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Tossers and Arseblowers
Previously published as Eurotripping, Tossers and Arseblowers is a tour of twenty-first century Europe in all its bottom-blowing, goat-tossing, oil-wrestling glory.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 8, 2022
It's taken me FIVE YEARS to finish this book! To be fair, I have been reading it in between other books, not 24/7 and it's not that it's a bad book (hence the rating). It's just that I've got so used to reading books on my Kindle, that having to carry a book around seems like an inconvenience (Oh, the horror! :-) ).
Anyway, this is a very funny and interesting book. Sometimes, books with a deliberately provocative title (who could resist this one?) are a let-down, but this one isn't. The author travelled Europe, seeking out weird (and some of them are VERY odd!) traditions, sorting out why they even exist and how they fit into modern-day life, if at all.
All in all, some great stories and some very funny concepts.
Anyway, this is a very funny and interesting book. Sometimes, books with a deliberately provocative title (who could resist this one?) are a let-down, but this one isn't. The author travelled Europe, seeking out weird (and some of them are VERY odd!) traditions, sorting out why they even exist and how they fit into modern-day life, if at all.
All in all, some great stories and some very funny concepts.
November 10, 2010
A book which I picked up on a whim, and which details various obscure European rituals and beliefs.
The writing is warm and affectionate, with the author endeavouring to get behind the tourist facade of these events, to unearth the real meanings to locals.
Some of these activities could easily have been ridiculed, but the author spins this notion onit's head, and asks are we losing too many of our cultural identities in the face of mass globalisation and the seemingly endless adoption of celebrity and Hollywood culture.
There are more than a couple of events which made me wish I'd experienced them first hand. The book brings them to life and engenders a real feeling of the spirit and quirkiness of these things.
The writing is warm and affectionate, with the author endeavouring to get behind the tourist facade of these events, to unearth the real meanings to locals.
Some of these activities could easily have been ridiculed, but the author spins this notion onit's head, and asks are we losing too many of our cultural identities in the face of mass globalisation and the seemingly endless adoption of celebrity and Hollywood culture.
There are more than a couple of events which made me wish I'd experienced them first hand. The book brings them to life and engenders a real feeling of the spirit and quirkiness of these things.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews