Good travel writing is inspirational. It can inspire you to set off for unpronounceable capitals of wee, distant kingdoms, or, in the case of
There's No Toilet Paper, inspire you to burn your passport and settle more securely into your comfy chair, feet up, and eyes riveted to the next more-humorous-in-the-retelling-than-it-was-in-the-experiencing story. It also makes pleasant airplane fodder on your way to your own misadventure. Doug Lansky has collected a fine trove of comic (when it's not happening to you) travel moments, as told by the best in travel humor. Dave Barry writes eloquently about failing to learn any Japanese save for how to order beer (pronounced "bee-roo") and big beer (pronounced "big bee-roo"). Mary Roach points out that utilizing an Antarctic ice-sheet outhouse at the very moment that a seal chooses to use its opening as a blowhole is an inauspicious way to start the day. And Bill Bryson stumbles disconsolately about Paris, wondering "Why does everyone hate me so much?" There are 28 stories in all, by 20 very funny writers who traverse the world and provide a great deal of amusement for those of us who aren't locked in a Dutch public bathroom without a handle or a light.
--Stephanie Gold
1 A few good stories might make this book worth it
This collection of travel stories and essays by established writers is exactly what you would expect. A handful of the stories are real gems, but I found too many of them to be a little boring, and I'm not sure that the common thread of adventurous travel really comes through in some of the selections.
Highlights include two stories by the incomparable Bill Bryson, who has written several well-received books of his own, a story by editor Doug Lansky, and a bizarre story by Nigel Barley entitled "A Simian in the Cinema," which is about exactly that.
Other famous people whose writings were either less entertaining, or just didn't fit as well with the overall theme of the book, include Dave Barry, Steve Martin, P.J. O'Rourke, Margo Kaufman, Dennis Miller, and David Letterman. It should be noted that while all of these people and many more are cited on the back cover, the contribution of many of them is in the form of quotes and quips rather than actual stories.
As a big Bryson fan, I would say that his writings alone are worth the price of this paperback, but if you're looking for a consistent level of quality that truly represents the best in this genre, look elsewhere.
2 Funny stories for a quick short read
Here is a colletion of travelers tales many of which will at least force a grin on your face. Most of the stories are short thereby offering you an opportunity to get a quick read while on a fifteen minute break at work. While there won't be any great revelations made, people who regularly travel ought to be able to relate.
The book is comprised of republished stories of known authors (e.g. P.J. O'Rourke, Art Buchwald, Dave Barry). Therefore if you are a fan of a particular author you won't see anything new here. Barry's work, for example, comes form Dave Barry does Japan. That is not to say it is less funny, it just isn't new if you've read his other works.
Granted there are a some boring ones in here. O'Rourke's tale and the Duck of Peace, however, make up for those few which cause you to wonder why you are reading this. If you do find yourself wondering why you are reading the book though, take heart in the words from the hilarious introduction. "In short, if there's a story in here you don't find particularly funny, rest assured that our careful, mind-numbing research found that several people nearly wet themselves while reading it."
3 Laughter is the best Medicine
When we are bombarded daily with news of the terrible state of the stock market, the threat of terrorism and the possibility of loosing one's job, there is nothing comparable to a good belly laugh.
THERE'S NO TOILET PAPER ON THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED edited by Doug Lansky perhaps is just the antidote we need.
To fill the prescription the editor has collected 28 travel essays composed by 20 different funny writers that when read together have a fine cumulative and varied effect.
To set the mood, the editor prefaces this compilation of humor essays with a quotation from radio and talk show host Garrison Keillor: "Humor is not a trick. Humor is a presence in the world-like grace- and shines on everybody."
The opening volley of these discourses recounts how the editor had to figure out how to use the men's room in a public library in Holland.
Now you may ask, what is so difficult about knowing how to use toilet facilities?
However, as our victim reiterates, you practically needed an engineering degree to open the stall, as there was no doorknob.
Furthermore you could not crawl under or over the door, as there was no crawl space under or over the door.
Once the all-important handle was secured from the appropriate authority and the door to the stall had been opened, another complication ensued. How to get out of the stall as you forgot to take the doorknob in with you?
Bill Bryson, who has been described by The Times (UK) as the "funniest traveler alive" and by the Daily Telegraph as " here is a man who suffers so his readers can laugh" relates how his travel agent booked him into a hotel in the 742 arrondissement in Paris.
