Down Under – discussion from the Last Thursday Reading Group

The Last Thursday Reading Group met on 24th September. The book their read and discussed was "Down under‘ by Bill Bryson.

Bill Bryson is an American author and travels around world often. He wrote ‘Down under’ when he went around in Australia, a place down under in the world map. Here are some notes from the gread group.

Some members didn’t like the book and gave up. Some didn’t get in at the beginning and thought the author was critical and sarcastic. But the more into it, more liked it. At the end, it was so enjoyable  and felt the book was very well written and humorous.

Some felt it was great to have an outsider to see Australia but not the thing we usually see by our own. Certain things we didn’t see or realise but from an outsider we know ourselves better.

Some members enjoyed the reading and thought the book tell the harsh of outback, the historical facts.  Some thought the book was very descriptive and informative. The book provides some very interesting points about Australia, such as the story of a disappearing prime minister Harold Holt in 1966.

A member Rose, wrote a poem about the book

Bill Bryson’s ‘Down under’ is a book

Taht deserves a long look

Full of historical facts about our amazing land

Other countries can’t begin to understand

Where unusual animals live

The outback, harsh at times: with so much to give

It tells of his adventurous journeys through

Seeing magnificent vies

From the time when Captain James Cook came

Discovery being his aim

Aborigines met him on the shore

The landing party, from a distant place

‘The Endeavour’ bore

A surprising country with diversity;

A certain caring spirit, everywhere

A great travel experience to enjoy and share