Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great idea, ultimately disappointing., 14 April 2007
I picked this book up for a flight, having really enjoyed Tony Hawks' comedy challenges. The first chapters were encouraging, I found Richard Smith's writing clear and humorous, he'd done his research and I'd settled back into my uncomfortable airline seat with high hopes. Sadly the part of the book written in the US as a bit lacklustre - gently amusing at times but nothing to make me laugh out loud. It feels a little like the author's enthusiasm was waning a little (both in terms of the writing and in his determination to complete his quest) and as one sparsely-sketched anecdote ran into another, so did mine. Mr Smith is a decent writer and is clearly capable of researching his work carefully - I just found myself wishing, as I read the book, that he had applied himself more dilligently to finding out about the places that he visited and to completing all of his misdemeanours with a little more panache. As it was, the book is an account of two young men drinking their way across the states, stopping occasionally for a half-baked prank. Parts are really quite good - I loved the golf commentary and some of the encounters with locals - but too much of the book is 'We went here, we couldn't do this law, we got drunk.'
Ultimately, the book fails as an off-beat travel book through lack of real attention to the destinations and isn't quite funny enough to stand as a comedy book. [...].
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
a wasted opportunity, 26 Sep 2008
Being a fan of the books of Tony Hawks and Danny Wallace, I was looking forward to reading this book which seemed to be of a similar genre. The concept is brilliant but the book is let down by the lack of enthusiasm for both the task he set himself and the telling of the story.
While Tony Hawks and Danny Wallace describe their adventures in the form of a story, Rich Smith seems to list a loosely related series of events without any real narrative, making it very difficult to care about the outcome or what is coming next.
I think I would have enjoyed the book more if Rich Smith had made more of an effort with his challenges, rather than give up at the first sign of any inconvenience, e.g. he couldn't find a bathtub lying around a small town so didn't bother to complete the task related to the bathtub (rather than go to the effort of buying, begging or borrowing one) and doesn't pursue a challenge related to swimming pools because he is only able to find a public swimming pool - surely this would have made the story even more interesting? The beauty of the Tony Hawks and Danny Wallace books is that they do whatever is necessary to complete the challenge they have set themselves and this draws the reader into caring about their success. Rich Smith doesn't seem to be prepared to make the effort to fulfil his challenge and this results in a book which turns into a list of cities visited and got drunk in, with the odd challenge thrown in as a side issue.
I got bored halfway through this book but continued in the hope that it would improve and everything would come together in the end. Unfortunately, it didn't and just petered out.
Overall, a fantastic idea let down by poor execution and poor writing.
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this book today. NOW!!!, 12 Oct 2006
If, like me, you are a fan of Dave Gorman, Danny Wallace or maybe Tony Hawkes and Pete McCarthy then this is a book for you. If you dislike silly, pointless challenges then move right along, you won't get no "Satisfaction" as the Rolling Stones so succinctly put it.
However if you like to read about two borderline savants who take the time out to go to America, armed with nothing more than a credit card and a book on dumb-ass American laws then you know you're in for a good time.
It's a real page turner, the story flows well and for a first time offering, subject matter aside, it's a nice easy read. My only slight and maybe unjustifiable criticism is I wanted to know more of the back story on Bateman, who he was, what he did, maybe there's nothing interesting there to mine, but hey, just call it reader intrigue.
Other than this small pip in the orange juice that is the substance of this book (to overstretch the metaphor way too far) I would say that any discerning reader would do himself well and give his laughter glands a work out by buying this book.
Slips easily into most bags, is lightweight and easily transported and thus would make an ideal holiday or travelling entertainment. Eschew your iPod, buy this book it uses no batteries.
In conclusion:
Great book, great premise, well told, by a total nutter who is lucky to have escaped with his life (literally.).
Thanks Rich look forward to your next adventure.
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