Fans of Bryson won't be disappointed - this is a funny book. But underpinning this affectionate account of a 1950s Mid West childhood is a deeper reflection on changing America, from innocent optimism to uncertainty and moral duplicity. This is Bryson in elegiac mood (the book ends: 'What a wonderful world it was. We won't see its like again, I'm afraid') but also giving his country stick - sugar-coated, maybe, but stick nevertheless.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 42 October 2007 ) |
