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THE TRAVEL WRITER MOST LIKELY TO MAKE YOU LAUGH - BILL BRYSONOne of our favorite writers is the hilarious Bill Bryson. Born in Iowa in the 1950s, Bryson brings a friendly and curious perspective to his observations about the world. His trip are usually several months long, with a narrative that describes the characters he meets along the way, the history of the region, and usually a trip or three to the local pub. He is especially funny when grumpy or self-deprecating, and that is most of the time. His most notable travel books cover trips across Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and an attempted hike of the Appalachian Trail.
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Explore. Dream. Discover. Read.
FUNNY TRAVEL BOOKSThe reality of travel often leads to problems: unexpected schedule changes, delays, getting lost, eating strange foods, and facing unfamiliar cultural situations. Keeping a sense of humor is essential, and it is especially helpful to be able to laugh at one’s self. Some of our favorite travel writers have a true gift for finding humor in any situation, making funny travel books an important category of travel literature. Two of the world’s most popular current travel writers, Bill Bryson and Paul Theroux, epitomize this type of writing with a dry, intelligent and often self-deprecating style. We have read and can recommend almost every travel book ever published by both writers, starting with The Great Railway Bazaar by Theroux and A Walk in the Woods by Bryson. Other lesser known but similarly funny British authors include Redmond O’Hanlon, A.A. Gill and Richard Grant, all known for not taking themselves seriously even in the most extreme and serious situations. Grant’s book Dispatches from Pluto, describing his experience living in rural Mississippi is hilarious. J. Maarten Troost has a couple funny books starting with The Sex Lives of Cannibals, the story of his move with his girlfriend to a remote tropical island. Here are our recommendations on fifteen of the funniest travel books.
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A5 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FUNNIEST TRAVEL BOOKS
Catfish and Mandala
A touching and funny memoir of a return trip to the author's native country, Vietnam. |
Sex Lives of Cannibals
A young American couple adjusts to life on a remote island in the Pacific. |
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls
One of David Sedaris' best books, with many stories from his travels. |
Riding the Iron Rooster
The acclaimed account of Paul Theroux's train trip across China in the 1980s. |
Holidays in Hell
A collection of stories from a foreign correspondent on some of the world's worst places. |
Out of Sheer Rage
A book about Geoff Dyer's unsuccessful attempt to write a book about D.E Lawrence. |
AA Gill is away
A collection of brilliant and spectacularly witty travel stories from the controversial AA Gill. |
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again
Intelligent and funny essays by the influential David Foster Wallace. |
Round Ireland with a Fridge
After losing a bet, Tony Hawks travels around Ireland with a fridge. |
Road Fever
Adventure travel writer Tim Cahill's high-speed travelogue on long-distance racing. |
Trawler
Redmond O'Hanlon is invited to accompany a fishing boat in dangerous waters north of Scotland. |
By the Seat of My Pants
Funny tales of travel misadventure, as selected by Lonely Planet and Don George. |
Around the World in Eighty Days (by Michael Palin)
Monthy Python's Michael Palin tries to relive Jules Verne's classic story. |
Westward Ha!
Madcap travel adventures from American humorist S.J. Perelman. |
Shopping for Buddhas
Jeff Greenwald's funny quest to find the perfect Buddha statue in Nepal. |
OTHER RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS
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