The Lost Continent

Travels In Small Town America

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: William Roberts

Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

Hardly anyone ever leaves Des Moines, Iowa. But Bill Bryson did, and after 10 years in England he decided to go home, to a foreign country.

In an ageing Chevrolet Chevette, he drove nearly 14,000 miles through 38 states to compile this hilarious and perceptive state-of-the-nation report on small-town America.

From the Deep South to the Wild West, from Elvis' birthplace through to Custer's Last Stand, Bryson visits places he re-named Dullard, Coma, and Doldrum (so the residents don't sue or come after him with baseball bats). But his hopes of finding the American dream end in a nightmare of greed, ignorance, and pollution. This is a wickedly witty and savagely funny assessment of a country lost to itself, and to him.

©1989 Bill Bryson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

There are better Bill Bryson audiobooks

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Have the older, kinder Bill Bryson go back in time and take this journey. While some of his commentary was both hilarious and heartwarming, like many other reviewers, I was startled at how mean-spirited this book could be in comparison to Bryson's later works. He is comparatively positive about Iowa and the Midwest, as he waxes nostalgic about his childhood in Des Moines (and as an Iowan myself, I both confirm his assessment of our state and breathe a sigh of relief that his memories were good ones!) His commentary on other regions, particularly the South and Appalachia, was gratingly negative. Perhaps he was still in the process of finding his comedic voice, but I often found myself sympathizing with the unassuming and often kind people he was lampooning. The reader choice did not help matters any.

What other book might you compare The Lost Continent to and why?

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe.

What didn’t you like about William Roberts’s performance?

This is Bryson at his most...curmudgeonly...and William Roberts was perhaps not the best narrator for this task. My first encounter with this book was of the dead trees variety; I noticed the negative tone then, but Roberts seemed to draw it out in the worst way, making the narrator seem even more smug, arrogant and rude, when Bryson's voice tends to be more self-deprecating and light-hearted. The advantage of this version is that it is unabridged; perhaps I was better off with my old beaten-up paperback, read in my head with Bryson's less irritating voice.

Was The Lost Continent worth the listening time?

If you are a Bryson fan, perhaps try to find a version that he reads himself.

On the whole, I would still recommend the book, but not as an introduction to Bill Bryson if you haven't read any of his stuff before. He's less of a jerk in his later books, so if you've read Neither Here nor There, A Walk in the Woods, or Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, you'll approach The Lost Continent in a more forgiving mood. This is his first major book, and he's still honing his voice.

It's also worth listening to simply because you can see the connections between his travels and topics that he covers in his later works, for instance, his near-visit to the Biltmore Mansion vis-a-vis his lengthy treatment of the Vanderbilt family in At Home: A History of Private Life. Don't expect that level of research in this book--this is primarily a travelogue--but it is interesting to get a glimpse of the context behind some of his more recent nonfiction books.

Not one of my favorites

This is one of Bryson's earliest books, published in the late 80's. As such, it lacks much of the humor that balances his snarkiness, leaving a book that seems to have been written by a curmudgeon. Americans have a lot of issues, but I found the book mean spirited. I also couldn't figure why he chose to travel during the cold, rainy season when some of the prettiest parts of the west weren't accessible. Maybe he wanted a better comparison with life in England.

Bill Bryson bitches his way from coast to coast!

I barely finished this. I love Bill Bryson, and maybe his own narration would have saved this for me, but the incessant whining and kvetching about the state of the union read so emphatically was trying. Maybe this was novel and clever during the Regan Administration (when this was written), but it's tiresome now. Not nearly as informative as his other works, either. Too bad I saved it as the last of his books to listen to. He's better on foreign soil, in his own voice.

Bill Bryson does America like no-one else!

Bill Bryson's ability to sum up a character in a few well-chosen words, combined with his insight into the American psyche, make this a highly enjoyable and easy-to-listen-to book. I loved it - from beginning to end.

Every bit as good

As all the others he's released. Insightful and funny.

Written by Bryson's evil twin

I have listened to every one of Bryson's audio books here on Audible.com.

I really like Bryson. He makes even the most mundane topics engrossing.

And it's not that he completely hates America. A Short Walk where he talks about hiking the Appalacian Trail is wonderful and very positive.

But in this early book his nastiness on American is not just palpable, it's suffocating.

In addition, instead of Bryson's warm, folksy reading that I have come to enjoy, William Roberts's reading makes even warm thoughts on America come out snide and snarky.

I pushed myself to listen to the whole thing so I would feel entitled to write a review.

But if I could, I would have rewound the tape to erase it from my brain.

One of Bryson's better books.

The author and narrator were great. Much credit to both who made this book very enjoyable on a roadtrip myself.

Laugh out loud. Wonderfully presented.

Bryson is always a fun read. This was the best-performed audiobook I've ever listened to.

I had no idea who he was.

My girlfriend suggested I listen to this and I had my doubts, but I figured I had little to lose as I am always looking for a good book to listen to. I listened to this while doing a 1000km drive through my home province and a lot of what was being said really sank in and made me laugh. It's a dated book but very good.

Count's stop laughing superbly read .

What made the experience of listening to The Lost Continent the most enjoyable?

So life like with a lots of humor

What other book might you compare The Lost Continent to and why?

Down under by Bill Bryson (as well)

What about William Roberts’s performance did you like?

