An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington

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An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington

by Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 2,804 ratings · 321 reviews

The companion guide to the hysterical television show of the same name,in whichRicky Gervais and Stephen Merchantforce their arrestinglysimple pal Karl Pilkington on a global journey

"He'd have been happier in medieval times in a village where you didn't travel beyond the local community." —Stephen Merchant
A cultcelebrity due to his role in The Ricky GervaisShow, themost-do...more

Hardcover, 296 pages

Published January 19th 2011 by Canongate UK (first published January 1st 2010)

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Dec 16, 2011 Brad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel, television-tie-in

Lessons to be found reading about Karl Pilkington's journey to the Seven Wonders -- otherwise known as the folksy wisdom of a round-headed Manc twit:

#1. Ricky Gervais is a serious asshole. #2. Stephen Merchant will never be happy in his friendships. #3. Round heads were meant to be capped by a Fez. #4. Michael Palin is a much better celebrity to follow around the world. #5. In Cairo no one "walks like an Egyptian" because they're all driving. #6. Every city that's ever been influenced by England...more Lessons to be found reading about Karl Pilkington's journey to the Seven Wonders -- otherwise known as the folksy wisdom of a round-headed Manc twit:

#1. Ricky Gervais is a serious asshole. #2. Stephen Merchant will never be happy in his friendships. #3. Round heads were meant to be capped by a Fez. #4. Michael Palin is a much better celebrity to follow around the world. #5. In Cairo no one "walks like an Egyptian" because they're all driving. #6. Every city that's ever been influenced by England has a shitty hotel called The Windsor. #7. Pavlov would have ejaculated while watching the Muslim call to prayer. #8. Ricky Gervais really is an asshole. #9. KFC is way cooler in Cairo (they have an outlet staffed entirely by deaf folks, and special methods of ordering to accommodate their handicap) -- same shitty food, though. #10. Cruelty abounds when a chance to be on camera presents itself. #11. Karl Pilkington is obsessed with his poo time. #12. There's sand in Egypt. Lots of it. #13. Dr. Zahi Hawass is smarter than I thought; he missed his appointment with Karl Pilkington. Wise man. #14. There are Western wackos everywhere -- even lying in sarcophagi. #15. The world is a pretty beautiful place. #16. A drag queen in Rio de Janiero, named Celso, just might be gay. #17. Hostels are dirty and unsecure. #18. Nude beaches are for naked people. #19. Christ the Redeemer is a wonder of the world (here I thought it was Epcot Center). #20. Stephen Merchant is a pushy bastard. #21. One can actually go to Brazil without watching a football game (but why would anyone do that?). #21. The Samba is exhausting. #22. Brazilians have much more comfort with their bodies than balding, round-headed Mancs. #23. India is crowded! #24. India gives one dysentery. #25 Indians worship cows. #26. Freaks and gurus, gurus and freaks abound in India. #27. Ricky Gervais is a fuckwit. #28. Karl wasn't familiar with Kipling, apparently. #29. Mexicans love danger and make great chicken. #30. Chichen Itza has better curb appeal than the Great Pyramid. #31. Ricky Gervais is like a burrowing tick that only a pair of sharp tweezers can remove. #32. Mexico is loud during a festival. #33. Fireworks can blow off digits. #34. Tequila isn't yummy, it's disgusting, especially when you eat a worm. #35. The Mayan descendants remain thoroughly screwed -- just like the rest of the North American indigenous peoples. #36. If your voice bounces off a step pyramid, it echoes. Wow! #37. The Great Wall of China isn't so great. #38. The Chinese eat crazy shit. #39. Karl Pilkington needs walls and a door to take a poo. #40. Stephen Merchant wants to be Henry Higgins, and Karl's his Miss Doolittle. #41. Fingers are weapons on the hands of Kung-Fu masters. SKEDOOSH! #42. Ricky Gervais would have made a successful plantation foreman. #43. Ricky Gervais is a cunt -- and not in the good way. #44. Dogs taste like beef instead of chicken. #45. Apparently, Muslim men aren't impressed when bald headed Mancs date sixteen year olds. #46. Israel is dangerous. #47. Ricky Gervais is a son of a bitch. #48. Karl Pilkington is too forgiving and far too trusting. #49. Jesus is alive and well and driving a blanket laden motorbike in Jerusalem. #50. The Dead Sea keeps boogers afloat. #51. Petra appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. #52. Sleeping in a cave isn't so bad. #53. You can discover a place, even if other people are sitting there cooking dinner and living life when you arrive. #54. Folks in the jungle don't need to worry about nudity. #55. Connect 4 can be played solitaire. #56. Poo is Karl Pilkington's sole concern. #57. Ricky Gervais will use anyone to succeed. #58. Machu Pichu is really high up. #59. This is the book for you if you want to know the state of toilets the world over. #60. Stephen Merchant isn't such a bad guy. ~~#61. It's kind of hard not to love Ricky Gervais.~~ #62. Karl Pilkington could be pitied, if he wasn't such an ungrateful git. (less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Brad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Karl Pilkington has, over the past four or so years, become one of my favorite human beings. He is an unlikely hero to myself and so many others. I began listening to him on the podcasts that he appears on with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and I soon found a plethora of radio shows he appears on during the early to mid 2000s with the same two people.

He has since written a number of books, and appeared on television shows such as the one this book is based on. His writing style is excellen...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Dora rated it 5 of 5 stars

First thing's first- don't read this book if you've not seen An Idiot Abroad. If you pick this up expecting it to be a lighthearted take about global travel, you'd be very wrong! Karl Pilkington, the unwittingly popular idiot like genius (or genius like idiot) is forced around the world by the somewhat mean Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where he's forced to endure the cheapest, most difficult and unpleasant aspects of the places he's dropped off at. Karl's frank humour is totally his own-...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Campbell Mcaulay rated it 4 of 5 stars

An innocent abroad,

So I watched bits of a couple of episodes of the An Idiot Abroad TV series but never really enjoyed it. I couldn't quite work out if Karl Pilkington really was as dopily parochial as he seemed or if it was put on, either way the series seemed exploitative and designed to make its viewers cringe.

I bought the book (in Kindle format) because:
a. it was on offer,
b. there was at least a little honest entertainment value to the TV series, and
c. because I wondered whether the book mig...more An innocent abroad,

So I watched bits of a couple of episodes of the An Idiot Abroad TV series but never really enjoyed it. I couldn't quite work out if Karl Pilkington really was as dopily parochial as he seemed or if it was put on, either way the series seemed exploitative and designed to make its viewers cringe.

I bought the book (in Kindle format) because:
a. it was on offer,
b. there was at least a little honest entertainment value to the TV series, and
c. because I wondered whether the book might shed a little light on KP.

Well it's not too bad. As a travel diary it is a bit useless: the series was never really about travel, rather about putting a small-minded little-Englander into discomfiting situations and laughing at his attempts to deal with the culture-shock. This is somewhat reflected in the book, albeit in not quite so extreme a way. It does read rather like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in that respect, with Karl playing the part of Arthur Dent (Gervaise and Merchant, as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Ford Prefect respectively don't figure in the book very much at all, thank goodness).

Actually, I found Pilkington's stream of consciousness description of his trips to India, Peru, Mexico, Jordan and so on to be a quite entertaining read: mildly humorous with a few laugh-out-loud moments. And instead of the slightly retarded, handbag-clutching clown from the TV series, Pilkington comes across far better in the book. Still a little-Englander, to be sure, still very much out of his depth in the face of camp carnival goers and Amazonian savages but willing to try out new experiences and then take a naiive, sideways glance at them. Indeed, on the telly he seems to make quite ridiculously stupid statements (e.g. about how Chinese people don't age well) but, reading them in the book (perhaps it's having the time to think about what he's saying) many of these inanities have their own, slightly twisted, left-field sort of way. So it's that naiive, slightly grumpy, off-kilter view of the world that gives the book a certain charm.

I am still unsure as to whether the Pilkington persona is manufactured by him (and Gervaise and Merchant) or genuine (or a bit of both) but at least it's not as extreme her as in the series and if you can look past that this is a perfectly acceptable bit of humourous travel writing - not quite Bill Bryson, but enjoyable none-the-less.

The book includes a number of rather nice colour photos of KP and his travels. These don't fare very well in Kindle format, I'm afraid, but I have been reading the book on my Tablet where they show up rather nicely.

