The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
11 journalers for this copy...
Bill Bryson:
About The Book
From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950s
Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century—1951—in the middle of the United States—Des Moines, Iowa—in the middle of the largest generation in American history—the baby boomers. As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood with an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons)—in his head—as "The Thunderbolt Kid."
Using this persona as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality—a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy. It was, he reminds us, a happy time, when automobiles and televisions and appliances (not to mention nuclear weapons) grew larger and more numerous with each passing year, and DDT, cigarettes, and the fallout from atmospheric testing were considered harmless or even good for you. He brings us into the life of his loving but eccentric family, including affectionate portraits of his father, a gifted sportswriter for the local paper and dedicated practitioner of isometric exercises, and OF his mother, whose job as the home furnishing editor for the same paper left her little time for practicing the domestic arts at home. The many readers of Bill Bryson’s earlier classic, A Walk in the Woods, will greet the reappearance in these pages of the immortal Stephen Katz, seen hijacking literally boxcar loads of beer. He is joined in the Bryson gallery of immortal characters by the demonically clever Willoughby brothers, who apply their scientific skills and can-do attitude to gleefully destructive ends.
Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, and full of his inimitable, pitch-perfect observations, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is as wondrous a book as Bill Bryson has ever written. It will enchant anyone who has ever been young.
Guidelines:
-PM me to join
-You must be willing to ship internationally to join (surface/economy mail more than ok!)
-Make a JE when you receive the book
-Read it within a month
-PM the next person on the list for their address
-Make a JE telling us what you thought of the book
-Send the book along
Questions? Please PM me!
Participants:
LindyLouMac, Italy
bestfriends, France
sudokugirl, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Lilifin, UK or Germany
Beekeeper40, UK
Gomboggit, USA
Silvia-pco, Portugal
RuthyToothy, UK
em64, Finland
MarysGirl, USA
Gooby, Australia
Growing up in the the 50’s was something I also did, though in the UK. However there are many similarities, apart from baseball, so I found this made me laugh and stimulated many memories of my own childhood.
The good old days according to Bill Bryson are entertaining, amusing and informative what ever your age.
Definitely worth reading.
Released 16 yrs ago (7/23/2007 UTC) at To the next participant in Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
En route to France
I unpacked the other parcel first but this looks tempting too. Will decide tonight which one of the two will be up next.
Will be sent to sudokugirl next week. I already have her address.
Thanks for sharing.
Released 16 yrs ago (8/6/2007 UTC) at by mail in nearest postoffice, Ring/Ray book -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
off to Bosnia-Herzegovina
PMed Silvia-pco a few days ago, will wait a while longer for an address.
30/09/2007
Silvia-pco asked to be moved down the list. I've been trying to get in touch with lilifin for the past ten days but haven't been able to reach her. PMing beekeeper40 next.
Released 16 yrs ago (10/1/2007 UTC) at To the next participant in Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to lilifin.
Released 16 yrs ago (1/10/2008 UTC) at
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
sent today
Released 15 yrs ago (6/13/2008 UTC) at Controlled Release in -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Mailed to Finland for the next person in the ring :-)
Have pm'd MarysGirl for her address.
EDIT 23.6.2008
Received MarysGirl's address today so will try to get it mailed either this evening or tomorrow.
I'll PM Gooby in Australia and send this one on its way. Thanks for sharing Sobergirl!