Commentary on Bryson's Style

Bryson’s style is most enjoyable because he is speaking in layman’s terms about things that normally wouldn’t be understood by the average person.  He accomplishes this through his use of vocabulary and his punctuation, but mainly through his conversational style.  When Bryson writes, he writes as he speaks, not as if he were going to turn a paper in to his English 115 teacher.  When reading his book, if feels as if you are engaging in a conversation with the author.  As if you are asking him the same questions that he is asking, and then listening to his response.

His knowledge of the audience and his expertise in the field are both conveyed by his use of vocabulary.  For example, when explaining the size of the universe, he explains it in terms of scientific discoveries and light years, and mentions Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.  These things contribute to his credibility in his field, but they do not help the average reader to understand anything except for the fact that he is credible.  In order for the content to be understood, Bryson then takes the style as speaking to one who has never heard of the topic.  He explains the size of the universe (or at least the solar system) in terms that the average person can imagine.  He depicts how long it would take to travel to the outer edges of the solar system in a spaceship, compares those times and distances to those of earth from the moon and the sun, and gives examples through that even an elementary-schooler can understand (i.e. the model of the universe if we were to draw it to scale using a pen and poster paper.

On the whole, I like Bill Bryson because he talks with me as a reader instead of just taking at me.  He helps me to feel that the topics he is discussing are ones that anyone can understand by putting them into simple words and terminology.