Well written book, fun and enjoyable. I got this book just before I went to Ireland. The book is much better then Ireland.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

Round Ireland With A Fridge by Tony Hawks
Written by a standup comic, Tony Hawks, and what ensued after his 100 pound bet made after a bit of tippling in a pub, that he could hitchhike around the coast of Ireland in 30 days, with a refrigerator. You could expect this book would be funny, and yup, it is.
Oh the pressure to win the bet, Tony gaining the cheerleading backing of the Irish radio host Gerry Ryan, and the assurance that yes, this is "a totally purposeless idea". Tony quickly got me cheering for him.
Lots of meeting with random and rural Irish folks in pubs and on the road, giving him rides, the whole ridiculous idea of traveling with a fridge that gains a name by fans in a pub, and a blessing of the fridge by a genuine Mother Superior.
Yes, he slept in a doghouse one night, and traveled with his fridge squished inside a trailer with a mare and her colt.
The map in the book serves as an essential road guide as you read and journey with Tony, as he progresses from places like Benbeg to Killybegs. The journey includes an attempt to meet the King of Tory Island, and a handshake with Prince Charles.
Pick up this book and prepare to laugh, if you like the absurd, as I do.

I had a trip to Ireland planned and a friend of mine recommended this book. It's hilarious! What a fun read and it really gives you insight as to how wonderful the people of Ireland are, and how willing they are to help out someone - even if it is an English guy with a fridge. Enjoy!

This book was a hoot! I love anything that takes me around Ireland, my favorite place to visit, and this book provided a very funny, unusual tour.

I loved this book from the start! I first read the book shortly after my first trip to Ireland. While my trip did not involve a kitchen appliance, we kept to same kind of 'go where the road takes us' kind of philosophy. I have given this book as a gift a number of times and every friend I've given it to has adored it. People who can laugh at themselves and make you laugh right along are a rare and wonderful breed. Wouldn't it be lovely to find and appreciate the absurd all the time?

I loved this book from the start! I first read the book shortly after my first trip to Ireland. While my trip did not involve a kitchen appliance, we kept to same kind of 'go where the road takes us' kind of philosophy. I have given this book as a gift a number of times and every friend I've given it to has adored it. People who can laugh at themselves and make you laugh right along are a rare and wonderful breed. Wouldn't it be lovely to find and appreciate the absurd all the time?

This was a great book to read as I am heading to Ireland in 3 weeks. I hope I meet as many warm and funny folks as Tony did in his travels. Light and warmhearted and a quick read. Buy it!

Now that I finished reading Round Ireland with a Fridge, I miss it. I miss hanging out with Tony Hawks, the English comedian dubbed Fridge Man, and all the people of Ireland who befriended him along the way.
His mission was an effort to win a 100 pound bet (less than the cost of the Fridge)placed while under the influence of an inebriant.
The actual accomplishment of the journey is neither the point nor does it generate much suspense as it nears.
Instead the story is a first person account of those travels, experiences, the people, and Tony's "everyman" reactions to it all.
At one point, if I were Fridge Man finally meeting Gerry Ryan, the radio show host who championed the cause, I would have hugged and blubbered all over the man in appreciation.
For Ryan seems the unsung hero who alerted the airways calling the people of Ireland to the rescue and abatement of the young man carting a white appliance cube through their countryside.
Although the initial purpose of the bet and the trip itself is pure absurdity, what the author and the book's readers come away with is a genuine serving of fun and companionship. One other plus for the reader. The only one getting wet is Tony.

Now that I finished reading Round Ireland with a Fridge, I miss it. I miss hanging out with Tony Hawks, the English comedian dubbed Fridge Man, and all the people of Ireland who befriended him along the way.
His mission was an effort to win a 100 pound bet (less than the cost of the Fridge)placed while under the influence of an inebriant.
The actual accomplishment of the journey is neither the point nor does it generate much suspense as it nears.
Instead the story is a first person account of those travels, experiences, the people, and Tony's "everyman" reactions to it all.
At one point, if I were Fridge Man finally meeting Gerry Ryan, the radio show host who championed the cause, I would have hugged and blubbered all over the man in appreciation.
For Ryan seems the unsung hero who alerted the airways calling the people of Ireland to the rescue and abatement of the young man carting a white appliance cube through their countryside.
Although the initial purpose of the bet and the trip itself is pure absurdity, what the author and the book's readers come away with is a genuine serving of fun and companionship. One other plus for the reader. The only one getting wet is Tony.

