The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America

An unsparing and hilarious account of one man's rediscovery of America and his search for the perfect small town.

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?

Price Range:$8.13 to $10.79 | 2 stores
Product Rating:

100 Reviews
Info:
Set Price Alert Save to Wish List
Tags:
Paperback, Bill Bryson, Amazon, Buy.com

BestDeal

$8.13

ComparePrices

title,desc	merchant	price	seeit
Smarter Choice Paperback, The Lost Continent Bill Bryson s unsparing and hilarious account of his travels across America in search of the perfect small town. At...	23,982 reviews *smarter certified	$8.13 Coupon 1 coupon available Code: Detail: Take $5 OFF the purchase of $100 or more at Buy.com Expires:Nov-30-2009 Restriction:New Customers Only. Coupons are not valid on Marketplace items	See it
The Lost Continent: Travels in... Pages: 320, Paperback, Harper Perennial	Amazon 11,406 reviews	$10.79 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: FREE Shipping on orders over $25 at Amazon. Expires:Dec-31-2010 Restriction:Some restrictions apply. See site for details.	See it

*Shipping costs are based on an estimate of the lowest shipping rate available within the contiguous US, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Only merchants with this product in stock are listed (Merchants with this product back ordered have been removed from this list).

Do you see a pricing error? Please let us know by filling out a simple form: Click here

MoreStores

Write a review

ProductReviews59/100 (100 Reviews)

Recent Reviews

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Sep-07-2009; A poorly planned journey; This travel journal had such good potential but Mr. Bryson blew it. He timed his destinations in seasons of bad weather and missed so many opportunities. I did enjoy his anecdotes of traveling with his family during his childhood. I...; read full review | report as inappropriate

1/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-30-2009; A Bill Bryson Bummer; Let me start by saying that I love all things Bill Bryson. I have laughed until I've cried at ceretain parts of every book he has written, and regularly relisten to "A Short History" on audiobook. Anybody that can make that much science...; read full review | report as inappropriate

1/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-15-2009; Drive Past This One...; The short version: I love Bryson's other books, I hated this one.Why?#1. Mean-spirited whining about how he hates everything. That got old real fast.#2. Not much in it that's funny. I don't think I cracked a smile the whole way. It...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-02-2009; Funny as heck; I read this book when it came out a long time ago, and just came across it now. I don't recall the details, which are extensively covered in the other reviews. I do remember, however, that it was one of the few books which made me laugh...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-02-2009; Funny as heck; I read this book when it came out a long time ago, and just came across it now. I don't recall the details, which are extensively covered in the other reviews. I do remember, however, that it was one of the few books which made me laugh...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-11-2009; Hilarious tour of America, circa 1988; Fans of Bill Bryson will enjoy this book. He's up to his usual hilarious self, with observations about America (late 1980s) that will make you laugh so hard you have to put the book down. Unfortunately, I found his occasional political...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Sep-07-2009; A poorly planned journey; This travel journal had such good potential but Mr. Bryson blew it. He timed his destinations in seasons of bad weather and missed so many opportunities. I did enjoy his anecdotes of traveling with his family during his childhood. I...; read full review | report as inappropriate