothing is more entertaining than Bill Bryson on the road—and on a tear. The Road to Little Dribbling reaffirms his stature as a master of the travel narrative—and a really, really funny guy.
What the critics say
"Although he's now entering what he fondly calls his 'dotage,' the 64-year-old Bryson seems merely to have sharpened both his charms and his crotchets. As the title of The Road to Little Dribbling suggests, he remains devoted to Britain's eccentric place names as well as its eccentric pastimes." —Alida Becker, The New York Times Book Review
"[Y]ou could hardly ask for a better guide to Great Britain than Bill Bryson. Bryson’s new book is in most ways a worthy successor and sequel to his classic Notes From A Small Island. Like its predecessor, The Road to Little Dribbling is a travel memoir, combining adventures and observations from his travels around the island nation with recounting of his life there, off and mostly on, over the last four decades. Bryson is such a good writer that even if you don’t especially go in for travel books, he makes reading this book worthwhile."—Nancy Klingener, Miami Herald
"...Bryson’s capacity for wonder at the beauty of his adopted homeland seems to have only grown with time.... Britain is still his home four decades later, a period in which he went from lowly scribe at small-town British papers to best-selling travel writer. But he retains an outsider’s appreciation for a country that first struck him as 'wholly strange ... and yet somehow marvelous.”—Griff Witte, Washington Post
More from the same
What listeners say about The Road to Little Dribbling
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Don
- 2020-05-17
Not His best work
Another one but not his best one and I have read all of his books I was disappointed in this one
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- William Jones
- 2023-03-18
A must read!!
Love this book!!
Witty, fun,
Descriptive
Clever
Can’t wait to read another of Bills books!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stave
- 2021-11-28
Underline the Bryson Line
Excellent production of an excellent book. A word to the narrator, though. Bude is pronounced "bwude" and not "Bood". That is all.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Craig
- 2021-01-13
Fantastic book
I have read this book many times and love it even more each time. Bill Bryson has picked some great narrators for his work and I'm a loyal fan till the end of time. Everyone of his books is entertaining...even the dry ones (1927) so give him a try is my recommendation.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Selena
- 2020-09-13
Bill Bryson never fails to deliver!
writing a review appears not to be optional after all. here are my fifteen words.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Veronica
- 2018-09-16
Bryson does it again
I just love Bryson's work. This book is no exception. This book capture my attention with Bryson's wonderful ability to take his readers along with him as he travels through Britain. I found myself laughing at some of Bryson's embarrassing experiences and his sarcastic wit. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who love Britain! #Audible1
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rick
- 2016-01-25
No Bryson?? Alas, another disappointed fan
Bryson without Bryson's voice doesn't work for me. As others have already detailed, his unique voice is essential in conveying the tone of his work. As a long-time fan, I just clicked on "Buy" as soon at this book was released without listening to a sample or paying attention to the narrator. That's my fault for "assuming". This one is being returned for credit. If reissued with Bill Bryson narrating I'll most likely purchase anew. Sorry Bill. I really tried but it just doesn't play properly without your narration.
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109 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rio Delta Wild
- 2016-01-25
Bryson should narrate! No question about it!
I've just started listening, and this reader is okay. But Bill is great at narrating his own work, and I was fully expecting that I'd hear his voice. I never expected for a moment to hear someone else. We need another version with a Bryson narration.
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64 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- David Alan Larkins
- 2016-01-26
Too much snark, not enough heart
Would you listen to The Road to Little Dribbling again? Why?
I had to tap out with two hours remaining. Bryson's travel narratives have always included a level of snark, but he overspiced the soup this time, I'm afraid. I get enough of the "grumpy old Boomer" act from my parents, thanks.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
A bit more of the heart and humor found in A Walk in the Woods and In a Sunburned Country. Also, the completely unnecessary and transphobic swipe at Caitlyn Jenner should never have made it through editing. Say what you will about her as a person (and I don't hold her in any esteem in that regard), but there's no call for labeling her "Bruce Jenner in drag."
What does Nathan Osgood bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Osgood's reading was excellent, and really helped elevate the material. He has a masterful command of the various regional British accents, and that was put to excellent use as the narrative moved about the island.
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39 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- yoderfamily01
- 2016-01-28
Oh Bill, why?
