54 pages 1 hour read

Bill Bryson

Notes From A Small Island

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1995

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

In revisiting parts of Great Britain that he hasn’t seen since he first arrived 20 years before, what does Bryson learn about how he himself has changed? How does the book combine elements of the travelogue and the memoir?

2.

How does Bryson arrive at insights about both British and American culture by drawing comparisons between the two? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this comparative mode of cultural criticism?

3.

Why does Bryson object to using a car on his farewell journey? What is his experience of British public transportation, and what connections does he draw between the British public transportation system and the national character?