"I did some yoga with a baba. He laughed because I couldn't stretch as well as he could. It was hardly surprising really as he was stark b0ll0ck naked apart from a pair of shades, while I was wearing combat pants with the pockets stuffed full of toffees I'd taken from the first-class lounge at the airport. The guide said if I gave him some more money he would show me more. I don't know what more there was to see from this fella. The way he was bending upside down in my face I could have checked his prostate gland."(less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Sam Quixote rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been a few years since I checked in with Karl. I used to love the Ricky Gervais show on XFM and even the podcasts/audiobooks that followed have been good (but not as good as the radio shows) and I loved the subsequent books "Happyslapped by a jellyfish" and "Karlology" and would recommend anyone who enjoyed "An Idiot Abroad" to check those out. So it was interesting to check back in with Karl after a break of years to see what he's been up to. Thankfully, he hasn't changed. At all.

The moani...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Mitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor

This book happened in conjunction with a television programme here in England. I haven't seen any episodes, but I imagine they would open up a new dimension to my reading as the characters involved would now be walking, talking around the world and on the screen.

What happened was: a couple of guys proposed sending a comedian who is genetically inappropriate for traveling...off to see Seven Wonders. Along the way they sent him, usually blind, into various encounters which were bound to be unusual...more

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Mar 18, 2012 James Cridland rated it 3 of 5 stars

I do quite like a travelogue, but this one wasn't, to be honest, a particularly good read. Karl - by all accounts, a nice chap from those I know who've worked with him - seems to have cultivated this persona of a blunt and closed-minded Northerner, and this book is very much written in his style. It's rather repetitious; much is made of him eating his Monster Munch.

Telephone calls, presumably used in the television series, are transcripted throughout the book because as readers we can't clearly...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Catherine Gordon rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Karl fans

Karls diary from the T.V. series of the same name. Obviously having seen the series helps as you can see and hear Karl moaning his way through various locations while you read his inner thoughts on the subject of his travels. This is unlike any other travel book you will ever read, based on Karl's obsession with finding a decent meal and toilet. For most people the opportunity to see the wonders of the world and really become immersed in the culture would be a dream come true for Karl it is a ni...more

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Jan 05, 2011 HNC Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: student-review-and-recommendations

If you didn’t watch the show, “An Idiot Abroad” on Sky 1 in 2010, the programme was born when Ricky Gervais, the world renowned comedian, was so astounded by some of Karl Pilkington’s ideas and concepts, to quote A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, on “Life, the Universe and Everything” that he decided in order to broaden Karl’s mind, he would send him to the 7 Wonders of the World so he could experience new things and totally take him out of his comfort zone. This book contains all of the entri...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Mia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like the Ricky Gervais Gang well enough, but I'm not obssessed. I've heard a few podcasts, seen 2 episodes of the HBO cartoon, etc. so I get the humor. That was why I thought I'd love this book - it's Karl Pilkington! Everyone's favorite Eeyore!

The book is ok. It's Karl's travel diary as he's going around to the Seven Wonders of the World and not enjoying himself. In addition to his usual hermit-like tendencies, Ricky and Stephen have created various other diversions, intended to humiliate and...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Amy Watt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, non-fiction, favourites

For those of you who don't know who Karl Pilkington is, he is Ricky Gervais' and Stephen Merchant 'little egg-headed friend' who they sent abroad to visit the Seven Wonders of the World (only they sent him to see the Pyramids instead of the Colosseum, because Rome was too nice).

I loved the series An Idiot Abroad and I loved this. Nothing impresses him. It's hilarious!

This book is just like the series, only it's all Karl all the time. Which is amazing. It also included photos. In every single one...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I go to bed most nights listening to Ricky, Steve, and Karl podcasts, XFM shows, and audiobooks, so I went into this book knowing I was going to enjoy it.

Basically, these are Karl's travel diaries, written as he was in each country. It's not just a rehash of what was seen in the individual episodes, which I worried in the beginning it might be; as the diary goes on, Karl gets more comfortable with the medium, and some of the stuff he comes up with is surprisingly ... great. I mean, describing li...more I go to bed most nights listening to Ricky, Steve, and Karl podcasts, XFM shows, and audiobooks, so I went into this book knowing I was going to enjoy it.

