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| Narrow Dog to Carcassonne | 
enlarge | Author: Terry Darlington Publisher: Bantam Books Category: Book
List Price: £7.99 Buy Used: £0.01 You Save: £7.98 (100%)
New (29) from £4.25
Avg. Customer Rating: 90 reviews Sales Rank: 3446
Media: Paperback Edition: New edition Pages: 329 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7 Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5 x 1.2
ISBN: 0553816691 EAN: 9780553816693 ASIN: 0553816691
Publication Date: May 3, 2006 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days Condition: SUPER FAST SHIPPING, DISPATCHED SAME DAY FROM UK WAREHOUSE. NO NEED TO WAIT FOR BOOKS FROM USA. GREAT BOOK IN GOOD OR BETTER CONDITION. MORE GREAT BARGAINS IN OUR ZSHOP. amazon.co.uk/shops/awesome_books_001
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| Customer Reviews:
Interesting in parts August 4, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The whole time I was reading this book I was complaining to everyone who would listen about the rubbish writting style the author uses (which other reviewers have described in more detail). But I kept reading it and I'm not sure why. Some bits of it appealed to my sense of humor, such as moments when the author compares the collection of odd-balls he has just encountered to individuals one might mistakenly cast as film extras. But these moments were few and far between. There is also a lot of repetition, in terms of what the characters do each day and complain about. I am baffled by the glowing reviews that some have put for this book but I didn't think it was too bad either. If you come across it for less than a pound and just need something mildly entertaining to read then this might be your book.
I could not finish this book July 28, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is one of the most frustrating and irritating books I have ever read. Half the time I did not know what on earth he was going on about as he spoke in riddles or made allusions to things in the fantasy world in his head. Also there was a lot of repetition of the same sort of conversations about his dog - usally involving someone else who had a whippet too but it died.
I think the subject matter is fascinating but I could not finish this book. I felt let down by it.
A jaunt through the human heart July 23, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a good read for anyone who enjoys a wry (dare I say northern?) sense of humour who wants a good summer read and to enjoy a sense of longing for a journey from their deckchair. The writer has a great style - he undermines himself and everything he sees and everyone he meets - a bit like what it is like being brought up in Lancashire! It's the simple and unverbose descriptions that make this a gentle, sunny and funny read. He's got the British vernacular really well ('Frenchmen fancy English ladies of a certain age, like Jane Birkin or Charlotte Rampling, and when they think they have spotted one they chuck their dredgers around like anything'). The descriptions of Jim the dog are evocative and delightful - you can feel his whiskers tickle your face as he licks it. His long-suffering partner - he expresses her various anxieties about crossing the Channel or navigating another difficult lock with that familiar worried rant and lashing-out that I recognise so well in myself. With no sign of guests for their party she paces about the place: 'We'll be disgraced...There's no one coming and it's half past six. And if they come they'll be awful and they won't like us. Another of your lunatic schemes has gone wrong!'. So, while the writing seems simple, it does indicate other deeper things, of the heart of human behaviour under pressure - whether it's 'guest anxiety' or real terror on the waves. And as for the French, he says it all: 'In England shops are normally open, and in France they are normally shut...The restaurant sells wine by the gallon, but that bit is shut' - come on, we've all been there.
funny travel book July 23, 2008 0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I absolutely loved this book. I was slightly worried it wouldn't be funny and a bit boring ( more for older people ) when I found out the subject matter. How wrong I was. The first paragraph made me laugh!
I can't recommend this book enough to people who love funny travel writing books. Terry writes in such a way you laugh out loud every page and the descriptions Monica & Jim's adventures are brilliant.
I can't wait to read the sequel.
Fast-paced and opinionated - but always huge fun May 27, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is real 'stream of consciousness' stuff, written by a true enthusiast telling about life as it is. As a fellow dog owner and boating fan, I found myself mentally selling up and packing my bags halfway through chapter 1 so that I could share in their huge adventure.
Good luck Terry, Mon and Jim - I can't wait for Indian River to arrive.
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