Ricky Gervais

Stephen Merchant

Karl Pilkington

Original publication and copyright date: 2010.

The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington

An Idiot Abroad

maitha mana

They couldn't have picked a worst candidate to visit the Seven Wonders as a part of a journey. But that's what makes this book so wonderful. Karl Pilkington could either be a total asshole or the best companion, depending on how you look at it. While other people describe this journey as holy and look forward to mingling with people, Karl, being the anti-social he is, isn't afraid to let people know they have flaws or that he is unhappy. Too bad for him, barely anyone in the country speaks English. This book is full of laugh-out-louds and unfortunate events that makes it that more realistic. If I ever plan on traveling around the world, I know who or what type of person to pick. A great read.

Christina Hufford

I go to bed most nights listening to Ricky, Steve, and Karl podcasts, XFM shows, and audiobooks, so I went into this book knowing I was going to enjoy it.

Basically, these are Karl's travel diaries, written as he was in each country. It's not just a rehash of what was seen in the individual episodes, which I worried in the beginning it might be; as the diary goes on, Karl gets more comfortable with the medium, and some of the stuff he comes up with is surprisingly ... great. I mean, describing life in the tiny, middle-of-nowhere Mayan village as "waiting for a bus that's never coming" brought up such a clear image in my head, I sat back and was like, "Damn, Karl. That was good!" 

I think Chichen Itza was my favorite section of the book, though the diary writing got stronger with each successive trip. I liked the Mexico parts because Karl was enjoying himself, and that made his adventures a little more fun to read. Miserable Karl just makes me miserable, however much it may make Ricky laugh. 

In the end, I have to really appreciate what Karl, Ricky, and Steve have done with the Idiot Abroad series. I think, in world travels, I would very much be the Karl figure. He shows you the most realistic version of traveling: the crappy sleeping conditions, the daily trials of trying to find a bathroom, the foreign cuisine giving you the shits; being unable to appreciate the beauty of the Wonder because you've only slept four hours, or you've been hiking all day and are covered in mud and stink of piss and just want to go home already. You see very real, unapologetically unglamorous versions of the cities Karl visits. He's not staying in spotless hotels and traveling with safe tour groups; he's seeing the dirt and the rank and the terrible living conditions. He's having a horrible time, so you don't have to. 

All in all, fun book. I'd only read it if you've already seen the Idiot Abroad series and have a strong love of K.P., Pilk Boy, Mr. Dilkington, etc. Otherwise, I think the inherent charm of the diary would be sort of lost in translation. If you already speak Karl's language though, I think you'll love this.

An Idiot Abroad The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington

Reviews