Basically, these are Karl's travel diaries, written as he was in each country. It's not just a rehash of what was seen in the individual episodes, which I worried in the beginning it might be; as the diary goes on, Karl gets more comfortable with the medium, and some of the stuff he comes up with is surprisingly ... great. I mean, describing life in the tiny, middle-of-nowhere Mayan village as "waiting for a bus that's never coming" brought up such a clear image in my head, I sat back and was like, "Damn, Karl. That was good!"

I think Chichen Itza was my favorite section of the book, though the diary writing got stronger with each successive trip. I liked the Mexico parts because Karl was enjoying himself, and that made his adventures a little more fun to read. Miserable Karl just makes me miserable, however much it may make Ricky laugh.

In the end, I have to really appreciate what Karl, Ricky, and Steve have done with the Idiot Abroad series. I think, in world travels, I would very much be the Karl figure. He shows you the most realistic version of traveling: the crappy sleeping conditions, the daily trials of trying to find a bathroom, the foreign cuisine giving you the shits; being unable to appreciate the beauty of the Wonder because you've only slept four hours, or you've been hiking all day and are covered in mud and stink of piss and just want to go home already. You see very real, unapologetically unglamorous versions of the cities Karl visits. He's not staying in spotless hotels and traveling with safe tour groups; he's seeing the dirt and the rank and the terrible living conditions. He's having a horrible time, so you don't have to.

All in all, fun book. I'd only read it if you've already seen the Idiot Abroad series and have a strong love of K.P., Pilk Boy, Mr. Dilkington, etc. Otherwise, I think the inherent charm of the diary would be sort of lost in translation. If you already speak Karl's language though, I think you'll love this.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Beverley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel, comedy, non-fiction, tv-show, read-in-2012

I don't normally read travel books, but this isn't your normal travel book.

First, a bit about the author. Karl Pilkington is a born and bred Mancunian with a frank sense of humour that will leave you in stitches. It's not that what he says is in itself hilarious, he just comes out with the most bizarre things, and when you think about them, they make sense! For instance here is Karl talking about Easter - " I don't know why we celebrate with an egg. Bit odd that it's all about Jesus being crucif...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have watched a few of the TV episodes before and loved them. I was very surprised to find that the book is exactly the same as the shows, it even included the dry but hilarious conversations between Ricky, Stephen and Karl. I think having watched part of the series gave me a better understanding of who Karl is as a person and his attitude, the book might start off a bit confusing without this background.

I loved reading about Karl's always eventful trips away, and was ridiculously jealous of th...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Neil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, social-comment, travel

Well, isn't this interesting...I hated his "Happyslapped', but rather liked this, and laughed intermittently all the way through...although if I gave it four stars it'd be more out of fellow-feeling than admiration of content.

I trust K.P. is paid handsomely to be publicly humiliated, and is laughing all the way to the bank, because what this book (and even more so, the TV series) reveals is that Ricky Gervais is a deeply unpleasant human being, with a typically superior English middle-class atti...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Luci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very funny, if not quite hilarious, diary entries of Karl Pilkington, the star of the Ricky Gervais / Steve Merchant produced travel reality TV series "An Idiot Abroad". Moving very quickly this book gives a very entertaining brief insight into the countries, cities, people and cultures of exotic locations (where 7 wonders of the world are, like Machu Pichu in Peru, Taj Mahal in India and Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro). Personally I really appreciated reading about the behind-the-scenes...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Darren rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Got this for 20p on Amazon (bargain!) - it's not the sort of book I'd usually go for, but you can't argue with the price. I really enjoyed the series when it was on telly, but wasn't sure how well it'd work in book form. And as you can see from the star-rating, my instincts proved me right. The classic Karl quotes weren't nearly plentiful enough and got a bit lost amongst the moaning, which albeit funny to watch on screen, became a little tiresome in print.

