Round Ireland with a Fridge

A hilarious book that take the reader on a road trip to Ireland. What more can one ask for?

In response to a wager declared during drunkenness, Brit Tony Hawks accepts the challenge of traveling around Ireland while packing a compact refrigerator. And a book is born. In 1997, he spends one month, fridge in tow, hitching rides around the country and staying in various establishments including: B&Bs, a youth hostel, and the homes of newly acquired acquaintances. Helped by PR from a popular radio station, he and his ice box complete the quest, and in the process, he gains adequate fodder to produce this entertaining book. Although I was skeptical of the story, the fact that I laughed out loud in several places sealed the deal for me. Hawks' philosophy seems best summarized as follows: (p 9) "The trick is to be masters of our own destiny in so far as we have control and take the rest on the chin with a wry smile" and (p 46) "Heavy lifting is good for the soul but bad for the back, and tends to interfere with lolling about." Some of the funnier moments include random musings on subjects like this one about man's best friend, (p 35) "Dogs pride themselves on getting muddy and to be less muddy than your owner must be shameful" and another about a hostelmate, (p 148) "I'm against the death penalty. I believe that it is a mistake to show that killing people is wrong, by killing people. However, I'm not against the random killing of people who snore." He is just as funny when contending such things as, (p 40) "Just like an orchestra will have a Lead Violinist, most pubs will have a Lead Drunk," and then supporting the statement regularly. This should come as no surprise considering the fact he spends most of his overnight stays bevvying (beers) at local pubs. In summary, in spite of some skepticism, I found Round Ireland with a fridge to be worthwhile light reading. Also good: Me Talk Pretty Some Day by David Sedaris, I'll Mature When I'm Dead by Dave Barry, and Dubliners by James Joyce.

I've read it twice and laughed out loud both times. This guy is an absolute riot.

I wanted a book for a friend who has hiked around Ireland and will soon go off to do it again. I read it first to make sure she would like it and I did and she did. So I can easily recommend this book. It's is very funny and easy to get into the silliness of the whole idea, and then sit back and enjoy the ride. I wonder what it would be like to do what he did all those years ago if he went today. I like to think it might not be all that different.

I really enjoyed this book. Hawks' sense of humor is exactly what I expect of someone from Great Britain: dry and self depricating. It was a really quick read for me because I live off of this humor. I'm giving it 3 stars because this kind of humor isn't for everyone, so if you haven't read the book, I would suggest having an open mind and if you don't find it funny then still read the book. There is something for everyone to learn while reading this book.

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.

This is a very enjoyable tale! I was a little disappointed when I found out that the "fridge" was a little cube model, not a full sized Amana, but everything else is a lot of fun. To win a ridiculous bet, Tony decides to hitchhike around Ireland with a fridge in tow. A local radio station gets wind of his scheme, and follows his itinerary around the country. He ends up having some fun adventures along the way, including lunch with some Benedictine nuns, and everybody gets into the spirit, or the "craic", of his journey. It's a fun read, with some delightful descriptions of the Irish countryside mixed in with a lot of good humor!

Book was in almost unread condition