The Further Adventures of An Idiot Abroad

by Karl Pilkington

Everyone's favorite idiot is back, in this hysterical follow-up to An Idiot Abroad. Safely home from his latest travels, Karl Pilkington has decided it is time to share his hard-earned wisdom of the world. Taking the Bucket List of "100 Things to Do Before You Die" as his starting point, Karl combines brilliant stories from his recent adventuresto Alaska, Siberia, and beyond with entertaining, highly-opinionated views on what other people aspire to do with their lives. He tackles such questions as Why on earth would anybody want to run with the bulls in Pamplona, or go "storm chasing" through Tornado Alley? and Why would anyone ever want to have lunch with the Queen, or touch hands with the Pope? A fitting finale to two years of eventful globe-trotting, this companion guide is frank, funny, and strangely inspiring.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Humor, Comedy, Biography, Memoir, Adventure

380 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2012

About the author

Karl Pilkington is a Sony Award-winning English radio producer, poet, podcaster, raconteur and author, best known for producing and co-presenting The Ricky Gervais Show on London radio station Xfm from 2001 to 2005 and later in the form of podcasts and a television show on HBO. In October 2006, Pilkington's first book The World of Karl Pilkington was published, featuring original ideas and drawings by Pilkington, based upon the subject matter discussed in the podcasts. His second book, Happyslapped by a Jellyfish, was published in October 2007, and he was the subject of the Comedy Lab episode "Karl Pilkington - Satisfied Fool", which aired in October 2007. His third book, Karlology, a musing on his views on his own intelligence, and attitude to learning, appeared on 1 October 2008.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an amusing book but my read was spoilt by the fact that I had already watched the TV series and so much of the humour was familiar to me. Already seeing the character on TV it was perhaps easier to relate to the humour and picture the situations Karl found himself in.
I find these types of books engaging at times and having laugh out loud moments but also that they drag on a little and I tend to be glad when I have actually finished it.
Perhaps I would be better dipping in and out of books like this for more enjoyment.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hysterically funny. Karl Pilkington's my hero! If you haven't, check out his series An Idiot Abroad too!

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Neighbourhood Watch to me is checking my neighbours aren’t outside their house before I leave the flat, to avoid getting into long discussions."

[Nouhaila Laouina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when I go into books blindly and they don’t disappoint. As I thrifted this and I didn’t have the slightest idea about the author or his already well-known TV programme but now I’d recommend this book to anyone who’d listen. Funny, insightful and absolutely unputdownable.

[Danni The Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Karl Pilkington. He is my kind of person. What's all the fuss about?
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first because as Karl says you get used to Ricky and Stephen stitching him up to do stuff he doesn't want to do and by now you know how Karl will react.
It is an interesting read and defiantly makes me want to go on more adventures such as Route 66. I would avoid any type of cuddle party though, that is most certainly not my idea of fun.

[Akmal A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never heard of Karl Pilkington before. When I found this book, I read on must-do-list when going to travel and some of the list is funny and ridiculous. I love to read about others experience, on how they felt during the trip, what's the biggest problem they had faced, and how they handle the situation. I think Karl's experience is very extra ordinary. He doesn't like to do bungee jumping and I like the way he describe why do people wasting their money to do a game that only last few seconds. hahaha. In the book, I love the Route 66 chapter because it describe the beauty of America. After all this year, I only heard about people going to America just to be in the most hectic city in the world, New York especially the New York Times Square. There are only big buildings and nothing happen when you just stare at the building. I mean nothing exciting. I hope I have money to go to Route 66 before I die. Hahaha. Good write up Karl !

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic. I love Karl. I have seen all three series by was not aware that he wrote books as well. I read this on a long bus trip and laughed myself silly the entire trip. It is one those books that occasionally you feel like maybe he really is an idiot, but maybe, just maybe, he is untouched genius. Who's to say!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Karl Pilkington and having read the other book in this series I thought I'd have a go with this one, and it didn't disappoint.

As always his style of writing is very easy and quick to read. Pilkington's dry humour and moaning never fails to make me laugh and this book was no different.

If you're a fan of the TV series or Pilkington I couldn't recommend this book enough!

[Evan Macrone (Will Work For Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karl is such a cinnamon roll of a man, with an such an incredibly interesting look at the world that's surprisingly down-to-earth, that he's one of those people who you can't have a NOT interesting conversation with yet still feel like you're talking to some everyday guy off the street.