I love Bill Bryson and have listened to all of his books. Most, unlike this one, are narrated by Bryson himself in his mild, sleepy tones. Maybe it's the different narrator (who does a fine job) or maybe it's the decades that have passed since his earlier tours through Britain, but I found this book to be more "grumpy old fart" than bemused traveller. He wraps up the book with a loving tribute to his adopted home, but so much of what has gone before this chapter is whiny, condescending, and smug. He loves Britain but hates its shopkeepers and hourly wage workers, its politicians, publicans and hoteliers. In fact the only Britains he seems to like are well-educated immigrants like himself. I hope he will cheer the heck up in future and write more great reads like his earlier travelogues and At Home.
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36 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Shana
- 2016-01-23
What a dissapointment!!
What disappointed you about The Road to Little Dribbling?
I love Bill Bryson and have bought all his audio books and listened to most of them many times. First of all this book isn't narrated by him, strike 1. Next he he spends half his time complaining about things and the other half talking about what he wrote in Notes from a small Island, or talking about previous works, thanking people or endorsing products. He even admits at the beginning he practically wrote this book just for the money. He said he wouldn't visit previous places from Notes from a Small Island, but he did or else talked about it endlessly.
What do you think your next listen will be?
I don't know yet.
What didn’t you like about Nathan Osgood’s performance?
He's okay, but I was expecting Bill Bryson.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
There were moments with some of his old charm but overall I found myself thrinking about other things for most of the book and I can't really remember any place he talked about, mostly because he didn't talk about the places.
Any additional comments?
I really wanted to like this book, even after reading some negative reviews. I just couldn't. So glad I got it through Audible and can return it and didn't spend a lot of money on a physical book that was far far less than I expected.
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31 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hellocat
- 2016-01-22
Utterly delightful
For the good of mankind, Bill Bryson needs to be permanently chained to his desk and forced to write non-stop for the rest of his life. While this might sound cruel, the benefit to mankind would far outweigh any such concerns. The only exception would be when he is travelling for his writing, and even then I think the desk should go with him just to remind him what's up.
The Road to Little Dribbling is the latest book from a man who has yet to write a bad one, and is bristling with the sort of excellence that I, and his many fans, have come to expect. Hilarious, insightful and interesting, The Road To Little Dribbling is highly recommended.
There have been some negative reviews for the book, but these can be quickly and thoroughly discounted. Yes, this is not Notes From A Small Island, and 20 years on who could expect it to be? Bryson now travels mostly in short bursts, not the long stretches of solitary sojourns of his youth. This does change the tone of the book, but once you accept that it is as delightful as anything he's written.
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25 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 2016-05-21
Classic Bill Bryson, but would be better if author narrated
This narrator has a much edgier/sarcastic tone than the author, which makes the funny bits not as funny . His voice is somewhat unpleasantly gravelly. I was able to listen, but wish the author did the narration.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- David Holroyd
- 2016-01-21
Another disappointed fan
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I've always loved Notes from a Small Island, Neither Here nor There and A Walk in the Woods. Bill Bryson has a unique voice. This book isn't his best work. It's poorly structured, repetitive but also occasionally laugh out loud funny and entertaining.
If you’ve listened to books by Bill Bryson before, how does this one compare?
Better than In a Sunburned Country but otherwise not his best travel writing.
What three words best describe Nathan Osgood’s voice?
I wish Bill Bryson had narrated the book.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
No
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Frank
- 2016-03-10
When did Bryson become a cranky old man?
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
I've read and thoroughly enjoyed several of his books including "A Walk in the Woods" and "In a Sunburned Country". For some reason ole Bill has turned into a nasty, short on patience old man, he just gripes constantly, especially about young folks he deals with. For god's sake do some soul searching Bill!
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22 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Old Judge
- 2016-01-31
Very Disappointing
What would have made The Road to Little Dribbling better?
The narrator was dreadful. Bill Bryson makes a point of the importance of language and grammar but the narrator repeatedly mispronounced words. Moreover, the narrator's stab at American regional accents was clumsy. I had the feeling that the author was 'mailing it in.' It seemed that many of the rants were over-long and forced -- and probably padded.
Would you ever listen to anything by Bill Bryson again?
Yes. I have read (not listened to) many of Bill Bryson's works and generally enjoyed them.
Would you be willing to try another one of Nathan Osgood’s performances?
No.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
There were parts that were pleasant and insightful but they were overwhelmed by the rest.
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18 people found this helpful