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Sean & David's Long Drive
Sean Condon is a 29-year-old city boy and a connoisseur of hair wax. He can't drive, and he doesn't really travel well. So when Sean and his friend David set out to explore Australia in a 1966 Ford Falcon, the result is a decidedly off-beat look at life on the road. Over 14,000 death-defying kilometres, our heroes check out the re-runs on TV, get fabulously drunk (again), listen to Neil Young (again) and wonder why they ever left home. Read it out loud.
296 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1996
5 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Sean Condon
16 books30 followersSince 1996 I have published seven books, beginning with the genre-busting travelogue 'Sean & David's Long Drive' up to 2013's comic novel 'Splitsville', my most accomplished work so far. I've also had work in many anthologies, including 'The Best of McSweeney's Humor'. I also co-wrote an episode of an excellent and very funny sitcom which was made into a non-excellent and mostly terrible pilot (abysmal direction was to blame) as well as several quite-good feature screenplays, one of which was very nearly produced by Michael Bay. I've had columns and articles in newspapers and magazines all around the world. 'Sean & David's Long Drive' was short-listed for the WA Premier's Award and I've received three Australia Council literature grants. All of it while failing to carve out a successful career in advertising.
I live in Melbourne with my wife and daughter. (We have no pets but I promise that if we did we'd have a dog or cat, whichever is your preference.)
Books
Sean & David's Long Drive (Lonely Planet Journeys. 1996)
In 1995 my friend David O'Brien and I drove around the eastern half of Australia in an old Ford or Holden or something. (It was definitely light blue.) This very popular book, which was reprinted nine times, is the result.
"One of the funniest road stories in print." Toronto Globe and Mail
"Funny, pithy, kitch and surreal." Time Out London
"I enjoyed it immensely." Bill Bryson
"Condon can be quite funny." Times Literary Supplement
"An amusingly subversive commentary on stereotypical travel writing... shrewd as well as funny." The Age
"Condon is a cool wit who comes off like Hunter S Thompson on prescription drugs." The Australian
Drive Thru America (Lonely Planet Journeys. 1998)
In 1996, David O'Brien and I, still friends despite the previous year's ordeal, made the mistake of driving around the United States in a rented Chrysler Neon (white). We didn't have much fun. The book has an excellent cover - designed and painted by David - and is genre-busting and brilliant.
"Funny and high on popular culture, it is one of the most accurate accounts of how travellers really experience America, and the most fun." The Times (U.K)
"When it's good [it] reaches well-paced brilliance." The Independent On Sunday (U.K)
"Hilarious." The Philadelphia Enquirer
"Hilarious and cruel." Elle magazine
"Tedious, self-indulgent, unrelentingly unrewarding... a cautionary example of exactly how not to write a book about a road trip across the United States." Sonoma County Independent
My Dam Life (Lonely Planet Journeys. 2003)
A hilarious - and yet frequently moving - account of my first three years in Amsterdam with my wife Sally. Parts of it were even quoted in a speech by the Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, in April 2006. It is an excellent book - in fact, my very best. If you're thinking about going to Amsterdam then this is a great point of reference for you. Although it's more of a memoir than a travel book it is nevertheless full of interesting information about Amsterdam and, to a lesser degree, me. It's also pretty funny.
"Fans of offbeat travel literature rejoice! Stylistically and philosophically, Condon is as close to Bill Bryson as it's possible to be. He mixes fascinating facts with hilarious humor... and keeps us thoroughly in stitches from beginning to end. This one's an absolute must-read." Booklist
"A smart and funny book." San Francisco Chronicle
"Condon is a humorous chap from Australia who writes humorous books... in a David Sedaris sort of way - dry and ironic with a skewed sense of the absurdity of it all." Chicago Tribune
Film (4th Estate. 2003.)
A semi-autobiographical novel about obsession, ambition, failure and redemption. With a beautiful cover.
"A stunning tragi-comedy." Vogue
"Funny and touching... On present form [Condon] is a storyteller who will be delighting us for many years to come." The Bulletin magazine
"Notably lucid and imaginative... whim
I live in Melbourne with my wife and daughter. (We have no pets but I promise that if we did we'd have a dog or cat, whichever is your preference.)
