Book Description
From one of the most beloved authors of our time—more than six million copies of his books have been sold in this country alone—a fascinating excursion into the history behind the place we call home.
“Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.”
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.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has figured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.
Bill Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and he is a master at turning the seemingly isolated or mundane fact into an occasion for the most diverting exposition imaginable. His wit and sheer prose fluency make At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.
“Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.”
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.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has figured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.
Bill Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and he is a master at turning the seemingly isolated or mundane fact into an occasion for the most diverting exposition imaginable. His wit and sheer prose fluency make At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.
Product Details
- File Size: 7093 KB
- Print Length: 512 pages
- Publisher: Anchor (October 5, 2010)
- Sold by: Random House LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B003F3FJGY
Rating: 2/5
Review: Get ready to be shocked. This is the first Bill Bryson book that I have read. I have no excuse other than there's just so many authors out there to read.
This book is kind of everywhere and even so, still a pleasant read. It covers some British and Victorian history. We get the history of around one hundred years of his home and little facts and quirky comments. The rooms of the home are described so that you can visualize each place.
This book shows us a little of what we take for granted, both within our home and within the history that develops our homes.
This book may be best suited for those who enjoy Bill Bryson. I will pick up some of his earlier works before making a full thought on his writing.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking a moment to leave a comment. Please feel free to re-share anything on my blog in any of the social networks. I can't always reply to each comment, but I do read them all.