|
| A Piano in the Pyrenees: The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains | 
 enlarge | Author: Tony Hawks
Publisher: Ebury Press
Category: Book
List Price: £10.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £10.98 (100%)
New (7) from £1.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 44044
Media: Paperback
Edition: New title
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 0091902673
EAN: 9780091902674
ASIN: 0091902673
Publication Date: May 4, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 35 more reviews...
 So much amusement in reality September 12, 2008
I really enjoy a book which can make me laugh out loud on the train going home from work. This book has the ability to do that. There are ups and downs (laughter and sadness), which I think makes the book much more interesting. Tony has a way of making it seem effortless to keep the reader turning each page. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone thinking of reading it, although I may recommend "Round Ireland with a Fridge" first.
A very funny book! July 14, 2008
I wonder if he's finished the pool yet ... ? In spite of the publicity surrounding Tony Hawk's other well known book Playing the Moldovans at Tennis I decided to read this book first of all. It didn't disappoint, in fact it was hilarious ... especially his experiences with white vans! The book had me in stitches from start to finish. I was amused to read about local village life in the Pyrenees and the characters that add to the amusement ... What I like best about Hawks' style is that he always tells it how it is - no holds barred!
 Easy Going - nothing spectacular but enjoyable nonetheless! May 6, 2008
An easy-going, quite enjoyable book - I found it effortless and quite funny - perfect for someone who wants something they can pick up and put down without any fear of losing of track of where they got to.
On the flip-side, bearing in mind I like a real page-turner, something a bit gritty - this was not the book for me. I didn't real find that anything about Tony's French adventure inspired me to race onto the next page and to be honest, I'm not sure that I would have bothered writing about my experience if I was him - not a great deal happened.
It was more like a cross between a travel guide, a journal and a GCSE essay.
I hate the words 'nice' and 'good' as they are so undescriptive but in this case they are just right. Nothing amazing - wouldn't recommend it - but have read far worse.
 A pleasant way to spend a few hours April 28, 2008
Tony Hawks is one of those people who's been around for ages and is pretty much a professional panellist on the various comedy shows which pervade TV and radio. This is the second book I've read of his and I very much enjoyed it. His wit shines through certain chapters - such as the 'white van saga' and various other things. It isn't 'laugh out loud' funny, but it's amusing enough.
The French villagers seem to be a strange lot though and you get the impression that Hawks has embellished them a fair bit to shoehorn some more comedy into the book. The ending is a bit of a whirlwind, which in some ways doesn't ring true. All in all, it's a good book to while away a summer's day or to lull oneself into a (refreshing) state of slumber in the evening.
A Pleasant Time in Good Company February 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I think some of the negative comments in the less positive reviews of this book miss the point. I would hope that anyone wanting advice about the legal process of buying a home abroad, with due respect, wouldn't be buying anything by Tony Hawks. Similarly, I'd be surprised if those wanting to learn more about the challenges involved in renovating older properties or learning more about the cultural history of this region of France would go looking for that information in such fare as this. (But Tony Hawkes doesn't indulge in the 'aren't foreigners funny with their silly little ways' line, though.)
To use a cliche, Tony Hawkes' books 'do exactly what it says on the tin'. This book relates a feel good story in an easy, relaxed, conversational style that I found very entertaining. No, I didn't discover any great insights into the human psyche nor did it change my life but it gave me a few laughs and I was happy with that.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