Books
Sean & David's Long Drive (Lonely Planet Journeys. 1996)
In 1995 my friend David O'Brien and I drove around the eastern half of Australia in an old Ford or Holden or something. (It was definitely light blue.) This very popular book, which was reprinted nine times, is the result.
"One of the funniest road stories in print." Toronto Globe and Mail
"Funny, pithy, kitch and surreal." Time Out London
"I enjoyed it immensely." Bill Bryson
"Condon can be quite funny." Times Literary Supplement
"An amusingly subversive commentary on stereotypical travel writing... shrewd as well as funny." The Age
"Condon is a cool wit who comes off like Hunter S Thompson on prescription drugs." The Australian
Drive Thru America (Lonely Planet Journeys. 1998)
In 1996, David O'Brien and I, still friends despite the previous year's ordeal, made the mistake of driving around the United States in a rented Chrysler Neon (white). We didn't have much fun. The book has an excellent cover - designed and painted by David - and is genre-busting and brilliant.
"Funny and high on popular culture, it is one of the most accurate accounts of how travellers really experience America, and the most fun." The Times (U.K)
"When it's good [it] reaches well-paced brilliance." The Independent On Sunday (U.K)
"Hilarious." The Philadelphia Enquirer
"Hilarious and cruel." Elle magazine
"Tedious, self-indulgent, unrelentingly unrewarding... a cautionary example of exactly how not to write a book about a road trip across the United States." Sonoma County Independent
My Dam Life (Lonely Planet Journeys. 2003)
A hilarious - and yet frequently moving - account of my first three years in Amsterdam with my wife Sally. Parts of it were even quoted in a speech by the Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, in April 2006. It is an excellent book - in fact, my very best. If you're thinking about going to Amsterdam then this is a great point of reference for you. Although it's more of a memoir than a travel book it is nevertheless full of interesting information about Amsterdam and, to a lesser degree, me. It's also pretty funny.
"Fans of offbeat travel literature rejoice! Stylistically and philosophically, Condon is as close to Bill Bryson as it's possible to be. He mixes fascinating facts with hilarious humor... and keeps us thoroughly in stitches from beginning to end. This one's an absolute must-read." Booklist
"A smart and funny book." San Francisco Chronicle
"Condon is a humorous chap from Australia who writes humorous books... in a David Sedaris sort of way - dry and ironic with a skewed sense of the absurdity of it all." Chicago Tribune
Film (4th Estate. 2003.)
A semi-autobiographical novel about obsession, ambition, failure and redemption. With a beautiful cover.
"A stunning tragi-comedy." Vogue
"Funny and touching... On present form [Condon] is a storyteller who will be delighting us for many years to come." The Bulletin magazine
"Notably lucid and imaginative... whim
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 11, 2011
Part of the wave of "alternative" travel books which sprung up during the 1990s, Sean Condon's take on the road trip is to positively not want to be on it. From the moment he sets off from his hometown of Melbourne, through every second of driving around Australia and right until the minute he returns, he is in turns bored, terrified, disinterested and unimpressed. This, of course, is the main premise of the book; travelling for those who hate travelling. It's certainly different from your standard travelogue and in that at least it is worth a read. But it gets very boring, very quickly, and misses the entire point of travel writing. The reader wants to feel as if they have visited the destinations being described by the author, but it is impossible to live vicariously through Sean's superficial mutterings. His constant references to being a member of Generation X do not make his two-dimensional narrative any more worthwhile, and the irony fast wears thin.
Perhaps the problem is that the book has simply not dated particularly well. Generation X has been and gone, and even the "sub x-ers" he refers to are now mostly married with children and living in the suburbs. I found myself frustrated and disappointed with his lack of awareness, and angry that he could take for granted an opportunity that many people would be unbelievably grateful to receive. The towns he visits are referenced so briefly as to be barely recognisable as sentences, and he doesn't seem to realise how lucky he is. His self-deprecation is wafer-thin and serves to make us like him less, not more. The irony, deliberate mopiness and contant hypochondria are short-term jokes, funny the first time but quickly worn thin and hammered out until they can literally be told no more.