Tony Hawks worst attribute, as expressed in this book, is a tendency to fall into the clichés of believing total drunken stupers to be somehow acts of bravado and manliness. He's not the first and won't be the last to do this. That's what makes it a cliché. However, that aside, this is a great read fro anyone who enjoys travel in general, Irish culture in particular, and the musings of a naturally funny and gifted storyteller. I enjoyed every page and laughed out loud many times. His comic timing is very good. I have spent many vacations in Ireland and I really think he captured the culture in an original, masterful and insightful way. The tales of drunkenness were like flies annoying me while reading, but they hardly affect the ultimate fun of this unique offering to literature.

What a whimisical tale!!
I throughly enjoyed Tony Hawks writing style.
His easy-going approach to writing about his journey through Ireland was written on such a personal level, it made me want to visit the folks he met, while on my journey through Ireland as well!
His insight into the human psyche (esp. the Irish kind!) was right on the money!
How making something out of something that's not (his size of his fridge for example!), the huge involvement by everyone around, just goes to show the great and loving sense of humour the Irish have. Great 'craic', no?!
It was somewhat daunting to hear of all the partying, everywhere, all the time, but his fall-down-drunk-and-get-up-and-do-it-again tales were comical.
I also thought he was cute! By the time I got to his photo, I wanted to meet him too!
Great Easy Read!
Take it on the plane over to Ireland, leave it for the next Traveler to read!!
Slante'

The author loses a bet with a friend and pays the penalty: he must hitch-hike around the perimeter of Ireland, with stops at two remote islands, within in month. Not so bad, but he must do so with a small refrigerator in tow.

The result of his epic journey is a completely engrossing, thoroughly entertaining and smartly funny book, LOL in places, and full of charm and wit. The people who help him along his journey are lovingly characterized and the whole book affirms the positive side of human nature. Light, fun, and recommended.

What happens when a drunken British comedian bets his buddy he can circumnavigate Ireland with a fridge? You get a hilarious story of Tony Hawks and his travels across the green Isle.

Although the topic sounds contrived, you'll find yourself laughing as Tony takes the fridge surfing, sleeps in the (literal) doghouse, and gets adopted by a local radio station.

The humor is light, self-depracating (like all good travel stories) and quick to give you a smile. Some sections may even make you spit milk through your nose. Enjoy for some good laughs!

Many reviews here have critisised this book as being a rubbish travel book. This is not a travel book and was never intended to be a travel book. It is simply the story of a man who travelled around Ireland with a fridge - end of story. I am Irish and remember when all this happened - I remember listening in to the radio show every day to hear what he was up to and remember his arrival to Dublin when nobody came out to see him. It is therefore interesting to read his actual story and see what was really happening behind his story on the radio. But it's not a travel book!

This is one of those rare travel boks where you feel completely wrapped up in the adventure without learning anything about the country it takes place in. (Minus the fact that in Ireland, every pub has it's own drunk. Which is nice to know.) Tony Hawks mixes two great forms of comedy; One being his observational humor about the oddities of the characters he meets. The other being the fact that he was funny in real life. Hearing his recaps of what he did and the speeches he give are well worth the price of admission.

I got this book on the recommendation of some friends. I ended up reading it to my wife over the course of several weeks.

With two of us to share the comedy, this was a wonderful book. Plenty of hilarious tales of possible disaster saved at the last minute by the presence of The Fridge.

I'd recommend the book for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. If you going to visit Ireland on a hiking tour, this may prepare for the irish psyche. And it's definitely a great read to enjoy with a friend!