Many people will have very conflicted opinions with him, and many will disagree with what he says, but his mind is so entertaining to look into that you can't help but read on. I'm so glad they made sure he was genuinely giving his opinion in this one and there wasn't much outside influence happening. I heard that in his other books editors got there hands in and went to work, tweaking his narration to make him sound more "relatable" or "less-offensive" or some shit and it just comes off as fake, so I'm very glad to be seeing genuine commentary from the baldy himself in this one and not any processed narration.

When you read thi and the first book, you feel so sorry for Karl but at the same time you want him to keep going and talk on because-whether you like him or hate him (and many people hate him)- he's just this sweet innocent, down-to-earth, kinda-airhead who is so incredibly brutally honest yet funny guy.

I got a few more chuckles out of his first book, but this was still quite entertaining.

And I'm giving this one a 7/10 and a 3/5.

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought for me as a gift, this was unexpectedly good - though I am aware of Pilkington and his friends, I've never really followed the TV show or read any previous books of his (though I do recall being impressed with a documentary he made about intelligence a few years ago) but do know people who find him really funny.

I wouldn't go that far, as amusing and pleasant a read as it was. I like the 'ordinary man abroad' type of schtick that the books are written with, the conversational style works well as a humourous handling of travel writing, and the areas/people he visits are interesting and make for a compelling read.

Unfortunately, I couldn't completely escape the suspicion that in places Karl Pilkington is 'a character' as opposed to a real person. Though it bothered me less than anticipated, I also wasn't able to completely escape the feeling that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are sometimes condescendingly bullying the poor guy too, which feels a bit uncomfortable.

[Eric Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

KP at it again with another smashing read

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Karl Pilkington, mainly because he reminds me of my husband. I also really liked the TV show, which was the main reason I wanted to read this.

Karl is being forced to do things from the list '100 Things To Do Before You Die' by Ricky and Stephen. And even when Karl picks things from the list, they tend to twist it to make things as awkward and uncomfortable for him.

This is laugh out loud funny and it makes me want to rewatch the entire thing!

[Hannah Polley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this but I found it very samey to the other Idiot Abroad book I have read. In fact, the end of this book, recaps some of the Idiot Abroad and a few times in the book it repeats itself.

So I don't really feel that the book is worth it but it is funny and probably good for a quick holiday read.

[Kelly Reitmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started my year with Karl Pilkington and I am ending my year with Karl Pilkington.

Karl is back from his latest trip around the world at the mercy of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as they sent him to check things off the top 100 list of things to do before you die.

From whale watching in Alaska, to driving a smart car down Route 66 to climbing Mount Fuji, of course nothing is ever straight forward as Gervais and Merchant threw every curve ball they could to make Karl as uncomfortable as possible.

This novel details his trip, has pictures of his experiences, and as always has Karl’s thoughts and opinions on what people have deemed to be the 100 top things to do before you die.

This book was hilarious. I was literally laughing out loud at parts. I am so sad that this was his last novel in the series because he did a whole other season of An Idiot Abroad with Warwick Davis. I think it would have been an amazing whole other novel but he just touched on that trip briefly towards the end of this book.

I have now read every single one of Karl Pilkington’s books. This was one of the best ones and again I’m just sad that it’s the end. I enjoy Karl as an author, an actor and as the round bald headed buffoon as Ricky Gervais describes him.

The perfect book to end my year on. This series is perfect for anyone who loves travelling the world from the comfort of their own home and having a laugh while doing so.

[Rizwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bucket list.

100 spectacular things to do or see before you die.

Or in the case of this idiotic, bald Manc twat he can whinge and whine about them.

Basically following Karl on his journey on Season 2 of the Idiot Abroad where he is supposedly allowed greater control of what he wants to do(of course Ricky and Stephen throw their own twists to the plot)
Thrown in the middle (sometimes quite literally and in no particular order except for probably a vague Karl-like belief that they are related) are also his opinions of the things from the bucket list he chose not to do.
In the end are a brief mention of things he has already completed before and his trip with Warwick Davis.

And it is endearingly sad. Because you get to see that travel has broadened Karl's mind a bit - these last few years making sure he is no longer the same ignorant bald headed Manc twat of old. And its a happy sadness.

[Gary Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out being quite funny. I enjoyed Karl's unusual outlook and his down to earth reasoning. He seems to reflect what many people think but are afraid to say. Every once in a while Karl comes out with a gem that makes you think about why we do some things. The book does drag on though. The last third of the book see,s rushed, almost like a kid getting tired of writing an essay. Worth reading, but not great.

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one wasn't quite as wonderful as the first one, but it was still really enjoyable.

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I loved this as much as the first one I read. Can highly recommend if you want something funny, light & easy to read. It made me laugh out loud too.

[Faye Sirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karl Pilkington never lets me down. Love the idiot abroad series and other books. His humour is so dry and down to earth. I laughed out loud a couple of times which isn’t like me.

[Ramybe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure joy

[Ali Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy and amusing read.

[Sarah Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very funny

[Rebecca Gledhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this man. He’s so funny. The best books to read if you’re feeling down in the dumps. How can you be sad when reading his books? I would never get bored of his content.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant to finish this book because it is so funny and I didn't want it to end, but eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I needed to keep finding out what Karl's thoughts were about his worldwide experiences. I am so sad that this book had to end because I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the first-hand glimpse of Karl's thoughts! He is HILARIOUS!

Luckily, my memory has the ability to hold some memorable quotes in this book, so I will never forget the things that made me laugh here. Also, I KNOW I will reread this again because his humor is so unique that it has to be revisited over and over!

This is a must read for anybody who has watched An Idiot Abroad (including the season with Warwick). If you haven't yet watched the show (I recommend you do because it's so funny), it is still okay to read this as it works well as a stand alone piece. This book is NOT a waste of time, guaranteed!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, this installment of the Idiot Abroad series didn't tickle me quite as much as its predecessor. Firstly, I preferred the diary style of the first book, but I do understand, having read the introduction, why Pilkington chose to go for chapters this time. It was also missing that 'laugh-a-minute' charm of the first book; it was still funny, and it had a couple of laugh-out-loud moments, but they weren't as frequent.

Having just finished the first book, the conclusion was almost completely redundant, as it was the exact same jokes from An Idiot Abroad repeated almost verbatim. I also found the placement of some of the failed/rejected Bucket List items to be out-of-place, and they completely jarred the flow of the recount at times.

Overall, it's still a very enjoyable read, and best enjoyed as an accompaniment to the second series. It just doesn't quite hit the marks that the first book did.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a big ricky gervais fan. Lately I've been listening to old episodes of his radio shows with Karl and Stephen merchant, so on a whim I googled Karl's books. There are several (far too many) all under $5 on ebay so I bought them. The first one I read was slightly funny as I read it in his voice and it was really short. This was just dreadful. He says at the beginning he waited until he got home to write, rather than keep a journal during the trip. I think the real reason was so he could watch the footage and transcribe it. There was very little added here from the show, and nothing he hasn't said about 50 times before somewhere else. The only reason I finished it was it fulfilled a requirement on my library's reading challenge list(read a book with an unusual format,) I also think that's the only way I got through it too. When you're reading Karl's utter drivel, at least there are pictures and speech bubbles to look forward to!🤦‍♀️

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book in a bookstore and i thought it would be just a normal book About a guy traveling the world and following a bucket list. In General most of the adventures were exicting and i loved his Humor, because i sat on my Garage and really started to laugh. For me the Problem with thhis book was the structur. Pikington did not really explain how they come to another place and so it ishard to come in a reaading flow. Also sometimes his pessimistic worldview crossed the line from being funny to being annoying and a Little bit unthankful.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!
I bought this book in the New Deli's airport simply because I had some Indian rupees left in my pocket that is supposedly not allowed to be taken out of India. I had no idea who this 'Karl Pilkington' was, but the cover, illustrations and the fact that its about 'traveling' made me to choose it when thinking about how to spend my left-over rupees. And so I came across probably one of the best discoveries of my life! I laughed so much! It's silly, brilliant, clever and more, and more!

[David McNair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading “The Further Adventures of an Idiot Abroad” by Karl Pilkington. Empire says of this book ‘Move over Michael Palin’ and having read all of Michael Palin’s travel books I would have to agree. Karl Pilkington’s book traces his second series of “An Idiot Abroad”. This is one of my favourite shows. Karl Pilkington is one of funniest people and he doesn’t try to be funny. It’s his perspective on life and the way he thinks that makes him funny. I haven’t laughed so much when reading a book.

[Annabelle Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book (and the accompanying TV show) is the perfect antidote to all those shows that pay celebrities to go on holiday and gush about it. Karl Pilkington is a world-class moaner, but he has the talent of being able to moan in a humorous way. To make sure he has plenty to moan about, he is given appalling accommodation and sent into situations of embarrassment, difficulty and danger. The result is hilarious. Perfect reading for anyone who can't afford to go travelling and envies those who can.