THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID [A MEMOIR] BY BILL BRYSON

BILL BRYSON

This review is about the unabridged audiobook read by Bill Bryson. I enjoyed this book as much...more

This review is about the unabridged audiobook read by Bill Bryson. I enjoyed this book as much as the first book of his that I read (listened to,) "Tales from a Sunburned Country." I was laughing out loud as Bryson narrates a series of childhood adventures. He has a clear reading voice with a slight British accent that is hilarious as he deadpans the childhood exaggerations in his novel, such as a woman being six hundred years old. For those of us not born in the 1950s (I was 1977, myself) this book provides a glimpse into childhood in the 50s and 60s, revealing a lot about history that I was not aware of, and gave me insight into what childhood must have been like for my own parents. Bryson seems to know what details are interesting and pertinent and leaves the rest completely out. If you are an audiobook lover as I am, this book is a must-read.    hide

To date, Bryson has been known (largely) for his travel works. In "The Life and Times of the...more

To date, Bryson has been known (largely) for his travel works. In "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid", he takes an intriguing trip back into his own past, showing us the hybrid of niceness and strangeness that made up 1950's mid-western America. It is a world newly invaded by the television, the atom bomb and the family automobile, and Bryson demonstrates that he is just as addled by the whole affair nowadays as he was during his childhood. And in much the same vein as his previous works, it filters this wide scope of knowledge through his trademark, don't-read-it-in-a-public-space-in-case-you-laugh humour. All in all, a very fun read.   hide

Before reading it, I thought Bryson was dredging the bottom of the barrel with 'A Walk in the...more

Before reading it, I thought Bryson was dredging the bottom of the barrel with 'A Walk in the Woods'. Perhaps it's rooted in my distaste for hiking, but I just couldn't see the appeal in a book about crossing the Appalacian Trail. Well, I was wrong. It turned out to be one of my favourites. With 'The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid', I was once again convinced that Bryson had run out of ideas, and so put off reading it. Now that I have finally started reading it, I can't put it down. It's another laugh-out-loud book. I especially enjoyed the story about Milton Milton and his father. What a riot!   hide

Listened to the audio book whilst traveling round California on vacation this year.... my memories...more

Listened to the audio book whilst traveling round California on vacation this year.... my memories of this beautiful state will forever include my husband and I crying with laughter as we drove along. A great mix of funny childhood memories and interesting factual information about America in the 50's.   hide

nov 07. amusing. although it captures the optimism and strangeness of america in the 1950s, you can...more

nov 07. amusing. although it captures the optimism and strangeness of america in the 1950s, you can probably relate if you were ever a child in any era, though i think the closer you wer to the 50s the more you can catch a lot of the references (lone ranger, etc). it made me remember things about childhood, like how pain was cool and you knew how everything tasted, e.g. coins, linoleum, dirt, etc. i listened to the audio version. it took a lot of attention, because its read by bryson and as is often the case, he is a better writer than speaker. it would have been better if they had a professional read it.   hide