I also felt the Kindle struggled with...more

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Mar 07, 2012 sabienne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The thing about Karl Pilkington is that I never really know what to think. In the podcasts he comes across as, well, an idiot half the time, but I imagine part of that is because Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant make him seem that way. When reading this book however, it's clear that he's not exactly an idiot. (Well, maybe he is in a way, but that's not my point.) Unless of course it's heavily edited, but it doesn't sound that way. It's pretty nicely written and kind of cleverly done, here and t...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Caroline Barker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Caroline by: Carol

This book goes hand-in-hand with the first TV series, 'An Idiot Abroad'. It is a comedic travel documentary about Karl Pilkington being sent to the Seven Wonders of the World by his friends and comedians, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

The comical twist is that Karl has never showed much desire to travel and would probably much prefer to watch the Seven Wonders on TV at home whilst drinking a cup of tea and munching on a Hobnob! Therefore, some people refer to Karl as being 'narrow-minded'...more This book goes hand-in-hand with the first TV series, 'An Idiot Abroad'. It is a comedic travel documentary about Karl Pilkington being sent to the Seven Wonders of the World by his friends and comedians, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

The comical twist is that Karl has never showed much desire to travel and would probably much prefer to watch the Seven Wonders on TV at home whilst drinking a cup of tea and munching on a Hobnob! Therefore, some people refer to Karl as being 'narrow-minded' - a term which I don't particularly like and disagree with. However, Ricky and Stephen wanted Karl to carry out this mission in order to 'open' Karl's mind and to see if it would have an effect on his outlook of life.

The content of this book is very much the same as what is seen on the programme. It is Karl's thoughts and theories about life, however, there are more complaints, ironic remarks and thoughts that we did not receive through the programme. I, personally, loved this book and the series as it is what I expected and more. I think it needs to be received from the audience/reader as though Ricky, Stephen and Karl are 'messing around/having fun' and adding a couple of factual pieces about the Wonders and their countries here and there, rather than people thinking that it is a serious travel book/show with just a little humour.

I would, however, recommend that the reader also watch the tv series, as the book alone would not be the same to understand unless you were familiar with Karl Pilkington and some of his ideas. I managed to read the Chichen Itza, Mexico, chapter whilst the repeat of the same episode was on tv, and this made it even more exciting. You get to understand the whole scenario with both book and tv. When you have Karl's voice in your head you can read the book as if he is sitting in the same room reciting it to you. It would be amazing if the audio was Karl on the Kindle version!

As well as actually visiting the Wonders, Karl is also asked to take part in many cultural challenges of the seven specific countries, and in most cases we get to hear about these challenges moreso than the actual Wonders. However, this didn't disappoint me as I was mainly interested in the comical side. These challenges include Karl being made to reside in local homes or rundown hostels/hotels, bad sanitary conditions, eating/hunting local food, taking part in festivals and other physical activities. Karl is completely out of his comfort zone and it is exciting to read and see how he reacts to certain situations.

The only two disappointments I had were actually both related to reading this book on the Kindle. Firstly, every so often my Kindle would decide to freeze, reset itself and thus wouldn't return to the page I last read. This would take at least ten minutes of my time when I could have been reading. Secondly, there are a few photographs after every chapter and the Kindle only displays these in black and white. I cannot complain too much as the book was only twenty pence, however it would have been nice to view the photographs in colour.

(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Kane Green rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a massive fan of the Gervais/Merchant/Pilkington combo this is pretty disappointing.

Listening to the old podcasts many years ago, I often found myself literally struggling to breathe through laughing. This book suffers from a number of problems; mainly that some of that laugh out loud funny stuff from the podcasts is regurgitated in toned down, sanitised soundbites. I only saw one or two of the episodes of 'Idiot Abroad' and wasn't keen. The whole thing seemed ridiculously contrived. Karl is...more

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Apr 04, 2011 C rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read this with the mindset of a blog. The writing is not literature. The jokes get stale.
But, it's readable, and heaven knows, there's no boring travel going on there.

Karl's cynical, earthy perspective of travel, foreign countries, and the wonders of the world is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Likely they'll be bored with the whining in a chapter or two. Karl is the giant crack in the rose colored lenses of armchair travel.

But, it's refreshing in its own weird way.

Why? Because he says w...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Godzilla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle, humour, travelogues

I'd only seen a couple of episodes of the tv show, so didn't approach this as a "fanboy", but it was quite amusing.

Mr Pilkington has a fairly dry and sardonic wit which shines through the pages well.

There is quite a bit of repetition, but then I don't think he's trying to win the Pullitzer with this!

You're not going to learn an awful lot about the "wonders", but it does give quite a glimpse into the lifestyles of people around the world, and how a surly Mancunian struggles to fit in.

