An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington
Karl Pilkington
Presenting the Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington: Adventurer. Philosopher. Idiot.
Karl Pilkington isn’t keen on travelling. Given the choice, he’ll go on holiday to Devon or Wales or, at a push, eat English food on a package holiday in Majorca. Which isn’t exactly Michael Palin, is it? So what happened when he was convinced by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to go on an epic adventure to see the Seven Wonders of the World? Travel broadens the mind, right? You’d think so…
Find out in Karl Pilkington’s hilarious travel diaries.
I was already a fan of the show so I knew I had to read this book, and trust me, it did not fail to bring a smile to my face. Karl’s incessant moaning and hatred for anything that doesn’t conform to his norms means this book is littered with comedy.
Forget what you thought you knew about the Seven Wonders of the World and let Karl take you on his adventure, where he compares the pyramid’s in Egypt to a “massive game of Jenga that has got out of hand” and Chichen Itza as “an odd one” as it’s “not exactly Alton Towers”. Join him has he moans about the toilets in every country and worries about getting bitten by an ape before he’s even set off anywhere.
Each of the Seven Wonders is documented within the book by Karl as he explores the surrounding areas, interacts with the locals and visits the Wonders, more often than not by unconventional means (a camel and a helicopter to name a couple) which only adds to his distress. As the book is Karl’s diary you get the same comedy as in the show, his anecdotes and moaning are unintentionally funny and you can tell at times he’s just had enough, but in this case it’s always good to have a little giggle at someone else’s misfortune. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant really push Karl to his limits and at times I did feel sorry for him, but it’s easy to see why Ricky and Stephen find him so entertaining.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading An Idiot Abroad; it’s perfect for sitting back and relaxing and just forgetting everything. The humour and style of the book means it’s not a difficult, challenging read but it is brilliant for a bit of escapism and a good laugh. Any fans of Karl Pilkington need to read this book.
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