(Don't) Play it Again, Tony. (A Piano in the Pyrenees: The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains - Tony Hawks)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	A Piano in the Pyrenees: The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains - Tony Hawks
Date:	07/12/07 (148 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some will find it funny

Disadvantages: Others won't

Tony is 44 years old and wants to give up 5-a-side football. Having lost 8-2 it all seems too much these days and an ensuing chat with friends in the pub afterwards reveals Tony's two aims in life other than 5-a-side football: to meet his soul mate and find an idyllic house abroad. Egged on by his friend, Kevin, who happens to adore skiing, Tony decides to explore the idea of buying a house in the Pyrenees mountains in France. The subsequent trip across the Channel takes the intrepid duo to the town of Tarbes where, having dealt with Tony's *Formophobia (witty appendix note = fear of bureaucratic paperwork) the local estate agent directs them to a house "...perched on the side of a hill with a 270-degree view of undulating greenery, all against a backdrop of dramatic snow-capped peaks". Situated in the Pic du Midi, the house looks perfect and Tony starts to imagine all the things he could do with a property like this and promptly makes an offer. With visions of parties, skiing, having a swimming pool installed and playing a piano in his new bolt-hole, Tony returns to England to embark on the treacherous path of second homeownership abroad and what follows is a twisting tale of mis-adventure and romance, suitably laced with Tony Hawks's witty, acerbic asides and observations.

Not to be confused with that skateboarding geezer, Tony Hawks is a writer/comedian/composer/musician best known for his stand up comedy routines and his regular appearances on television panel shows. Born in Brighton in 1960, you may have seen him in a recent advert for car insurance; you know, the one where he opens the cupboard and loads of tax discs fall out. "A Piano in the Pyrenees" is his latest book to follow the successful "Round Ireland with a Fridge", "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" and "One Hit Wonderland" with his reputation built on his quit wit and humorous observations about life in general.

What works well in this book is the conversational/chatty style of writing. You could almost be sitting in a pub in front of a fireplace, drink in one hand whilst listening intently to Tony pontificate about the funny side of life. Clearly the story is based on real life events and, in essence, a true story. Written in the first person, Tony draws on characters from his life like Ron the builder and recounts the disastrous incidents from this particular experience with a rye smile and knowing wink. Some of the passages are very funny like Tony's miscalculation in buying a run down white van to cart his piano over to France. The village side of life is painted visually in words and the reader can't help but be charmed by the rustic nature of the French people that the writer encounters even if it all sounds too sleepy for most of us.

What doesn't work so well is the feeling that Tony is often exaggerating for effect. As I'm currently reading Dom Joly's mainly fake autobiography then that seems a little ironic but there's the constant doubt that the incidents portrayed are built up into something other than what they really were to extract a laugh from the reader. Another factor that grated on me as I read the book was the author's style of humour. To be honest, there are very few books in the comedy genre that I actually find funny. Grant/Naylor's Red Dwarf books are pure genius while Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" books leave me cold. As I ploughed on through the book I suddenly remembered that having seen Tony Hawks on programmes like "Have I Got News For You" I had found his humour a bit smarmy, middle class, almost archetypal BBC-like humour that, on the whole, doesn't appeal me so much. I generally prefer more down to earth comedy and Hawks is just a bit too clever for me. Also the fact that it's about someone buying a second property abroad left me feeling a little detached bearing in mind it's something that the majority of people can only ever dream about and so to make a song and dance about the trials and tribulations of entering into a transaction like this might fail to connect with many who decide to navigate the book.

Still, I'd read rave reviews about his previous books and had given him a run for his money by reading this one and it was funny in parts. My final criticism is the closing chapters. With the sub plot of the writer looking for love, he gets a phone call out of the blue from an old flame and a breakneck re-union sweeps the reader along on the crest of an unlikely wave of love and romance. Is it me or did this whole scenario seem extremely unlikely and just seemed out of place within the slapstick nature of the story in general?

With just 18 chapters, "A Piano in the Pyrenees" is a quick read, written in a punchy style and accompanied by a number of humorous footnotes. I bought it as a light read which is exactly what I found it to be and for existing fans of Tony Hawks then I should imagine that this is a must read if you haven't read it already. For everyone else there are funnier books than this out there although if you fancy a tale about a very English, Englishman struggling over to France with a piano then this will be right down your French alley.

Thanks for reading

Mara

Notes
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ISBN: 978-0-09-190333-6
Published by Ebury Press www.randomhouse.co.uk
Pages: 307
Paperback cost me £4 from Tesco. Available from Amazon for £4.88 new although used copies are listed from 2p.

Summary: Overview of the book