From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language comes a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century.
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From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language comes a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.25, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Crown.
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Seller's Description:
Good in good dust jacket. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.26, very good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
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Very Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.26, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
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Seller's Description:
Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.30, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Broadway Books.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.36, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Crown.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.36, fair condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Crown.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.38, good condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Broadway Books.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.38, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Crown.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.43, fair condition, Sold by OnlineGoodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Nashville, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
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Seller's Description:
Fair. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are solid. the cover is intact, but may show scuffs or light creases, as well as a possible rolled corner. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, The former owner may have written their name inside the front or back cover.
Add this copy of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoir to cart. $1.45, good condition, Sold by BookHolders rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gambrills, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Book was like new in excellent condition. Arrived very quick. Excellent service.
TNBOOKLOVER
Jan 28, 2016
One of Bryson's best
Highly entertaining and very funny. Makes me want to visit Des Moines. I wanted a hard copy of Thunderbolt Kid because I know I'll be reading it again.
althemadpoet
Dec 3, 2009
I love this guy's writing - have 6 of his books now - I grew up in the 50s traveling all over the world, but still experienced some of the things he did - very good and funny read
childofthe50s
Mar 26, 2009
Laugh till you cry
I'm listening to this book on cd in my car. Some parts are so funny I find myself laughing until tears run down my face. The story about Grandma and the licorice babies is howlingly funny as is most of the book.
Discover Bill Bryson and you'll soon have an entire library of his works, which are entertaining, informative and hysterically, laugh-till-you-cry funny.
JeffwithaJ
Oct 21, 2008
A rollicking read!
David Sedaris cracks me up. Carl Hiaasen?s Floridian farces are each an entertaining hoot. And Bill Bryson is a surefire spirits-lifter, whether he?s summarizing the secrets of the universe in A Short History of Nearly Everything or expanding his own galaxy of personal anecdotes in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir. And did my spirits ever need lifting? I?d just finished the beautiful but bleak The Road, so I welcomed the promise of a bit of mirth. And Bryson?s Thunderbolt Kid delivered more laughter and enjoyment than any mere mortal should be capable of.
Perhaps Bryson is superhuman. That?s the premise of Thunderbolt Kid, in which the author details growing up in Middle America in the 1950s?a seemingly idyllic place and halcyon time. However, while Bryson?s childhood era was practically perfect in every way, it wasn?t all comic-book thrills and post-war prosperity. Surrounded by threats ranging from an increasingly chilly Cold War and ever-expanding culinary uses for Jell-O, young Billy Bryson discovered his own superhero powers and ?Thunderbolt Kid? identity after finding a mysterious, lightning-emblazoned jersey in his family?s basement.
This ?Thunderbolt Kid? schtick could be kryptonite to a truly super childhood memoir, resulting in overwrought symbolism, saccharin sentimentality, and just-plain-annoying plotting. But Bryson makes it work, largely because he doesn?t play the superhero-kid card very often. Instead, he builds the story of his childhood around his distinctive wit and wry humor, presenting scene after entertaining scene of his life as an Iowa boy, with only occasional flashes of the Thunderbolt Kid character. This restraint gives Thunderbolt Kid a distinctive energy without overwhelming readers with gimmick. And the result is the most hilarious and winning memoir since David Sedaris?s Me Talk Pretty One Day.
