I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF

Bill Bryson's latest--a collection of essays about encounters with processed foods, cable TV, supermarket choice and other standbys of American life--didn't hold my attention as easily as last year's A WALK IN THE WOODS, perhaps because many seemed aimed at the British readers of the SUNDAY MAIL, where these pieces first appeared. However, fragments of Bryson's rant against spellcheck, in his Anglo-Iowa deadpan developed over twenty years in England, have been floating through my mind during recent computer sessions, a sign that his humor is growing on me. Although not an actor, Bryson creates effective voices for major characters, especially Mrs. Bryson, and conveys emotion well. J.A.S. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]