Round Ireland with a Fridge | 
| Author: Tony Hawks
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy Used: $1.56
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Avg. Customer Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 23517
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 264
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 0312274920
Dewey Decimal Number: 914.1504824
EAN: 9780312274924
ASIN: 0312274920
Publication Date: March 7, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Good Condition. Fast Delivery
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Amazon.com
On his only prior visit to Ireland, English songwriter-comic Tony Hawks had seen a man hitchhiking with a refrigerator. For years, he was wont to tell the tale during late-night drinking matches, and after one particularly heavy-duty night of partying, he awoke to find a bet scrawled pillowside: a friend wagered 100 pounds that Hawks wouldn't travel Ireland for a month with a refrigerator at his side. Out of this stupid premise, a ridiculously amusing book was born. Quickly discovered by the Irish media, the thumbing Englishman finds that he and his box fridge are elevated to celebrity status, and there's no dearth of rides, places to stay, or goofy people to meet, from kings to spoons players to locals who take his fridge surfing. As insightful about the strange inner workings of Hawk's mind as it is about charming peculiarities of Irishmen--it's doubtful that Hawks would have been similarly embraced by Germans, Italians, or the French--Round Ireland with a Fridge is an entirely silly, heartwarming tale told in a rollicking funny and refreshing style. --Melissa Rossi
Product Description
Have you ever made a drunken ben? Worse, still, have you eveer tried to win one? In attempting to hitchhike round Ireland wich a fridge, Tony Hawks did both, and his foolhardiness led him to one of the best experiences of his life. Joined by his trusty traveling companion-cum-domestic appliance, he made his way from Dublin to Donegal, from Sligo through Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow--and back again to Dublin. In their month of madness, Tony and his fridge met a real prince, a bogus king, and the fridge got christened. They surfed together, entered a bachelor festival, and one of them had sex without the other knowing. And unexpectedly, the fridge itself became a momentary focus for the people of Ireland.
An international bestseller, Round Ireland with a Fridge is a classic travel adventure in the tradition of Bill Bryson with a dash of Dave Barry.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 Nothing deep, but fun May 16, 2008
I enjoyed this book about Tony's adventures in Ireland. Like the cover says--he made a drunken bet no one expected him to keep, kept it anyway, and ended up with this adventure.
I, and several others in my bookclub, have no desire to see the stand up comedian in person. He didn't really come off as a funny guy in the book, particularly because he bombed both times he had a chance to show his stuff, but the book is delightful because it is peopled with quirky unforgettable characters and there's a wry humor in the writing.
SPOILER:
Tony's success in getting around Ireland with the fridge was definitely due to the call-in radio show that followed him from the beginning. He hardly struggled to hitch. Or find a place to sleep. Or eat. But that never diminished my desire to continue reading. It actually made me want to read more--to see how popular the guy could get. The adventure was fun to follow to the end, which was the funniest part of the book with its wonderfully anticlimactic kitchen appliance parade. I think the Irish people redeemed themselves there.
Don't read this book to discover Ireland--it's not a travel story of that sort. You do get some nice imagery/descriptions, but not enough to make it a standout feature of the book. You get more about the people than the land.
One neg is that I really don't feel like I know Tony Hawks much by the end of the book. You know more about some of the Irish characters than you know about him. Very little background info/motivation for actions, etc. is offered, and I wonder why. A little bit (not a ton) of that would have improved the story for me. Another neg is that the book made it seem as if all of Ireland is drunk all the time. It might be because Tony hung out mainly in bars, but it seemed like an unfair implication (then again, I am very unfamiliar with Ireland and Irish people).
In the end, this is a fun read about a crazy adventure in Ireland.
 Why you ask? Well why not? May 2, 2008
This is a laugh-out-loud funny book. After reading it, I wanted to visit Ireland. Sure, the premise of the book is a bit ridiculous. Traveling around Ireland with fridge to win a bet. However, the author consistently points this out himself. The people he meets are interesting, and his take on them (and the adventure as a whole) is well written and worth reading. As a bonus for those who can't read, there are many pictures in the middle of the book.
What a HOOT! April 6, 2008
I plan to order several more copies of this book and give it to many of my friends. It makes me laugh out loud! Very well written.
Good, but "Playing the Moldovans" is Tony's masterpiece October 11, 2007
'Round Ireland With a Fridge' is the first of Tony Hawks' two books inspired by a loony bet with a friend. I liked this book well enough, but I think it falls a bit short in comparison with his 2004 follow-up, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, which I think is pure genius - an inspiring work never to be dislodged from my Top 10. It's brilliant.
In 'Round Ireland,' I give Tony credit for recognizing the role that morning DJ Gerry Ryan had in his success. Ryan literally put the whole country on alert for Tony. He set the tone for Hawks' circumnavigation of the Isle when he called it "a totally purposeless idea, but a d-mn fine one." That Ireland rallied to that call is a testament to a wonderful country and its good-natured people.
Just for the Craic! August 8, 2007
Tony Hawks is a legend. Absolutly brilliant.... one of the few books which have actually made me laugh out loud. Be wary of reading in public places because the constant smile/giggling to yourself can prove to be a little socially akward.
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