I love this book. The premise is that due to a bet while under the influence he has to hitchhike around the perimeter of Ireland in a month. The fact that he paid more for the fridge than the value of the wager makes the concept even more entertaining. Some have criticized (I believe unfairly) the book for not being a detailed travel journal. I think that is a factually correct statement, but the point here is not to be a serious travel guide, but to be a humor book about funny experiences during a very odd odyssey.

There are many amusing moments in the book, some of which are so well written that they made me laugh out loud. Purists may argue that it is a rather smallish fridge, but I don't think that matters; it's the concept of hitchhiking in a foreign country with a large, ungainly peculiar object that matters here.

Tony Hawks is a very strange, and very funny man. If you are interested in a book filled with unusual comic characters and situations, this would be hard to beat.

Undoubtedly, one of the funniest books I have ever read.....should be made into a movie! So well written that you could truly picture the situations and the people......water skiing with a fridge-absolutely laugh out loud funny! If I were younger and less sane....I would somehow, haul something, somewhere to see if I could duplicate this wonderful experience! (Naked in the room is hysterical!) Don't miss this super funny book!

Tony Hawks is quite entertaining, this story of his trip toting a refrigerator around Ireland is a fun read. It shares his journey and introduces the people he meets along the way. My favorite aspect of the book was that this was a true story, the poeple were real. The included pictures made me feel like I was right there with Tony all along the way.

Just a rollicking romp around Ireland on a dare: hitchhiking with a fridge in tow. That's what comes from drinking and betting in pubs. You wake up in the morning and realize you've got 30 days to buy a fridge and circumnavigate all of Ireland with it in order to win a bet that cost just about what you paid for it. And in the end, what've you got? An uncollected bet and a spare fridge.
Fun, funny, but...

Why climb Everest? Because it's there. Why hitch-hike around Ireland with a fridge? Because it's there.

Sure, maybe the latter is pointless, but so are a lot of great acheivements of humans. Hawks is a funny guy, and I found this book very entertaining.

Although i liked "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" more, the Ireland book is writen in the same funny and interesting tone. I dont know anything about Ireland but now, i am dreaming about going on a trip similar to this(well, without a fridge).
Tony's book is extreamly easy to follow, he doesnt take a long time to "describe the scenary", which is an alternative to traditional travel book. I love the dry humor and the wild imagination. I will defenetely recommend it to people who would like to smile.

Having been a reader of travel essays since Paul Theroux's "Great Railway Bazzar" and dipping into the British travel books of the thirties, I think I can tell what is good and what isn't in this genre. What makes a for good travel book? Well, for armchair travellers, the descriptive power of the author always helps along with what they encounter and how they use it in their book. Theroux is great at this because he becomes part of the environment. He travels light,knows a bit about the place and is able to get the most from his chance meetings. Now about "Round Ireland...." I tried to like this book. Really. But the more I read the more fatuous it became. I'm very surprised that he found a publisher. In an genre where terrific books abound, please pass this one by.

This is a fun book, what else can you say about it other than FUN?
It won't elevate the mind and enlighten you, just entertain you on a long journey, I can highly recommend it for an easy going read in between bouts of tackling Ulysses.

The idea of going around Ireland with a fridge (sorry hitchiking) is rather silly, but the people of Ireland took to it. This book is written in a very humourous manner, and will have you laughing out loud at several places so be warned if your reading this in public and dont want people thinking your some kind of psycho.

Funny, well written, easy going. Sound good to you?

Given the choice of touring Ireland with a Ferrari or a fridge Hawks provides an unassailable case that you will have a far more enjoyable time if you leave your Italian monster in the garage.

As a fan of Bill Bryson's repartee and Theroux's narrative, the otherwise non-event of circumventing Ireland with a fridge makes for an eye-twinkling, beer-consuming epic that surely some day a Hollywood director will recognize. He may need a few pints of Guinness and his "beer goggles" on before he recognizes this work of genius for the masterpiece that it is.

Hawks skill as an accomplished comedian who is a regular on BBC Radio traverses to a very readable book.