One real dow...more

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May 04, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiographies, comedy, travel

The whole crux of this book (and the telly programme, of course) is that this is a man who hates leaving his home comforts - lets put him in what he would consider the most unpleasant and uncomfortable situations and have a good chuckle. Which is ok, because Pilkington appears to be in on the joke most of the time. And this is a funny read. Funny, not laugh-out-loud hysterical, though. I was hoping for a few more giggles, if I'm honest.

However, there are some classic lines. My particular favouri...more The whole crux of this book (and the telly programme, of course) is that this is a man who hates leaving his home comforts - lets put him in what he would consider the most unpleasant and uncomfortable situations and have a good chuckle. Which is ok, because Pilkington appears to be in on the joke most of the time. And this is a funny read. Funny, not laugh-out-loud hysterical, though. I was hoping for a few more giggles, if I'm honest.

However, there are some classic lines. My particular favourite -

'He offered me a glass of nut juice. Of all the things to get juice out of, I can't think of anything less juicy. I was still getting my head round the fact that carrot juice existed, now nut juice.'

Anybody reading this book who is unfamiliar with the TV series might not get too much out of it. Most of the comedy is mined from the delivery and it was only because I could picture him and hear him saying these things that I found them amusig. I checked out a couple of reviews on Good Reads from people clearly clueless about Karl Pilkington and the jist of their assessments is (and I'm generalising slightly/a lot here) 'what a miserable git' (they're correct, but that is the point) 'why is a trip like this being wasted on him?' (the comedic potential for larfs). And so on and so forth.

This is no ground-breaking travalogue. The structure is very samey. Karl goes to wonder. Karl notes down some observations. Karl has a bit of a moan (mainly about toilet-related matters), transcript of phone conversation between him and Ricky or Stephen (slightly scripted TV feel to them), Karl makes a few final observations. End of chapter.

The phone transcripts seem a little pointless. I get how they worked on screen, but, on paper they are over-long and a bit unfunny and appear to be levered in to increase the Gervais/Merchant content.

In terms of the travel aspects of it all, I enjoyed the Brazil and Petra chapters, particularly his exchanges with Brazilian guide Cesco (of nut juice-gate). On the whole, I would have like more observations on the whole travel side of it from Karl and a little less of the TV related stuff.

So, as a a companion piece to the TV series, this works a treat. As a stand alone travelogue, not so much. So, yeah, if you're a fan, read away, if you're not, this probably isn't going to persuade you otherwise.

TRAVEL TIPS?

I was particularly drawn to the Mexican obsession with death. There as something about embracing the dark side is a celebratory manner that drew me to this country. I've always wanted to explore south and central America and this didn't discourage me. However, this didn't offer anything particularly enlightening in terms of travel observations, just funny commentary about the usual (bowel movements, foreign eating habits and the like). But, I'm ok with that.

I reviewed this book as part of my travelling tales month. CHeck out my blog for more details -
www.annascottjots.blogspot.co.uk (less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who liked the TV series

Recommended to Sam by: liked the TV series

I didn’t realise there was a book in addition to the TV series until I saw it on Kobo (although I should have expected it, considering that nearly every TV series has accompanying merchandise these days). The TV series played in Australia on a low key digital channel and gradually increased in hype through word of mouth. Yes, this series is good. It appears to be the brainwave of Ricky Gervais (of The Office) and Stephen Merchant, who decided that it would be incredibly funny to send their frien...more I didn’t realise there was a book in addition to the TV series until I saw it on Kobo (although I should have expected it, considering that nearly every TV series has accompanying merchandise these days). The TV series played in Australia on a low key digital channel and gradually increased in hype through word of mouth. Yes, this series is good. It appears to be the brainwave of Ricky Gervais (of The Office) and Stephen Merchant, who decided that it would be incredibly funny to send their friend, fellow comedian Karl Pilkington around the world. Why is that so funny? You see, Karl is a homebody. He likes the familiar – language he can understand, food that he can identify and a ready supply of Monster Munch (some kind of flavoured corn chips according to Wikipedia). Karl does not like surprise, nor does he want to adventure into the unknown.