He is a great reader by any standard.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

The road trip you're dying to take

I won't be the first person to tell you that Bryson is smart, funny, and has absorbed British sarcasm by osmosis so seamlessly that it almost trumps us when narrated in the velvety American accent of the actor on this audiobook. Small town America is pulled apart, examined forensically by each of its cast of stock characters and institutions, and then put back together with a new-found affection by both you and the author. This book is like dismantling an old Chevy, finding that it still works, restoring it and then driving it around proudly. You'll feel both the European distaste for anything nouveau that Bryson has adopted, and the universal pull towards Americana. Brilliant.

Cringeworthy in places but still fun overall

Bryson’s works from a different time betray attitudes I do not like- particularly regarding both women and weight. On occasion, this caused me to turn the book off. However, these anachronisms aside, his words can light my day- and the actor who voices them really brings the work to life!

Cynical and occasionally unpleasant

I’m usually a fan of Bill Bryson, and I had thoroughly enjoyed ‘A Walk in the Woods’ (also read by William Roberts), so my hopes were high for ‘The Lost Continent’. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this very much for three main reasons: firstly, what is it about? With a title like ‘The Lost Continent’ I was expecting a more interesting exploration about what it means to be ‘American’. Not so: instead, this is a long road trip through small towns and large cities with no clear objective and therefore rather episodic and less compelling than ‘A Walk in the Woods’. Second, the book is dated in a bad way: references to Mexicans and ‘homos’ make you wince. But the third and biggest reason I struggled to enjoy this was because of the exhausting, unrelenting cynicism: while undertaking the kind of road trip most of us can only dream about, Mr Bryson does almost nothing but complain - at length - about the places he visits. While this is sometimes amusing, after a while it becomes monotonous. It even gets rather snobbish at times, with sweeping personal comments about people who live in ‘the South’ or in a particular place. He hates 95% of the food, the people and the places he visits, and so the ending - in which he gets sentimental about the trip coming to an end - rings false. If you like the idea of an 80s Karl Pilkington driving around America moaning about stuff, you may enjoy this much more than I did.

Really enjoyable road trip...

If you could sum up The Lost Continent in three words, what would they be?

I've long harboured the idea of a road trip across America, so I'm very jealous of Bill Bryson!
His account of this trip around his home country is very enjoyable. Must say that this stage that the narration from William Roberts makes this adventure even better. He perfectly captures Brysons personality, and that shines within this book.
Starting in his home state of Iowa, Bryson first heads East, visiting the deep south and up the eastern seaboard. After a very brief stop at home, he's off west, visiting the Grand Canyon, Vegas and many more places that he's wanted to see but never got around to. All the time, he's looking for the idyllic place that he's led to believe exists somewhere in the US.
Even if you're not interested in the road trip itself, the insight into Bryson is just great, and well worth having a listen and many laughs to.

A terrible book

Not a journey through America but instead an incoherent rant of a what appears to be grumpy bigoted mans random thoughts. He lugs around a load of preconceived perceptions and stereotypes types of small town America and sees them everywhere he looks, mostly in strangers he doesn't know. I don't understand the point of this book

Mr Bryson does it again.....excellent.

Once again another great listen from a Mr Bryson book. His trip around nearly all the US states has it all, pride, shame, fear about his homeland but above all it's really funny. You certainly cannot accuse Mr Bryson of being completely (and typically) gung-ho about his country and compatriots and he does tell it how it is. I certainly would recommend having a map of the country handy too so you can try and follow his progress.



As for the Roberts vs Bryson debate that other reviewers mention, I think they are both great narrators. So there!

I think I've listened to enough Bill Bryson

I was excited about this as I'd enjoyed other books by Bill Bryson until I realised these books are very similar so I gave up before the end but it only cost me £1.99p so I wasn't too disappointed

Bill Bryson

Have listened to this book and found it brilliant,very well written by Bryson and great narration by William Roberts. Fantastic wit, some informative insights into rural American small town life, and great when he throws in the odd 4 letter word. I will be downloading all Byrson books in the near future but only the ones with Roberts narrating, he does a wonderful job.
They make a great team. If you are like me and have looked at these books and were not sure if you would like them, just listen to one.

Fantastic!

Where does The Lost Continent rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is without doubt the best audiobook i have listened to thus far.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The only real character in the book, the man himself, Bill Bryson!

Have you listened to any of William Roberts’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first time i have listened to a William Roberts performance, the man is an absolute genius. I found myself still sitting in my car long after i had parked up, still listening to him. I couldn't tear myself away!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Apart from laugh most of the way through it, the book also brought feelings of nostalgia and that heart warming feeling you get from remembering the good times when you were a child.

Any additional comments?

I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone i know, and everyone i don't! It is expertly read and a joy to listen to from start to finish. Another gem from Bill Bryson.

Worth the subscription on its own ..

What a gem! Tasked with a new routine that involved more bus journeys, I popped this on my 'pod to accompany me to work. Bad idea. I find very few things make me laugh out loud in public but this is most definitely an exception. On more than one occasion I found myself biting into my fingers to suppress a snort of laughter when all else was calm. He writes like blokes in the pub talk; with honesty and vivid descriptions of events where you can actually see them without being there. There's the occasional expletive thrown in but used in such a way as to reveal his true feelings in certain situations. The narrator Roberts is perfect, I'm sure Bill approves.