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The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America | 
 enlarge | Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Black Swan
Category: Book
List Price: £8.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £8.98 (100%)
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Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 6823
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 349
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5 x 1
ISBN: 0552998087
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9780552998086
ASIN: 0552998087
Publication Date: January 2, 1999
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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Amazon.co.uk Review
A travelogue by Bill Bryson is as close to a sure thing as funny books get. The Lost Continent is no exception. Following an urge to rediscover his youth (he should know better), the author leaves his native Des Moines, Iowa, in a journey that takes him across 38 states. Lucky for us, he brought a notebook. With a razor wit and a kind heart, Bryson serves up a colourful tale of boredom, kitsch, and beauty when you least expect it. Gentler elements aside, The Lost Continent is an amusing book. Here's Bryson on the women of his native state: "I will say this, however--and it's a strange, strange thing--the teenaged daughters of these fat women are always utterly delectable ... I don't know what it is that happens to them, but it must be awful to marry one of those nubile cuties knowing that there is a time bomb ticking away in her that will at some unknown date make her bloat out into something huge and grotesque, presumably all of a sudden and without much notice, like a self- inflating raft from which the pin has been yanked." Yes, Bill, but be honest: what do you really think?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 Pants-wettingly funny September 10, 2008
purrdey (England)
I think you either dig Bryson or you don't. This was the second book of his I read (first was Neither Here nor There). A year or so after I read the book I got this (on tape) to hear on holiday, and began listening in the departure lounge at LHR. Basically my wife had to virtually throw a fire-bucket over me since I was apparently making a spectacle of myself. Kerry Shale's rapid-fire delivery really makes this a great (if exhausting) listen. Even though I've heard it many times (and have attempted to mimic parts of it to friends a thousand times) I still don't get tired of hearing it. If the weather's crap and there's nothing on TV this is hard to beat for sheer pants-wettingly funny listening. The best bits are Kerry Shale's take on the Southern accent: "Can I HEP you?" "Ha doo lack Miss Hippy?" [you're going to need to buy it to figure this one out] and my special favourite "How about a piece o'Pah? We got blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, huckleberry, whortleberry, cherry berry, hair berry, Chuck Berry and Beri Beri". Frankly, if you can listen to this stuff for longer than a minute or two without cracking up you've either got no sense of humour or you deserve an award.
funny & poignant May 6, 2008
b.lops (uk)
Can't remember a book that made me laugh out loud, and in public! Not sure why the other reviewers didn't like it but when I read the passages that had me doubled over to my partner he didn't seem to get it either, so I guess it's a case of 'suck it & see'. It's refreshing to read something that doesn't constantly sing America's praises. I'll definately read more.
 Listenable, but nothing special.... August 3, 2007
Tony Hirc (England)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
In The Lost Continent Bryson revisits America having lived in England for his adult life. He returns to his hometown and treats smalltown American with large doses of sarcasm and scorn, for somebody who has never been to the States i found it funny and informative; two essential ingredients of Bryson's type travel writing in my opinion. Kerry Shales' reading can become quite irritating as he reads, intentionally, very quickly, but this is remedied by his fantasic imitations of all types of American accents. An amusing tape, this is worth listening to, but don't go out of your way for it!
Maybe it's me, but.... December 7, 2006
Brent Adsley (Ireland)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
What's wrong with the most recent reviewers of Bill's hysterically funny debut? Has there been a recent upsurge in humour bypasses? I first read the Lost Continent not long after it was published and I've gone back to it several times since. It's very witty, well-observed and thoroughly to be recommended. I admit that his (very personal) take on America isn't exactly gushing with praise but it's a cracking read and it had me choking back laughter on public transport on many occasions. And I write this as a USA-phile with a particular affection for modern-day small town America. You don't have to agree with his opinions, but you have to admire his presentation. I lent my copy to a friend and he's yet to return it so I'm going to buy another one today.
 Bill's lost the plot October 11, 2006
BikeMan (Reading, UK)
2 out of 9 found this review helpful
I was disappointed with this - as I enjoyed 'Notes from a small island' and 'A walk in the woods'. Bill Bryson takes us on a road trip around small town, mid-west America. But to be honest - I wish he had not bothered to tell us about it.
Bill has a great narrative style, steadily metering out his anecdotes with a purposeful, deliberate pace. Some of his stories made me laugh out loud (albeit briefly), but most were dry and almost humourless.
The main negative is that almost all of his insights are downbeat, criticising the society we are hoping to learn about.
In fact, much of America has plenty going for it. I have been to some of the places Bill disapproves of: Colonial Williamsburg is a great day out; Washington is a very fine capital with the tremendous Air & Space museum; and New York (of course) has something for everyone.
So to summarise - I would recommend you stay away and go with Bill's other works.
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