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The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America | 
 enlarge | Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $0.41
You Save: $14.54 (97%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  285 reviews
Sales Rank: 26675
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0060920084
Dewey Decimal Number: 917.30492
EAN: 9780060920081
ASIN: 0060920084
Publication Date: September 12, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com 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 colorful 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?
Product Description
An unsparing and hilarious account of one man's rediscovery of America and his search for the perfect small town.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 280 more reviews...
 Only read this book if you want to develop and intense dislike for the author September 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I gave this book one star only because Amazon doesn't allow the option to select zero stars.
My husband and I have read and enjoyed many of Bill Bryson's books. In the past, we considered him one of our favorite writers. After reading this book, it will be a long time before I open another of his works.
Mr Bryson's petty criticisms of the small towns through which he drove and his obvious contempt for all things Southern will leave any American who loves her country feeling a deep disdain for all things Bryson. While reading this book, there were many times my husband and I would look at one another and ask, "What could have happened to him to make a man from the Midwest develop such a negative view of all things American?" and "Do you think this book was REALLY written by 'our' Bill Bryson?" (BTW, we no longer consider him 'our' Bill Bryson.)
I mentioned that Mr Bryson 'drove through' small towns in America because that's exactly what he describes in the book. After a quick, judgmental glimpse of a town, he bypasses it altogether as totally unworthy of his time, money, or attention.
Bryson didn't bother to visit many of the historical attractions along the way. Apparently, he was on a very tight budget. He DID, after all, borrow his mother's old Chevette for the journey. The cost of admission to these sites require him to cut back on his beloved beer and chicken-fried steak.
Last, but definitely not least, Mr Bryson showed himself to be a bigot. His contempt for 'all things white and all things Southern' along with his propensity for revisiting every bit of negative racial history every recorded during his BRIEF drive through the deep South demonstrated just how out of touch he is with the country of his birth and his, obvious, disdain for truth. He chose to ignore any progress made in race relations during the past 40 years. He chose to see, and share, his view that America is, and will always be, the country he would most like to see in 'his rearview mirror'. I, for one, welcome him to return to his country of choice and not bother to darken the doors of the home I love. The last thing the United States of American needs is one more person to describe our country in such negative terms.
 There's Humor Everywhere September 15, 2008
This book: part humor, part travelogue, narrates Bryson's road trip across the United States and back again. Bryson travels without strict itinerary, and with frequent stops in small towns across the country. The narrative is written in classic Bryson style, with frequent diversions to explain the origin of many of life's oddities, and with constant sideline commentary. As is usually the case with Bryson, the narrative is illuminating, amusing, and shows Bryson's sense of adventure. It was a pleasure to read. Yes, Bryson is frequently critical, but it's important to note that he's an equal-opportunity offender. Wherever he goes he brings his decidedly sarcastic wit, but he also balances criticism with admiration. This is not a book with a weighty message about humanity or morality, but it is a fun read to pick up and put down at leisure. And the ability to dive in and out is one of the beautiful things about this book; one can enjoy it and put it aside at will, and it takes little time to become reengaged in Bryson's prose.
Not so nice look at small-town America September 3, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Notice how many one and two star ratings this book has. That alone should warn you of how bad this book is. You can read the other one star ratings, my review would be similar to most of them, so I'll keep mine short.
I bought this because I like Bill Bryson's other books and I figured I couldn't go wrong with small town journeys by a writer I enjoy. Boy, was I wrong, I did not enjoy Bryson in this book at all. I find small towns to be rather endearing and love their charm and individuality, Bryson didn't pick up on the charm that I see in them and instead had mean things to say about mostly every place he went. I found this book to be as boring as he found the towns to be, but it's all a matter of opinion, isn't it?
mean spirited & P. C. August 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was not my first read by Bill Bryson and I will move on to other authors after this read. As I was reading this book I wondered why I had read as much of this author as I have.
Bryson tends to look down his nose at people and things that do not meet his obviously cultured standards. His anger whether displayed or passive aggressive has gotten old.
An example of my disappointment in this book is the author's report of New York City. Bryson couldn't find anything interesting within the 5 boroughs of the city.
His politically correct self contentment is no longer of interest to me.
Good travel reading July 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is my first Bill Bryson book, so I can't compare this book to his others. But I can say that I really enjoyed the sarcastic humor at the expense of middle America. Many authors try and fail to bring the same amount of wit to their books as Bill Bryson.
Bryson's journey took place in 1988, which makes the book a little dated. But you have to wonder how much less fun the trip would be with a cell phone, email, GPS and Yelp. It's a little depressing to read about how much had changed in this country in 1988, and realize that was 20 years ago.
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