The book features regular dialogue between Karl, Ricky and Stephen – usually the latter two teasing Karl and getting him to perform something he would have never considered on his own – Mexican wrestling or eating bugs are just two examples. Karl usually does what they tell him, but not without having a whinge about how he’d rather be watching telly at home (probably with some Monster Munch). The book covers what is seen in the TV series and much more. Here, we get to reflect on Karl’s feelings and he really comes across as much more intelligent than portrayed in the show. Sure he’s blunt, but Karl is also very funny with a dry sense of humour. While Karl is no Michael Palin (and he makes several references to this), there are interesting facts at the end of each section of each country. It’s not a comprehensive travel guide, but a unique glimpse at life on the road – both good and bad. Karl does include commentary on the different toilets and bathrooms he encounters in addition to unique foods. A word of warning that some may find his bluntness offensive at times, but this book shines through Karl’s reactions to his experiences.

This is by no means award winning prose, but it’s a fun book that will have you laughing. I read it while on holiday and suggest you do the same.

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Aug 21, 2012 Alisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny-fiction, kindle-books, travel

First of all: Karl Pilkington is not an idiot. He's one of the more intelligent men alive today, I think.

Second of all, this was an odd book. If you haven't watched the tv series (and what is WRONG with you if you haven't!) I'm not sure this book would interest you. It's pretty skimpy on content, mainly serving to remind you of what you saw on the show. But if you have watched the series, there's not a lot of new content for you. A lot of it is word-for-word what Karl says on the show. There ar...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Tonia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Another travel book. Looks like a person who does not like to travel is being forced to travel by two of his friends, one being Ricky Gervais and the other Stephen Merchant. We shall see.

This book was OK. I was a little mad that a person who did not really like traveling was visiting many of the Wonders of the World, and didn't appear to enjoy himself despite visiting 4 or 5 different continents. This was part of the schtick to make the book and subsequent videos humorous and different than othe...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Carla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anyone who has seen the Idiot Abroad series or wants to, this is a great companion. If you follow The Ricky Gervais Show, you catch glimpses into "Karl's Diary".

Karl Pilkington has an interesting point of view, I find his thinking proving he is "the round headed buffoon" Ricky accuses him of to idiot savant.

A travel diary made as Karl traveled the seven wonders of the world, and his complete, unedited observations leave you laughing and wondering if he has the voice to say some of the things we...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Sal Noel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pretty much what you'd expect- but couldn't help but wonder what this would be like without the visuals. There were times during the tv show that I could hardly breath through laughing and quite a few smirks and giggles whilst reading this, that does include things in addition to the telly programme. Only cost me 20p and well worth that but don't do what that guy on MIllion Pound Drop did and gamble a ton of money on thinking that the contents are based on accepted fact. (Research difference bet...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Hugh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

I decided to read this because one of my brothers' was doing so, and I enjoyed reading Karl's observations on his travels more than I did the TV series upon which it is based. I suppose this was because in that I found Ricky and Stephens contribution to that show somewhat annoying, and distracting from the travelogue itself.

Another reviewer stated that "This is hardly high brow literature, but if you enjoy travel, we all know people like Karl who are completely happy living their lives without e...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Horse N. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Alright, it may not be fair to "real" authors for me to give this 5 stars. But my rating reflects how much I enjoyed it. I had high expectations for the book based on a previous book by Karl Pilkington and based on having watched the show when it aired. The book lived up to my expectations. I'm sure I laughed as much as Ricky and Steve did when they read Karl's ramblings. The man is hilarious.

But that doesn't mean that just anyone would find this book worthy of 5 stars. In fact, most people wou...more

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About Karl Pilkington

Karl Pilkington is a Sony Award-winning English radio producer, poet, podcaster, raconteur and author, best known for producing and co-presenting The Ricky Gervais Show on London radio station Xfm from 2001 to 2005 and later in the form of podcasts and a television show on HBO. In October 2006, Pilkington's first book The World of Karl Pilkington was published, featuring original ideas and drawing...more

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Books by Karl Pilkington

Ricky Gervais Presents: The World of Karl Pilkington

The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad

The Ricky Gervais Show - First, Second and Third Seasons

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“Everywhere we walked we got plenty of attention due to the camera and sound men. The locals love to get on camera. [...] I'd seen footage of Gandhi surrounded like this and always thought it was because he was very popular, but now I wonder if it was just because he had a camera crew with him.” — 28 people liked it

“The problem I have with all this religion stuff is that I can't relate to it. I think most people got into 'cos it gave them something to do on a Sunday, but since all the shops are now open it isn't required as much.” — 23 people liked it

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