At Home

A Short History of Private Life

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

From one of the most beloved authors of our time—more than six million copies of his books have been sold in this country alone - a fascinating excursion into the history behind the place we call home.

“Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.”

Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.”

The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has fig­ured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.

Bill Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and he is a master at turning the seemingly isolated or mundane fact into an occasion for the most diverting exposi­tion imaginable. His wit and sheer prose fluency make At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.

©2010 Bill Bryson (P)2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"There are many guilty pleasures, from Bryson's droll prose - "What really turned the Victorians to bathing, however, was the realization that it could be gloriously punishing" - to the many tantalizing glimpses behind closed doors at aristocratic English country houses. In demonstrating how everything we take for granted, from comfortable furniture to smoke-free air, went from unimaginable luxury to humdrum routine, Bryson shows us how odd and improbable our own lives really are." ( Publishers Weekly)

So many wonderful things!

Where does At Home rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At Home is one of the audiobooks I have enjoyed the most.

What did you like best about this story?

My favorite thing about this book - as with others by Bill Bryson - is the somewhat randomness of it. He dives into such fascinating detail on such a wide range of topics. Every chapter is full of surprising things. Some of them are subjects I would have said I had no interest in knowing more about (mites, the history of venereal disease, the bathing habits of Victorians) but they fit together so well and Bryson tells their stories in such a way that they are completely engrossing.

Which scene was your favorite?

The section on staircase theory and statistics stands out as particularly unexpected and wonderful. That may sound a little insane but maybe I just hit that part of the book at the right moment in my evening commute.

Magnificent, one word to describe many.

I like to think a great number of the subjects of this book, though not all, would appreciate the economy the review.

Enjoyable book

I love Bill Bryson and this book was no exception. But in spite of the engaging narration and fascinating anecdotes I found the narrative theme for this one weak and failed to tie it together for me.

Highly recommended

Any additional comments?

Bill Bryson has the ability to make any subject - no matter how dry, seemingly irrelevant or complicated - into compelling, informative and funny prose. He has a pleasant, relaxed voice. The book jumps from subject to subject, historic person to historic person, with a self confident, relaxed grip on what it wants to convey. I finished the book feeling genuinely enlightened and wanting to dwelve deeper into some of the subjects in the book (particularly the reemerging history of architecture)

Excellent book!

This book exceeded my expectations. It is highly informative and engrossing--even really funny at times! I would highly recommend it.

An interesting tail of historical society

I enjoyed thoroughly enjoyed Bill Bryson's latest volume. ever minded you just how many delete Comforts are incredibly recent inventions in history. And changes your perspective on the world as a whole and how even lives of one's grandparents is quite different from the lives that we know today. full stories both funny and sad it is a memorable and interesting read.

At Home is a Treasure

I loved this book. It is an eye opener about our past, present and future. One day soon I will listen to it again.

Interesting and entertaining, as usual

I always enjoy Bryson's books and this is no exception. I will say that it's not as good as A Short History Of Nearly Everything, but still a good read. Both books are both informative and entertaining. I found myself laughing at some of the facts and stories in At Home as well as saying "Wow, I didn't know that!"
I'm not a huge fan of Bryson's reading style, but unless they're just terrible, I usually give authors a bit of a pass when they read their own works. I guess I set my expectation level different for the authors vs. professional narrators.
In any case, I give it a solid thumbs up.

I Love Bill Bryson

I love Bill Bryson, and its such a pleasure to have a title that he also reads himself. Bryson makes the most seemingly mundane things absolutely fascinating. If you liked "A Short History of Nearly Everything", you'll love this.

If you like architecture, you'll like this book...

Would you listen to At Home again? Why?

Probably not. While some of the information was interesting, much of it seemed tediously heavy on architecture and architects, which is really not my thing. Mr. Bryson also seems to be in the habit of reminding readers that, in most cases, there is no way to possibly know what a specific individual was thinking when he or she invents or improves on. What, no historical ESP?

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I like when (most) authors read their own books and did enjoy Mr. Bryson's reading. That being said, there were times when Mr. Bryson sounded a bit monotone, almost bored with his own information.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I am fascinated by Victorian medicine, especially how it relates to women, and Mr. Bryson delivered a few interesting tidbits that I was not previously aware of.

Any additional comments?

I think I was expecting something else after having read several reviews of this book. I'm not entirely sure what those expectations were, but they were not fulfilled. I enjoyed a great deal of the information provided in this book, including the history of the hall and how it leads to describing someone as "above board," the dangers of stairs, and the many frustrations of the Victorian bedroom, but all in all, I'm not sure how much of the book I will remember when all is said and done.