|
| Round Ireland with a Fridge | 
 enlarge | Author: Tony Hawks
Publisher: Ebury Press
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £7.98 (100%)
New (20) Collectible (4) from £0.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  125 reviews
Sales Rank: 2166
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0091867770
EAN: 9780091867775
ASIN: 0091867770
Publication Date: May 1, 1999
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
On his only prior visit to Ireland, songwriter/comic Tony Hawks had seen a man hitchhiking with a refrigerator. For years, he was wont to tell the tale during late-night drinking matches, and after one particularly heavy-duty night of partying, he awoke to find a bet scrawled pillow-side: a friend wagered 100 pounds that Hawks wouldn't travel Ireland for a month with a refrigerator at his side. Out of this stupid premise, a ridiculously amusing book was born. Quickly discovered by the Irish media, the thumbing Englishman finds that he and his box fridge are elevated to celebrity status, and there's no dearth of rides, places to stay or goofy people to meet, from kings to spoons players to locals who take his fridge surfing. As insightful about the strange inner workings of Hawk's mind as it is about charming peculiarities of Irishmen--it's doubtful that Hawks would have been similarly embraced by Germans, Italians, or the French--Round Ireland with a Fridge is an entirely silly, heart-warming tale told in a rollicking funny and refreshing style. --Melissa Rossi
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 120 more reviews...
 Patronising rubbish of the highest order October 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A travelogue with a difference, or at least a fridge.
Or 'My self absorbed travels around various pubs in Ireland whilst trying to get my leg over'.
Hawks shows virtually no interest in the country he is visiting (he leaves the 'deeply spiritual' place he feels 'honoured' to be visiting to go to the pub (surprise) to watch a football match. (The photo's included in the book are of the fridge, cars and pubs, there is 1 - yes one, photo of some scenery)
His attitude is 'me, me, me' all the the way throuh, which to be honest might not be so bad if Hawks were a pleasant companion but unfortuantley he comes accross as an uninformed, patronising, buffoon. His 'jokes' are painfull (especially towards the end of the book where things get really stretched).
The ending is one of the worst anti-climaxes I have ever come accross (even admitted by the author himself!). His friends at the radio station bigging the final event up when there are actually only a couple of people there sums the book up.
You get the impression that the only person who really enjoyed this trip was Hawks himself (well, he got a shag out of it), it's certainly no fun to read about (which I think it could have been in the hands of a more sympathetic author).
A overlong and unfulfilling book.
By the way this review should be 1* not 3 but it wont let me edit it!!!
 Genius look into the inner workings of a modern bloke June 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I don't read usually, then my sister bought me this book for my birthday and one day when the internet was down and the tv wasn't any good I picked it up... it was a revelation, reading can be a real laugh! Via the thought processes of Tony Hawks he describes moments that we'll all know - unrequited love - and moments that we don't - standing in the rain on the side of an Irish road with a fridge - all with the sort of language usually heard in British pubs amongst mates. It's pure genius. Read it and weap.
Fridge Craic June 21, 2008
This book does live up to expectations: it's funny, quirky and most of all, totally readable and I loved it. The storyline is that Hawks has a bet with a friend that he will be able to hitchhike around Ireland with a fridge within a calendar month because Ireland's a magical place and strange things happen there. The characters he meets along the way are priceless and the scene in the dog house made me laugh out loud.
A brilliant and funny travelogue, it's a stonking good read!
 Lives up to your expectations May 4, 2008
I didn't know much about Tony Hawks apart from seeing him on TV occasionally but he's not my kind of comedian generally. While reading this book, I initially had to come to terms with his very wordy and educated form of language; he is unlikely to find the Times crossword a challenge! However, both the trip and the comedy began together in earnest and everything just got better. His subtle descriptions of the hillarity of people and circumstance is wonderful and frequently leads to outbursts of laughter... or should I use that awful LOL expression? My opinion of Mr Hawks will lead me to pay much more attention to him in the future... wonderful book.
Pure entertainment, page by page September 22, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was the best book i have read to date, all the situations and anecdotes, along with all the people Hawks' meets will leave you in stitches. This is one of the few books i couldnt put down, with each chapter making you want to read on. After reading this book i was inspired to visit ireland and make a similarly amazing journey with a kitchen appliance! This book is a must have, especially for an apsiring traveller..
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
