Holidays In Porthmadog

Happyslapping holiday books until their inside out

Is this the best “anti”-holiday book of all time? Well quite possibly, as Karl Pilkington gives us an insight into how holiday books aren’t usually written whilst talking about his own trips and often the problems with them in an excellent book that he describes as “A travel guide”. Pilkington may not be known to many (despite this being his second book) and to those who do know the name, that will almost certainly be in conjuncture with his work with Ricky Gervais. Karl’s first book “The World Of Karl Pilkington” was based on the radio show, that became one of the biggest listened to PodCasts in history, as he worked as the producer on the show. In recent times Pilkington has found himself as bit of a cult figure appearing not only in the podcasts, the radio show on XFM previous to the podcasts, Ricky Gervais’ DVD’s, Extras TV show and his own shows, including one opposite the weirdo that is David Icke. The show with Icke , the man who on air said he was Jesus, and has written books on his belief the world is run by aliens may actually have been one of the best things on TV in a long time. And of course he’s released 3 books (the final one being “Karlology” from 2008).

This book then, is a humorous look at the holidaying exploits of the author through out his his, from childhood to more modern day holidays with his girlfriend and friends. The book starts off with a section about being with Suzanne’s (Karl’s long time girlfriend) parents and then with his own parents for a bank holiday. Whilst with his own folks they go shopping, and his mother goes off alone to do some shopping with out her husband saying “what do you need that for” and she comes back with some colanders. Nothing funny there right? Wrong When asked by Karls father why she bought them when she already has some she replies “They have holes in”. This basically sets the humour tone almost straight away, with silly but yet sharp points made with a barb-like sharpness.

So onto the holidaying, which almost always reads like a perpetual nightmare, turning what should be sun, sea and sand into tales of woe, and poo lots of poo. One of the best stories he tells is staying in a villa of a work colleague with a friend, to find not only a terrible stench but a toilet blocked with thick and solid turd that effectively resulted in the toilet being out of service for several days of their holiday. The holidays ranging from holidays with his girlfriend and her brother in America, to family holiday’s as a child in Porthmadog to a school trip camping in the lake district that I especially enjoyed having lived there almost all my life.

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