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5.0 out of 5 stars
Cocktails and dreams, 15 Feb 2005
By A Customer
Leavin' on a Jet PlaneSynopsis This book, although a self-contained comic love story in itself, is only the first half of what the author promises is a different approach to the autobiographical and travel genre. Drawing close comparison to his own experiences, the author tells the story of twentysomething Danny, who realises his dream of travelling the world - and getting paid for it. Danny flies off to San Francisco not knowing when he'll be back, or if he'll be back. But his job as a bartender on a cruise ship proves to be far from plain sailing. He struggles to fit in. He makes enemies as quickly as he makes friends, and his limited knowledge of cocktail making is easily surpassed by his unlimited skill at drinking them. And then someone slips into his life who makes things even more complicated... Excerpt After days of looking out at nothing but water, I was beginning to wonder if this was the life for me. I had been banished to a small dispense bar out on deck after Alan had observed my attempt at a Pina Colada, which looked nice when it was in the blender but not so nice on the blue shirt of Bob, a retired car salesman from Illinois, who was sitting at the bar stirring his Bloody Mary - and as Alan put it 'minding his own bloody business' - when I had removed the blender lid prematurely. What they said: 'For all those twentysomethings wanting to travel and all those thirtysomethings who wished they had.' 'This book doesn't try to be the great travel book; Bruce Chatwin it is not. But it is readable, personal, and a breath of fairly fresh air. Stephen Power tells it how it is; it is a book of "rites of passage"; a lot of young guys are going to do this sort of thing, and maybe all of them should. Everyone should rattle around the world a bit, just to see what it's like.' 'Written with all the verve and energy of youth, Leavin' on a Jet Plane is a candid, witty and often moving account of the camaraderie, fun and idiosyncrasies of working on a cruise ship. It is also a compelling portrayal of travelling in South East Asia.'
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