Lonely Planet My Dam Life (Travel Literature)
*Starred Review* Fans of offbeat travel literature rejoice! Condon, coauthor ofSean and David's LongDrive (1996) andDrive thru America(1998), returns with this hysterical, delightful, and (mostly) true account of his temporary residence in Amsterdam. The story begins when Condon's wife, a magazine editor, is transferred from the couple's home in Australia to the Netherlands; before they can settle in (finding a comfortable home in Amsterdam is next to impossible), the magazine folds, and our heroes are unemployed, fast approaching penniless, but determined to make a go of it in their new country. Condon's wife, Sally, takes a job in a theater box office, while he joins an up-and-coming (they hope) advertising agency and, later, accepts a series of peculiar writing assignments. He also, out of a combination of desperation and whimsy, applies for an assortment of oddball jobs, including scheduling programs for a Dutch television station. Chuckles abound. Stylistically and philosophically, Condon is as close to Bill Bryson as it's possible to be. He mixes fascinating facts with hilarious humor, peppers the book with an assortment of wild and wonderful supporting characters (Francis Ford Coppola and Monica Lewinsky, if you can believe it, make cameo appearances here), and keeps us thoroughly in stitches from beginning to end. This one's an absolute must-read.David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved