Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe explained
Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe is a 1991 humorous travelogue by American writer Bill Bryson.[1] It documents the author's tour of Europe in 1990, with flashbacks to summer tours he made in his college days.[2] On his 1972 tour, he travelled with his friend Matt Angerer, pseudonymised in the book as Stephen Katz, who also appeared more prominently in Bryson's later book A Walk in the Woods, as well as in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.[3]
Bryson's trip begins in the winter, in Hammerfest, Norway, where his goal is to see the Northern Lights.[4] He visits numerous locations throughout Europe, commenting on the various aspects of life in different parts of Europe, and comparing them to how he experienced them in his earlier visits.[4] The book ends with Bryson reaching Istanbul, Turkey,[5] looking across the Bosphorus to Asia, and considering continuing his tour.
Places visited
- Norway (Hammerfest, Oslo)[4]
- France (Paris)[5]
- Belgium (Brussels,[5] Bruges,[1] Antwerp, Spa, Durbuy)
- Germany (Aachen, Cologne, Hamburg)
- The Netherlands (Amsterdam,[1] Haarlem)
- Denmark (Copenhagen)[5]
- Sweden (Gothenburg, Stockholm)[5]
- Italy (Rome,[5] Naples,[5] Sorrento,[1] Capri,[6] Florence,[4] Milan,[5] Como)
- Switzerland (Brig, Geneva, Bern)
- Liechtenstein
- Austria (Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna)
- Yugoslavia[4] (Split, Sarajevo, Belgrade)
- Bulgaria (Sofia)[4]
- Turkey (Istanbul)[7]
Notes and References
- News: Returning to the scene of seduction . Charles . Oberdorf . The Tornonto Star . April 4, 1992 . K14.
- News: Glimpse into Europe amusing and insightful . Rebecca . Bragg . The Toronto Star . January 4, 1992 . E8.
- News: The real life of Bill Bryson’s ‘Stephen Katz’ . Matt . Kilen . Des Moines Register . September 1, 2015 . A1.
- News: Passport to Europe: Bill Bryson's journey entertaining reading for armchair tourist . Michael . Morrison . The News . Stuart, Florida . February 23, 1992 . F3.
- Web site: Aboulafia . David I. . NEITHER HERE NOR THERE by Bill Bryson . Kirkus Reviews . 1992-02-18 . 2016-06-30.
- Web site: Nonfiction Book Review: Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson; William Morrow & Company . 978-0-688-10311-8 . Publishersweekly.com . 1992-02-03 . 2016-06-30.
- Web site: Nonfiction Book Review: Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson. Publishersweekly.com . 1992-02-03 . 2016-06-30.