The premise of being bored by a road trip, the ironic take on travelling and the contant cliches would be a lot funnier if we actually got a sense of the places he visited, and felt as if we were taken along for the ride. Scattered throughout the prose are occasional italicised paragraphs of a descriptive nature, referencing the colour of a sunset or the rain on the road. If the purpose behind these was to inject interest into Sean's otherwise flat writing, it failed. I saw them as a desperate attempt to make us believe that behind the ironic, miserable facade lay a deep, creative, intellectual artist with a genuine appreciate for the beauty of nature surrounding him. But it's too little, too late, and I don't believe him. Eulogising on the beauty of a raindrop is not enough to make me remember whether or not he ever went to Sydney. Because I literally have no idea. And I'm not planning on reading it again to find out.
Perhaps the problem is that the book has simply not dated particularly well. Generation X has been and gone, and even the "sub x-ers" he refers to are now mostly married with children and living in the suburbs. I found myself frustrated and disappointed with his lack of awareness, and angry that he could take for granted an opportunity that many people would be unbelievably grateful to receive. The towns he visits are referenced so briefly as to be barely recognisable as sentences, and he doesn't seem to realise how lucky he is. His self-deprecation is wafer-thin and serves to make us like him less, not more. The irony, deliberate mopiness and contant hypochondria are short-term jokes, funny the first time but quickly worn thin and hammered out until they can literally be told no more.
The premise of being bored by a road trip, the ironic take on travelling and the contant cliches would be a lot funnier if we actually got a sense of the places he visited, and felt as if we were taken along for the ride. Scattered throughout the prose are occasional italicised paragraphs of a descriptive nature, referencing the colour of a sunset or the rain on the road. If the purpose behind these was to inject interest into Sean's otherwise flat writing, it failed. I saw them as a desperate attempt to make us believe that behind the ironic, miserable facade lay a deep, creative, intellectual artist with a genuine appreciate for the beauty of nature surrounding him. But it's too little, too late, and I don't believe him. Eulogising on the beauty of a raindrop is not enough to make me remember whether or not he ever went to Sydney. Because I literally have no idea. And I'm not planning on reading it again to find out.
March 15, 2013
All the narrator does is complain. At first is seemed likably cranky, and there were spots that made me laugh. But by page 40 the narrator's complaints that the trip was boring had become, well, boring. By page 50 I realized that they were stuck having to complete the trip but that I did not have to complete the book.
Positive note: made me realize that driving through the Outback is kind of like driving through the Great Plains - monotonously beautiful and filled with tiny crappy towns. We are now flying into the Outback...
Positive note: made me realize that driving through the Outback is kind of like driving through the Great Plains - monotonously beautiful and filled with tiny crappy towns. We are now flying into the Outback...
May 19, 2013
This is a book that reveals a lot that perhaps should remain a secret about the vast, empty, soul-destroying spaces of Australia...and also of Sean's character. He's paranoid, judgemental, fussy and frequently drunk.
All this has a useful function though: read it and be forever cured of any romance or desire to travel around and through Australia. You'll save a packet!
PS- I got an email from Sean. He said he was glad I liked his book (sort of) and thought I might like his latest book.
All this has a useful function though: read it and be forever cured of any romance or desire to travel around and through Australia. You'll save a packet!
PS- I got an email from Sean. He said he was glad I liked his book (sort of) and thought I might like his latest book.
February 20, 2014
Sounds like my dream drive. My dream read about it would be by someone with anything to say. I recommend instead In a Sunburned Country, so far my favorite of Bill Bryson's accounts. He'll always give you three things Condon omits: facts; reasoned, sympathetic opinions, and wit. Condon is the Holden Caulfield of travel writers.
June 3, 2009
n the late 1990s, two slackers set out in a 1966 Ford Falcon for 14,000 kilometre road trip through Australia. Sean hates traveling, can't drive, and may have appendicitis - naturally, he's the one who suggested the trip. It's pretty funny stuff. Here is one of my favorite passages:
"Later in the a.m. we visit The Crags, a spot which came highly recommended to us by Angry Terry as 'somewhere to think and calm down'. It is truly the ship-wreckiest part of Victoria's awesome and terrible Shipwreck Coast (so named because lots of ships were wrecked here last century. The modern equivalent of this kind of tourism would be visiting some field where lots of planes have crashed, which is kind of disgusting and gruesome)."
