As you may guess upon learning of the book's concept, the idea of the Gorman-hunting stems from a drunken bet. With Dave claiming there are sure to be 'loads' of Dave Gormans the world over, and Danny vehmently disagreeing, several hours later the pair find themselves on a train to Fife to meet the first of the fifty four. As the authors learn of more Dave Gormans all over the country, they work their way through them; interviewing and taking a photograph of each of them. As the Gorman-flow dries up however, they are forced further afield and Dave and Danny find themselves caught up in many a bizarre situation.

I was skeptical as to how the split narrative would work, but after a couple of pages it was clear that both Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace share not only an incredibly entertaining storytelling ability, but also a wealth of wit and warm humour: "It was agreed that Dave would drive, as he'd had the most speeding tickets, so we were likely to get there faster." I found the writing style of both authors to be somewhat reminiscant of travel writer Bill Bryson: they each manage to capture the essence of people in a wonderfully witty way, with an often ironic edge to their observations. I can't reccommend this book enough. It brightened my day to such an extent that I was forced to ration my reading of it, yet still managed to whizz through it in a few short days. Anyone who has enjoyed the book may also like "Dave Gorman's Googlewack Adventure" (by Dave Gorman) and "Join Me" (by Danny Wallace) Laugh until it hurts.


A unique travel-ecomedy must have!   May 21, 2004
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book is "up there" with my all time favourites, it is a unique and bizarre tale of Dave finding namesakes all over the World for a bet. Sounds strange I grant you - but on paper it is fantastic. It's hard to describe just how enjoyable this book is, you can't put it down, the writing style is excellent, the stories and people he meets alone the way always interesting and always surprising. A real rollacoster travel ride lands Dave in bizarre places with often confused new friends! Many true laugh-out-loud moments, if you haven't brought this book already, do it now! And try to read this before DGs "Googlewhack" adventure as it'll make it more enjoyable!


I'm Not Dave Gorman, but I'd like to be.   April 22, 2004
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

There isn't anything immediately strange about Dave Gorman. He seems, y'know, normal, certainly not the kind of guy who'd do anything weird. As it turns out, he is.
Like many amusing stories in life, this tale is born out of a love of drink. After finally finding a flat-mate that he can stand, Dave becomes best friends with Danny Wallace, someone who he met by chance at the Edinburgh festival. Dave's a comedian, Danny a critic so much arguing should follow.
And it does after a lengthy drinking session where Dave says that he believes there must be THOUSANDS of people with his name. Danny disagrees.
Dave tells him a story about meeting another Dave Gorman when they step into the same taxi. Danny doesn't believe him.
With neither willing to back down, Dave embarks on an adventure with the comically reluctant Danny to find 54 Dave Gormans, which goes much further than either of them expects.

Although Dave Gorman has been milking the whole 'I got drunk and had a crazy adventure!' scenario a little bit too much lately, there isn't much to fault with this book. I like it because there is something quirky about it, the dual dialouge is playful, even though it is sometimes played for cheap laughs now and again. But it's a genuinely funny read; the anecdotes about getting caught in a hurricanes and losing their shoes in Sweeden after (ANOTHER)drinking session are both funny and bizarre. What's more, this is an incredibly easy read; going at a leisurely pace before picking up when the globetrotting begins. What's more, I'd be happy to start reading the from any page in the book and it wouldn't be too hard to pick up the plot.

The real charm is that Dave and Danny are as real as anyone else. They argue, make up and get drunk like your average Joe and although they inhabit the kind of world which allows them to drop most of their responsibilities at the drop of a hat (i.e. they don't work in an office); it's comforting to know that anyone can go out into that big ol' world and have something to tell.


The laugh that just keeps on giving   April 20, 2004
I don't normally read books, but I bought this one after spotting it at anairport bookstore. My 23 hour flight "flew" by when I could not put thisbook down. It really pulls you into their psychotic obcessive adventure.Hilariously written, I wish could've seen the stage show, I just feel nowI'm a couple years too late for this fad... however, I've been soimpressed, I might start reading books again.