If you've read the title and cannot possibly conceive why somoene might attempt such an excercise then this book is for you. Hawks recounts the confusion, verve and passion that is created on what can only be accurately described as a marathon pub-crawl, with talking point in tow, around the worlds best venue for pub crawling.

If anything this book serves to explain why anyone would take on a bet for 100 pounds involving buying a fridge costing in excess of the winnings.

The one question that remains that after it's travels, immersion in the Atlantic and use as a dirty laundry repository, did the item in question work when plugged in?

Author Tony Hawks describes his journey with the fridge as a pointless exercise. I was intrigued by the possibilities of his comical take on his Irish journey. After reading his book however I can't quite figure out which exercise was more pointless, his journey or my time wasted reading about it. This booked seemed to fail on all levels. As a travel book it offers little in the way of information. As a book to detail the Irish personna as seen from the outside he offers little other than "stage irish" observations which at times seem to be delivered in a condesending manner which befits his British background. Even as book written by someone who makes their living as a comic, I found few humourous anecdotes. For those looking for books in this vein I would recommend McCarthy's Bar or more highly No News at Throat Lake by Lawrence Donegan.

I don't normally read travel books, but my husband is an avid devourer of same, and so when I gave him this as a gift, I was curious. He would read a few pages and then laugh. A lot. Out loud. I wondered what on earth could be so funny in a travel book. I had never read a book which made me laugh out loud. So after he had finished, I began reading the book.

I just couldn't put it down. It was hilarious, right from the ridiculous premise where the author agreed to a drunken bet to hitch-hike round Ireland with a fridge as a travelling companion. He meets a quite a few eccentric characters along the way, none of whom I knew (at least I don't think so, but you can never be quite sure. Nearly everyone in Ireland knows someone who's a cousin of someone else's cousin or brother, or aunt... you get the idea.)

My favourite line has got to be when asking for directions, the author got the reply, "You can't get there from here."

It's so funny because it's true, people do say that, I'm a culprit myself.

How did he manage it? Did people really let the madman with a fridge get into their cars and their lives? Read the book and find out, you won't be disappointed.

You'll be laughing out loud too.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams and Shadows of the Rose.

I read this book recently after 'McCarthy's Bar', but wish I'd read it first. I can see however where Pete McCarthy pinched his ideas from.

Hawks hawked (sorry!) his way around Ireland with trusty companion and, with a lot of help from RTE, in particular Gerry Ryan, gained a lot of free hospitality, which would be unthinkable in almost any other country.

Yes, it was a daft idea, but it seems that not only did many people laugh with - as well as a few, at - the eccentric English 'eejit', but he himself felt a great deal of warmth for the country and it's people.

The surfing had me in stiches and the Batchelor Festival cringing with embarrassment for him. It's only a shame that he didn't circumnavigate the whole island, only flitting in and out of the 'British' bit and rushed from Wexford back to Dublin.

Anyway, highly recommended, it takes a few chapters to get 'into' but it's worth it!

"Everything you read from this moment forth is a tribute to what can be achieved as a result of a shabby night of booze."

Thus does Tony Hawks elegantly describe the genesis of his journey chronicled in ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE. To be more precise, it was the result of a drunken gamble made with a buddy that in itself doesn't make much sense. The bet was for 100 British pounds, and the refrigerator cost Hawks 130 pounds. What was he thinking? By the way, in case you're wondering, the fridge in question was a small cube perhaps two feet or less on a side, not one of the behemoths in which one stores provisions for a family of six (or beer and frozen pizza for a single bachelor).

The terms of the wager allowed Hawks, a comedian by profession, one calendar month to hitchhike the circumference of Ireland with fridge in tow. A month can accommodate a fair number of paying gigs. So, with apparently that much free time on his hands, one wonders how successful a comedian Tony was at the time (1997). Well, that's neither here nor there. In any case, the author's talent for dry humor translates well to the printed medium, as when he observes:

"Shooting hordes of insubordinate natives was acceptable when 'needs must', but jumping a queue was always quite intolerable. The whole raison d'être for a vast British Empire had been a desire to teach the ignorant peoples of the world how to queue correctly." Quite right. I think even the Queen would agree.

Indeed, it's the humor of ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE that supports the narrative as far as it goes. It falls short as a travel essay, which, in my mind, should be descriptive of the locale being traversed. Beyond this reader's conclusion that the Irish are remarkably tolerant of and generous to eccentrics, most of the insights gained don't extend beyond the walls of the many pubs where Hawks spends his hours when not actually on the road. Granted, this isn't entirely the author's fault. The friendly Irish are just always offering to buy him a pint. However, as an example, at one stage in his journey Tony and the fridge are coveyed between points A and B by a white van with "Galway Swan Rescue" emblazoned on the side. Now, I'd like to know what a swan rescuer does, but Hawks never tells, and my curiosity remains unsatisfied. This lack of useful information pervades the volume as a whole. In the end, the book's 247 pages were amusing enough to warrant three stars, but it's mindless reading with a capital "M". Even telling how he got a splinter while Doing It in a doghouse didn't add as much to the saga as he probably thought it might. Is Tony a girl's dream date, or what?

If you like Bill Bryson and those of his ilk, you will enjoy Tony Hawks' ludricous adventure. I laughed out loud while reading it. The whole tale starts from a ridiculous bet and Tony Hawks tells it with that dry humor the English do so well. My only complaint is the story started to get redundant--he spends a lot of time visiting the local pubs and they're much the same after a while. He does, however, meet some interesting characters,reminding you that truth is often stranger (and funnier) than fiction. If you are looking for a guide to Ireland--where to go, what to see--this isn't it. If you just want a good laugh in a quick read, pick up this book!

...literally: "are you really so (naive) or you simply pretend to be it?"

yes, i did not appreciate the "Troubles" being described as... well i can't quote, it's the rule... see pages 82-83.

ok, this kind of description can be a good way to express his disapproval on that conflict, but i simply felt it as noncurance, inability to go in depth when facing some more complex problems than the temperature of the shower.

this is my disappoinment: i hoped to read what does an englishman think of ireland, rather than what does an englishman think of HIM WHEN HE IS IN ireland.

many pages are however very well written and i would advise you to read them, if you do not expect ireland to be the protagonist: a fridge is on stage as well!

I bought this book because I'm planning a trip to Ireland. While it didn't offer me much in terms of which sights are worth seeing (Tony's goal is just to get around, not to take in the sights), it did make me very excited to explore a country that can embrace and champion a guy hitching with a fridge. This is a funny story with a serious message - a life philosophy that makes sense. I highly recommend this book to anyone - whether or not you're interested in Ireland, hitchhiking, or fridges. I may just find my way to some of the pubs in the book to get a first-hand account of the day the "fridge man" came to town.

Hawks makes drunken wager that he can hitchhike around the circumference of Ireland with a refrigerator within one calendar month. He whimps out on actually doing that and settles for being carted around Ireland by star struck Irish. Hawks takes a high speed tour and misses most Ireland. Hawks doesn't mind claiming to win the bet or selling this book about nothing. This book is not a good choice for people planning on actually visiting Ireland.

If anyone outthere is trying to understand the way irish people think and get into their sychee.... then this book is for you. The strange thing is that it is the truth about the way we think as paddy's!

This book will make you want to take your blender on the road.

McCARTHY�S BAR made me laugh out loud. I was given the book for my birthday. The remark �Bill Bryson without the boring bits�, on the back cover of Pete McCarthy�s book, led me to buy NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND and other books by Bill Bryson. Money well spent and more laughing out loud. A friend mentioned Tony Hawks. On the front cover of ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE the Sunday Independent warns that this book is �Not just brilliantly written, but far too hilarious to read alone in a public place.� I bought the book. In my opinion the warning is unfounded. I could not describe the book as exceptionally, magnificently, outstandingly or splendidly written, as the word �brilliantly� implies. And unlike the works of Pete McCarthy and Bill Bryson, this book by Tony Hawks rarely made me chuckle let alone laugh out loud. What puzzles and saddens me most is the number of reviewers giving this book more than a one star rating. I would give it no stars at all.

I picked up this book from the library on a whim, and found it perfectly delightful. The author makes a drunken bet to hitchhike around Ireland carrying a fridge, and decides to carry through with it. In the course of his travels, he encounters everyone from Swan Rescue to a real live King, takes his fridge surfing, and finds new and exciting uses for a doghouse ... The combination of Hawks' willingness to try just about anything, and the Irish fondness for embracing impossible quests (the madder, the better), makes for a fun read. And, although he sometimes strains for a one-liner, he comes across as a likeable chap and a fun companion on the journey. (I recently visited the West of Ireland, where I have family connections, and had a wonderful time, so this book helped me to re-live it.)

I bought this book on a whim in the Atlanta airport and was in stitches for the rest of the day. I think the fellow in the seat next to me had trouble sleeping with me laughing so hard. A wonderfully funny book.

Tony Hawks writes with that typical British wry ironic wit. And traveling thru the backroads of Ireland meeting quirky pub-goers suits his style. Sometimes he tries too hard for a laugh, like he's doing his on-stage schtick, but most of the time the hilarity of the situations themselves are the real fun.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is Irish, into travel, or has ever made a druken bet and been tempted to follow up on it. This book is a quick light hearted read. I started laughing from the begining right till the end.

This very amusing book can be summarized as follows: British comedian gets sloshed at party, makes drunken wager that he can hitchhike around the circumference of Ireland with a refrigerator within one calendar month, wakes up, agrees to follow through on drunken wager, wacky antics ensue. Given that the mini-fridge with which to fulfill the bet costs £130, and the bet is for £100, it’s becomes clear that the book is not so much about winning the bet as it is about how the bet is won. It’s certainly not meant to be any kind of guide to Ireland. If anything, it’s a guide to embracing actions that have no point, to every now and then live outside the sensible boundaries we construct in out lives.

Hawks strikes it lucky at the very beginning, as his silly bet is championed by a RTE2 (Irish national radio station) radio personality, giving him instant notoriety, which eases his path around Ireland. Hawks’ comedian background enables him to kind-heartedly poke fun at everything and everyone he encounters, with large doses of self-depreciation mixed in. He’s constantly amazed at the generous and warm receptions he receives throughout the country, and finds something positive in almost everyone and every place he visits (buoyed no doubt by the numerous free meals and beds bestowed upon him). The book is a silly good time, and the embodiment of easy reading. Toward the end the quirky characters he meets on the road and in bars start to run together a little, and it might have benefited from being fifty pages less or so. But still, it’s not every day you can read about a fridge surfing, a fridge baptizing, a fridge blessing, a fridge party (with requisite New Order cover band),… well, you’ll have to read it to believe it.

Of course everyone from Plato to Ariana Huffington has chimed in with there view of the meaning of life, but one feels they miss the mark just so. Not Tony Hawks, with fridge in tow, he reveals the three secrets of a truly happy life -- stout, friendship, and a goal.

Now if your goal is to hitch-hike around Ireland towing a fridge behind you, well... then the friendship and stout take care of themselves. In a hilarious read Hawks recounts his adventures in Irealnd after having bet his friend 100 pounds that he could hitch-hike around Ireland towing a fridge with him.

Don't dawddle, buy this book! I would sell you mine, but I've only just finished it and already want to start reading it again.

Truly laugh out-loud funny...

There is something to be said for a man who keeps his promises and follows through on his bets. There is much more to be said for Tony Hawks, for whom following through on a bet means traveling around Ireland with a fridge. The quote on the cover of the book warns no read the book alone in a public place because it is far too funny. I found that reading this book in my home brought questions of my sanity from those I lived with because I couldn't stop laughing. Hawks tells a story that is funny, philosophical and, yes, even heartwarming. The stories that unwind as Hawks travels range from strange to funny and are a great picture of a man on an adventure and the warmth of a country.