"Later in the a.m. we visit The Crags, a spot which came highly recommended to us by Angry Terry as 'somewhere to think and calm down'. It is truly the ship-wreckiest part of Victoria's awesome and terrible Shipwreck Coast (so named because lots of ships were wrecked here last century. The modern equivalent of this kind of tourism would be visiting some field where lots of planes have crashed, which is kind of disgusting and gruesome)."
June 26, 2009
Sean and David's Long Drive is a laugh out loud good time. Condon's sarcastic wit and way of describing everyday things is fantastic. When you read this book you'll feel like you're sitting in the back seat of Sean and David's trek around Australia – meeting angry people, being scared of car crashes, and observing the obvious obsurdities of the land down under.
Sean's ability to write is witty, amusing, and brilliant and it will keep you smiling from beginning to end. His skill to see things sarcastically and in ways that others do not make his humor unique. Condon's latest novel is travel writing at its finest and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a comically and entertaining read. Not only is Condon "quite a good rock namer" he's also one amazing author.
Sean's ability to write is witty, amusing, and brilliant and it will keep you smiling from beginning to end. His skill to see things sarcastically and in ways that others do not make his humor unique. Condon's latest novel is travel writing at its finest and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a comically and entertaining read. Not only is Condon "quite a good rock namer" he's also one amazing author.
October 3, 2015
One of the funniest books I've ever read. I laughed out loud so many times reading this that I had to explain myself frequently to my husband and co-workers and let them in on the joke. Best part for me, when the guys were on the boat and Sean flicked his ciggarette near the engine. what happened next had me in hysterics! I recommend this book to anyone who likes a laugh :-)
March 9, 2014
Lots of laugh out loud moments in this one... Love all things Australian and all things Condon. IF I were a guy, I'd be him. Not by choice. We're just a lot alike in our mental processes, and fondness for haircare products.
November 27, 2008
I found Sean's humor generally funny, though I can understand why others found him whiny.
May 10, 2009
When I first read this book, I thought it was one of the funniest damn books I had ever read. Years later, I thought it was a bit weak. You might get a laugh or two out of it. Give it a try.
February 8, 2025
Boring description of an Australian road trip. It seems like the author felt obliged to write SOMETHING…
November 23, 2011
An enjoyable book. Sean's writing is sarcastic, loathing and depressed all the way through the book, which becomes a bit tiresome after 150 or so pages. Before that moment of boredom you'll laugh your way through this book, mostly because of Sean's devoid-of-emotion descriptions.
The overall atmosphere is that of a 'long drive' that becomes insanely boring after you've been on the road for less than an hour, knowing you still have hours and hours to go. The funny thing is that however boring these rides might be, you always think back at them with a smile and so will I regarding this book.
The overall atmosphere is that of a 'long drive' that becomes insanely boring after you've been on the road for less than an hour, knowing you still have hours and hours to go. The funny thing is that however boring these rides might be, you always think back at them with a smile and so will I regarding this book.
March 30, 2021
Reread this 25 years later. As I was also traveling around Australia in 1995 this was a nostalgic read. Completely different from how I view the world, but this is a funny, offbeat look at some of Australia’s best known and lesser known places.
October 30, 2008
Sharp, cynical, funny and makes your never want to visit Australia.
June 4, 2010
Really just a journal. Some funny moments but a lot the same over and over.
July 27, 2011
Quite a funny look at driving across aust. A "funny cause it's true" journey
May 18, 2013
Written as a fun account of an odd journey taken for the sake of it.
February 12, 2015
I laughed out loud on many occasions and it gave me a great insight into travelling around Australia.
Read
April 30, 2016Did not finish. Very repetitive and the negativity of the author got on my nerves
October 26, 2016
I liked his US road trip book but this one was harder to churn through. For lovers of Aussie travel lit only.
April 26, 2009
entertaining travel fare
September 24, 2010
Weak as a travel book........only mildly funny and not very informative or moving.
August 11, 2012
Sean reminds me a bit of Karl Pilkington, aka "An Idiot Abroad".
March 27, 2016
Hilarious road-trip book by a writer who likes city life and the indoors.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews