Notes From A Small Island

How does Bryson arrive at insights about both British and American culture by drawing comparisons between the two? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this comparative mode of cultural criticism?

Why does Bryson object to using a car on his farewell journey? What is his experience of British public transportation, and what connections does he draw between the British public transportation system and the national character?

What are some of Bryson’s favorite and least favorite places in Britain, and what do these preferences reveal about his values and sense of self?

How is English history related to local culture? How does modernity impact Bryson’s experience of history and/or the various local cultures he visits?

Why is Bryson often disappointed by the locations he visits, and how does the emotional experience of disappointment serve as a catalyst for new insight?

How does the author characterize the British people, in general? To what extent does he apply this characterization to himself? In what ways does he see himself as British, and in what ways does he see himself as American?

In what ways is the natural landscape an inherent part of Bryson’s British experience? How does natural beauty relate to historical preservation?

What is the difference between southern England and northern England? Between British cities and villages? Between Wales or Scotland and England? How do the author’s explorations of these differences reveal what he values?