The
Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir ,
by Bill Bryson (Read by the author)
What was life like in the fifties? This audio
book takes the listener on a hilarious and thoughtful guided
tour of growing up in mid-America in the 1950s, thanks to
best-selling humorist, Bill Bryson. Convinced that such a
special child as he couldn't possibly have been born of earthly
mortals, Billie Bryson dons a discarded costume, wraps a towel
around his neck for a cape, names himself the Thunderbolt
Kid, and proceeds to mentally annihilate anyone who creates
obstacles in his childhood universe. The listener is happily
allowed to tag along as Bryson recreates the sights, sounds,
emotions, values and experiences of growing up in an America
that existed 50 years ago.
His family was different from many, in that his
mother had a steady job at a time when it was almost immoral
for women to work outside the home. Interspersed with Bryson's
comical descriptions of her inadequacies as a cook and housekeeper
are serious references to laws that actually restricted women's
rights to work. This is a common theme throughout the book.
While he jokes about the absurdity of the bizarre conditions
that encouraged people to treat atomic detonations outside
Las Vegas as entertainment, complete with atomic cocktails
and Miss Atomic Bomb., he points out that the majority of
the milk produced by cows exposed to the fallout was consumed
by those least able to withstand radiation poisoning, the
children of the area.
This audio book could be considered a cultural
reference work for the fifties. Bryson describes everything
that makes up a child's world-school, the neighborhood, relatives,
family vacations, holidays, friends, games, toys, sports,
movies, television shows, clothing, food, candy, injuries,
fears and fantasies. His mention of Erector Sets, Lincoln
Logs, Slinkys, chemistry sets, Silly Putty, comic books, Roy
Rogers boots and cap guns creates instant nostalgia for anyone
who remembers or can imagine the innocence of another time.
Listening to Bryson recall his childhood memories is like
strolling through a museum, and it gives older listeners an
opportunity to create their own mental museums where they
can recall, sort and store their own memories.
There are enough laugh-out-loud moments in this
audio book to qualify it as a comedy album. Bryson asserts
that the intoxicating fumes of mimeograph worksheets in second
grade are responsible for older adults' trips to rehab facilities
today. Mixed with the comedy is serious and informative commentary
about the history of the 1950s. Bryson's dry deadpan narration
is excellent, with just the right mixture of humility and
bravado. Highly recommended!
Ruth
Mormon
4/29/07
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