Notes From A Small Island

While Bryson writes in his own unique style, his work is part of a larger tradition. Travel writing, as a genre, has existed for centuries, and it has developed its own vocabulary of tropes and conventions. From the solitary traveler navigating uncharted territory to the mass tourism of the jet airliner age, anyone who writes about travel necessarily engages with a certain set of expectations, depending on the destination and the intention. Like many other travel writers, Bryson makes a distinction between the identity of the “traveler” and that of the “tourist.” The keen eye of the traveler, for example, can allegedly uncover new insight into old territory, while the supposedly unenlightened tourist is in pursuit of prefabricated thrills. All of this is enhanced or deflated by expectation—a destination is rarely what the traveler originally had in mind, even for all their preparation. Bryson announces his intentions early on: He wishes to “embark on a grand tour of Britain” (5), a phrase reminiscent of previous centuries when young men would finish their education by traveling across the continent of Europe.

Thus, Bryson immediately establishes himself as someone who seeks historical meaning and authentic culture.