Wednesday, June 29, 2011

At Home | Bill Bryson


At Home ~ Bill Bryson

By: Fatma Makki

This is a non-fiction book, which Bill Bryson has dedicated to the history of the home, and all the unusual intricacies and major events of histories that have led to the modern home which we live in today. So, there is no real plot to the story, except that Bryson ingeniously ties the chapters together by dedicating one chapter to each room in the house: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc. In this way, we learn some absolutely remarkable facts about some fascinating people who Bryson pays homage to with this great, great book.

Personal Opinion: No one other than Bryson can get me to read page upon page about manure (yes, manure – he spends a good three or four pages on the topic) and actually keep me turning the pages. This is my 4th Bill Bryson book, and he never lets me down in terms of the richness of the content of the book. I have to be critical though, so I will say that sometimes I felt as though certain bits of history that he recounted in the book were either out of place, or were too rambling (maybe because he just really wanted to tell the whole story, even thought it shouldn’t all go there), especially in the final two chapters. Nevertheless, to his credit, I don’t think anyone other than him could make the book flow as it did and keep it interesting.

Rating: 8/10 – It’s not his absolute best book, but it is still amazing. And for the summer, I can’t think of a more entertaining book to pick up!

I recommend this book only if you really like non-fiction, and are interested in history. Any age group would enjoy it, male or female.

1 comment:

  1. This is not the kind of book I'd ever read, but I'd be willing to give it a shot since you praise it so.
    It's an interesting idea, reading about houses and rooms. :)
    Thanks for introducing us to the book!

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