Independent Reading Post 1

Prompt: 11
Chapters: 3 & 4

"The hotel was one of those sterile, modern places that always put me in mind of a hospital, but at least it didn't have the curious times switches that used to be a feature of hotel hallways in France. These were a revelation to me when I first arrived from America/ All the light switches in the hallways were timed to go off after ten or fifteen seconds, presumably as an economy measure. These were a revelation to me when I first arrived from America. This wasn't so bad if your room was next to the elevator, but if it was very far down the hall, and hotel hallways in Paris tend to wander around like an old man with Alzheimer's, you would generally proceed the last furlong in total blackness, feeling your way along the walls with flattened palms, and invariably colliding scrotally with the corner of a nineteenth-century oak table put there, evidently, for the purpose. Occasionally, your groping fingers would alight on something soft and hairy, which you would recognize after a moment as another person, and if he or she spoke English, you could exchange tips....And from this I learned one very important lesson: The French do not like us." (page 40/41)

This quote exemplifies Bill Bryson's style. He can take any situation, ie light switches, and turn it into a funny description of a bigger idea. There is a quote on the back of the book, from the Chicago Sun-Times, that praises Bryson and describes his style exactly, "Bill Bryson could write an essay about dryer lint or fever reducers and still make us laugh out loud." He describes events and objects that most people have never encountered in a unique and humorous way that makes everyone want to experience it. Bryson's style is definitely effective, as it always gets his point across. He can take the most boring subjects and make his reader focus and understand his point using humor. His style adds to my enjoyment of the book because I find myself laughing out loud and just wanting to read more and see what humorous situations he gets himself into next.