I didn’t get around to reading Pete McCarthy’s first book, McCarthy’s Bar, although my sister left a copy around my flat a while ago, so it’s there for me when I get a chance.
The fact that Tesco had this (not a Tesco link) on sale for 2.99 may have swayed me, but this was an entertaining travel book in the style of Bill Bryson.
I used to enjoy the various travel TV shows that Pete McCarthy used to do a few years ago, and the same kind of humour still emerges. A good read then – maybe learning a couple of things along the way.
But I still have a slight problem with this type of book. When you have your first hit book, effectively backpacking around the world, maybe with a few more quid in your pocket than a gap-year student has, that’s fair enough.
But when you’ve earned many thousands from sales all over the world (McCarthy sees someone buy a copy of his last book in Tasmania), then I know that all your moans about travelling economy are a little misplaced. We know you could pay the business fair if you wanted to. You can get the good hire car. There’s no real need to eat too economically etc. I suppose that if I was travelling and loaded, I certainly wouldn’t be limo-ed around and stay at only five star hotels; indeed I’d probably do much as McCarthy does. So where’s the contradiction?
Uh… good point.