The hotel was a charmless neighbourhood somewhere on the outskirts of Calais.
David Barry tells about his sojourn in London with his son and as he affirms, "London is a popular foreign place to visit because they have learned to speak English over there. Although frankly they have a long way to go. Often, when they get to the crucial part of a sentence, they'll realize that they don't know the correct words, so they'll just make some silly ones up."
Other raconteurs include Peter Mayle, John Krich, Carl Franz, Richard Sterling, Lara Naaman, Mary Roach,
These are only some of the collection of wacky stories and experiences contributed by
Laugh and the world laughs with you and cry and you cry alone.
These are only a few samples of the 28 essays written by 20 funny writers, who are probably the best in travel humour, that remind us to laugh and not to take ourselves seriously when traveling. Life is too short! In fact it is usually these experiences that we remember rather than the meal we ate at some high priced restaurant.
Appropriately the book deserved to win the Best Humour Travel as chosen by the Small Press Book Award.
One criticism I do have, however, is that printed on the back cover is the following statement: "in these pages you'll find some very funny people, including Art Buchwald, David Letterman and Steve Martin..."
When you try to find the essays of these writers all you are given are very brief jokes or sayings attributed to them.
This is somewhat disappointing and misleading to someone who does not have an opportunity to flip through the book before purchasing it.
This review first appeared on the reviewer's own site
www.bookpleasures.com
4 A worthwhile read
Enjoyable, and well worth the purchase price. ... this book has some stories that aren't worth
reading, but about 80% of the book was truly enjoyable. This book
has introduced me to a number of authors that I have never heard
of before, and whose other works I will certainly seek out.
5 Hilarious tales of travel mishaps
Great humor infuses these widely different but generally very enjoyable tales of travel travail.
Right from the start, the introduction sets the mood with one tiny vignette: how did one person deal with a public toilet in the Amsterdam library? It's a side-splitting tale that succeeds brilliantly when read aloud.
There are many wonderful tidbits in this collection (by some acclaimed writers), a few odd losers, but on balance this is a great book to infuse a little humor into the ever-unpredictable realm of travel.
Absolutely first rate as a travel companion. I laughed aloud often.
6 Or you could stay home and have toast and coffee...
Editor/compiler Doug Lansky says that "the object of this book was to put together a collection of stories by travelers who share a knack for finding the humor in their misadventures and pointing out the absurdities of travel." This is an anthology of different authors, so it's somewhat uneven. And what one reader thinks is hysterically funny, another could view as totally un-amusing..
Prior reviewers have complained of some bathroom humor. There is the cautionary Antarctic tale: "Blinded By the White" by Mary Roach: "Another reason to be wary of ice-sheet outhouses: seals occasionally use the opening in the ice as a blowhole. While there's nothing inherently dangerous about a suppositorial blast of hot seal breath, it is, in the words of one shaken veteran, `a disquieting way to start your day.'"
If you don't want to read about close encounters of the seal kind, what about The Life Everlasting? .P.J. O'Rourk's "Holy Holiday in Hell" tour of Jim & TammyFaye Land a/k/a Heritage USA is well work the price of admission.
Or here's Dave Barry's warning about London traffic: "Another cultural activity we frequently engaged in was looking the wrong way before attempting to cross the streets. ... The best way to handle this, as a tourist, is to remain on one side of the street for your entire visit, and see the other side on another trip."
Overall, the book is a humorous journey.
7 A Great Read, especially while stuck on the road.
After the September 11th attacks on America, humor and laughter is both most needed and welcome, especially when traveling. To complain about your bum travel experiences is both expected and natural. To laugh at the your daunting faux pas is even chic; and, to get others to laugh at your inconveniences, discomfort and even down right dangerous experiences are cathartic. This book will not disappoint those who need a good laugh.
This is a collection of humorous stories for those who have been there, done that and deserve a `hell of a` of a lot more than a T-shirt. If you ever have been on a third world bus then Doug Lansky's piece is a must read. For you that have eaten everything that walks or crawls, Richard Sterling goes one further. And for you `Dave Berry' afficionados his "Failing to Learn Japanese" is a delight. Oh, yea, Bill Bryson's "Stroll Through Paris" is truely hilarious.
Like a third world road these twenty eight stories are not all level reading, there is the occasional rough and uneven story, but the majority are engaging and giddy. You will find this book a great read on the road. Recommended
8 Not worth the $
I bought this book in the expectation of a "laugh aloud" amusing book. I enjoy the other writings of several of the contributors, including Peter Mayle, Dave Barry, and PJ O'Rourke, but for some reason ALL these stories fell flat. I made it about half way through the book, and finally gave up. It was too painful. These mishaps were just dull and whiney. I believe I smiled two or three times, but never found anything amusing enough to elicit even a giggle. If you want enjoyable, humorous travel stories, purchase Mayle's "A Year in Provence", but leave this book alone.
9 Some tales were really funny, some were alright
Being a traveller myself and having dealt with hard-to-please tourists, I found the idea of this book truly amusing. I was hoping, however, to find the stories equally amusing and entertaining but they were not. My favorites were the trip to the nudist resort and the Learn Japanese in 5 minutes..
This book really inspired me to take matters onto my own hands and start writing travel tales the way they should be written..Stay tuned!
10 after many horselaughs, my advice is 'get it'
This is a collection of humourous travel stories by some pretty capable authors. They write from different perspectives and about places all over the world. I found them all amusing in one way or another, whether due to turn of phrase, comical circumstances or just flat-out ridiculousness of the moment. However, I like MAD Magazine, too, so this should be considered when deciding whether you would like the book.
Marked down a star only because it's moderately expensive for a book that's not especially thick. If you read a lot of travel essay books that are quite serious about it all, this will offer you a bit of amusing diversion.
11 It's All Right, But...
I bought this book in anticipation of a long and arduous car trip through the Canadian Rockies. The roads in that area are absolutely deadly to a car and more so to drivers. Hence, I was looking for something to read when my spouse took over the wheel, something amusing that would take my mind away from the 400 foot drop and the avalanches. This book is it. Sorta. A lot of these stories are of the "American Abroad" school: nope, it ain't like back home at all. This can be funny for awhile, but soon one starts asking why, if they hated not being able to order a Cheeseburger in English in Katmandu so much, did they bother going at all? Then there's those humorists who simply use travel as a hook for their funny stories. Simply put, these stories are the traveller's edition of "three guys go into a bar..." Humor has to be about more than cheap laughs, otherwise it becomes very stale very quickly. Simply put, this book is amusing for a while, but don't expect more than a fast, shallow read and then back to negotiating those hairpin turns
12 The Perfect In-Flight Distraction
This relatively brief volume (184 pages in paperback) is the perfect departure-to-arrival gate light read - and I do mean light - for any plane prisoner wishing to isolate him/herself from the petty annoyances of modern day air travel, and harvest a few chuckles in the process. The travel misadventures described therein brought to my recollection the time I locked myself INSIDE my car in Portsmouth, England, the time I was grandly fleeced by gypsy pickpockets in Rome, and the experience of donating blood in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). I found the most amusing of the 28 stories to be Sterling's "The Deep Fried Potato Bug", Mayle's "The Great Goat Race", and Wallace's "Shipping Out". So, unless you're so unfortunate as to have never journeyed outside of you own neighborhood, you're sure to find something here that strikes a cord of sympathy or remembrance, or an outright funny-bone.
13 Travel Humor at its Best
Edited by Doug Lansky, author of Up the Amazon Without a Paddle, There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled can really be appreciated by those who have actually made the same mistakes. If you have then you'll be in good company with humorous travel accounts from Steve Martin, Dave Barry, David Letterman, Dennis Miller and Fran Lebowitz. If you haven't made the same cultural faux pas then you can at least sit back and have a good laugh at those who have. Two personal favorites include, "Nudity is a State of Mind" by Alan Zweibel and "Under the Spell of a Witch Doctor" by Rory Nugent. There's No Toilet Paper... on the Road Less Traveled is truly good travel humor at its best.
14 There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled
Subtitled, "...on the Road Less Traveled," this collection of short stories about the trials and tribulations of the somewhat unwitting, somewhat unknowing, and very amusing writers in odd moments is indeed a very enjoyable read.Ê I roared through Bill Bryson's (see RQP reviews dated in March 1999) attempts to buy a train ticket for Stockholm, and wept through his "walk" through Paris.Ê Dave Barry's attempts to "learn japanese in five minutes" will also leave most readers in tears of laughter.Ê We accompany David Foster Wallace on a Celebrity Cruise in the Carribean and are eternally grateful that we have never and now, WILL never take one ourselves.Ê We find out what Lara Naaman cooks up in Cuzco when the boyfriend's daliances are exposed, and we find ourselves with P.J. O'Rourke and his friend, Dorothy on a "holy" holiday from hell at a religious themepark called, Heritage USA (of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker infamy).Ê Called the 'best of travel humor and misadventure', this is the type of book that should be read on metros and airplanes; where bemused strangers, unable to contain their curiosity any further will beg you what you are reading.Ê A book to be shared with friends who have traveled and know that, while giggly funny, these stories DO happen, and they happen to all of us! Ê A fun gift for a traveler as well.
15 Cute, diverse, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny
These brief excerpts from larger works are enjoyable slices of travel humor. Each story ends, Reader's Digest style, with an unrelated one-paragraph anecdote. Also, dotted throughout the text are boxes of quotations. This is a fun introduction to humor writers that you may not have heard of before. For politically correct sourpusses, there's one funny story about an Irishman who comes to Virginia and endures various cockups. And yes, the one about the baboon in the movie theater is indeed startling and funny. All in all, a fun read.
16 Thoroughly delightful!
Was I reading the same book? I didn't find the authors whiny nor bathroom humor abudant. I thought the book was fun -- although I'm glad I waited until I was back home to read it!
17 Hilarious airplane, bedtime, toilet, commute read!
A great romp through absurd travel situations we've all been in and hope to avoid unless reading about them. Loved the one about the guy who takes a monkey to the movies in Cameroon.
18 Stories are very trite
As an international traveler, I thought I would really enjoy this book. Unfortunately, after reading half the book and way too many tales of whiney Americans who would have prefered to stay home than experience any hardships at all, I had to put the book down. While I did smile at a few of the incidents in the stories, overall this book is not recommended.
19 Book focuses on toilet humor
I've enjoyed the Travelers' Tales books because they are a great way to learn about a culture while also enjoying a good read. Unfortunately, Lansky's book focuses too much on grade-school toilet humor and not enough on the true humor that is found when one explores new cultures and countries. I rarely found myself laughing at the stories in this book.
20 hilarious accounts highlighting murphys law
these writers accounts make you want to travel simply on the off chance one of these 'mishaps' will occur on the journey....i passed it out to my friends...most of us are travel agents and have heard many similar stories that give an enlightening view of 'the road less traveled'....id also highly reccomend a book called 'i should have stayed home', a similar pretext but some of the stories are a bit more frightening
21 Absolutely hilarious....
Now this is a funny book! If you've spent any time travelling at all, you will be able to identify with the hardships that become hilarity presented here. It's so important to keep a sense of humor out there. Take this book with you on your next flight, and annoy your seatmate as you guffaw!! Enjoy!!
22 Very funny, as only true stories can be.
This is a VERY funny collection of true stories. Many passages caused me to laugh out loud over the absurdity of situations that can occur on anyone's travels to unknown lands. When I wasn't laughing out loud, I was continually chuckling inside. These stories hit my funnybone in the way that only true misadventures can. And they strike a familiar chord for anyone who has spent even a short time traveling internationally, giving this book the welcome appeal of one big inside joke.
The collection spans the spectrum from everyday tales of language difficulties that we all face (these stories include encounters in London, Italy, India, and others) to zany stories of taking a monkey to the movies in Cameroon, meeting a "General" in Italy, and an alien abductee policeman in Peru. We hear of an Irishman's hardship in Virginia. P.J. O'Rourke tells of a vacation to Heritage USA. And a few of the unfortunate story-tellers have the honor of reliving their humiliation as the locals repeatedly retell the story for the amusement of all comers.
The writers range from the famous (e.g. Dave Barry) to the lesser-known. We are also treated to short tidbits scattered throughout the book, including a few "Deep Thoughts" from Saturday Night Live's Jack Handey.
An extremely entertaining book that I can whole-heartedly recommend to anyone who enjoys travel and humor.
23 excellent collection of truly funny travel stories
this collection of short humorous travel stories elicits many belly laughs.the authors obviously write about their own experiences.the book almost inspires the reader to get out of her chair, travel and have a blast.
24 purile (.adolescent ) humor that provokes no belly laughter
I was extremely disappointed in this book which I expected to be humorous. The title is- but so far I have found nothing worth a guffaw! It is extremely adolescent genital humor. Many known humorists are given a one liner at the end of uinknown writers "hilarious accounts". I could do better myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!
