Sharon B. (bighairtexan) reviewed The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid on + 32 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I am a child of the fifties. In fact, the author and I were born in the same year, in the same WEEK (I'm 4 days older). So I lived through many of the same events as Bill Bryson did. But boy, can he find humor in the most mundane things. Cottage cheese for instance. My contacts were floating away in my eyes as I laughed to the point of tears as he discussed cottage cheese of all things.
These little slices of life, growing up in the fifties as par of ...wonder of wonders... a FUNCTIONAL (as opposed to dysfunctional) family brought back so many wonderful memories. Most of his stories would be relevant to anyone growing up in the US no matter what era, but those of us born in or near the 50's will find ourselves nodding and laughing as we read this wonderful book. I loved it.
These little slices of life, growing up in the fifties as par of ...wonder of wonders... a FUNCTIONAL (as opposed to dysfunctional) family brought back so many wonderful memories. Most of his stories would be relevant to anyone growing up in the US no matter what era, but those of us born in or near the 50's will find ourselves nodding and laughing as we read this wonderful book. I loved it.
Helpful Score: 3
Everyone I know "of a certain age" absolutely loves this book. You'll find yourself nodding your head in recognition or shaking your head in disbelief. No doubt about it. Bryson captures the era.
Helpful Score: 3
This is a low-key but delightful look back at Bryson's growing up years in Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950s. It's not as ambitious as some of his earlier books, like A Walk in the Woods or In a Sunburnt Country, but there are some laugh-out-loud bits, and lots of little details and trivia that paint a picture of life in a simpler time. If you enjoyed his other books, you'll probably get a chuckle out of this one, too.
Helpful Score: 1
From his point of view of a boy in the mid century last, this one hits home(some folks homes more often than others). It was a wonderful trip down nostalgia lane on a bike (one speed) and this one went quickly--poof, it was over. But a nice mind vacation.
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
Helpful Score: 1
This was an enjoyable read of life growing up in the 50s and the way people thought. Sometimes it was laugh out loud funny. Having grown up in the 60s and that simpler time of sheltered childhood, I found it very entertaining.
Bill Bryson at his best. A hilarious look at growing up in the Midwest in the 1950s. Pee-your-pants funny. If you do read this in a public place, people are likely to think you're deranged. They're just jealous. I want Bil Bryson to be my friend.
I love all of Bryson's books and this one didn't disappoint. I'll admit that I found the first half of the book much funnier than the second half but it was still well worth reading...and laughing.
For me the book was a pleasurable read but not a compelling read. Most of the younger men (about Bryson's age) in my book group would have rated it a four. Perhaps living through the period of the book but also being ten years older contributed to my attitude. Bryson's insights and general commentary on the times are insightful and expanded my memory and understanding of 1950-1970.
Quite funny. It brought back many memories of the 60s.
I love Bill Bryson and this book did not disapoint. I wasn't alive in the 50's but his book made me feel like I was there.
Really funny
Not my cup of tea, but my husband really enjoyed this one. Great for a grown up man to relive his childhood imagination.
Very clever book. You will have lots of laugh out loud moments and everyone you live with will get tired of you reading several paragraphs at a time. My 25 year old son wants to read it because he can't believe my stories about 50's television etc...
I loved this book! It was an incredibly funny and affectionate look at all things 50's, and very nostalgic for a time in our history that we will never see again. Overall very entertaining and enjoyable. I have since ordered several more of Bill Bryson's books because I love his writing style.
I, too, grew up in the 50s, and laughed my way through this book with so many shared memories.
From School Library Journal:
Adult/High SchoolThe Thunderbolt Kid was born in the 1950s when six-year-old Bryson found a mysterious, scratchy green sweater with a satiny thunderbolt across the chest. The jersey bestowed magic powers on the wearerX-ray vision and the power to zap teachers and babysitters and deflect unwanted kisses from old people. These are the memoirs of that Kid, whose earthly parents were not really half bada loving mother who didn't cook and was pathologically forgetful, but shared her love of movies with her youngest child, and a dad who was the greatest baseball writer that ever lived and took his son to dugouts and into clubhouses where he met such famous players as Stan Musial and Willie Mays. Simpler times are conveyed with exaggerated humor; the author recalls the middle of the last century in the middle of the country (Des Moines, IA), when cigarettes were good for you, waxy candies were considered delicious, and kids were taught to read with Dick and Jane. Students of the decade's popular culture will marvel at the insular innocence described, even as the world moved toward nuclear weapons and civil unrest. Bryson describes country fairs and fantastic ploys to maneuver into the tent to see the lady stripper, playing hookey, paper routes, church suppers, and more. His reminiscences will entertain a wide audience.Jackie Gropman, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
From School Library Journal:
Adult/High SchoolThe Thunderbolt Kid was born in the 1950s when six-year-old Bryson found a mysterious, scratchy green sweater with a satiny thunderbolt across the chest. The jersey bestowed magic powers on the wearerX-ray vision and the power to zap teachers and babysitters and deflect unwanted kisses from old people. These are the memoirs of that Kid, whose earthly parents were not really half bada loving mother who didn't cook and was pathologically forgetful, but shared her love of movies with her youngest child, and a dad who was the greatest baseball writer that ever lived and took his son to dugouts and into clubhouses where he met such famous players as Stan Musial and Willie Mays. Simpler times are conveyed with exaggerated humor; the author recalls the middle of the last century in the middle of the country (Des Moines, IA), when cigarettes were good for you, waxy candies were considered delicious, and kids were taught to read with Dick and Jane. Students of the decade's popular culture will marvel at the insular innocence described, even as the world moved toward nuclear weapons and civil unrest. Bryson describes country fairs and fantastic ploys to maneuver into the tent to see the lady stripper, playing hookey, paper routes, church suppers, and more. His reminiscences will entertain a wide audience.Jackie Gropman, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
This book is great and as a child of the fifties, I can so relate. It had me in stiches and I will keep it and re read over and over.State fair fun, mimeograph aromas, Bumper cars and atomic toilets among the many funny episodes with he and his merry band of kids in KIDS WORLD.I cant praise it enough, but if you would like a step back and to chuckle aloud while your reading it, I recommend it.READ IT AND LAUGH!
Great nostalgia. You can't beat Bill Bryson
I love it
i really enjoyed the book which arrived in perfect condition ..............i got so caught up in the book and Bill Brysons way of writing that i forgot to respond when i received it ....thanks for the reminder..........
