Product Description

From New York to San Francisco, Sean Condon investigates the legendary people, places and TV programmes that sustained him through his difficult pre-pubescent years, providing a shrewd and funny take on life in the United States.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64992 in Books
• Published on: 1998-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Cliché Thru America
I loved Condon's third book (My 'Dam Life), so it seemed natural to pick up a copy of his account of a US cross-country road trip to read while I embarked on the same trip in reverse. Unfortunately, this earlier effort from Condon t is much more labored and stale than his account of three years living in Amsterdam. After quitting his advertising job, he and an artist friend fly from their native Australia to Canada and cross from Montreal into the US to embark on that most mythic of journeys: the cross-country road trip. Passing through places like NYC, DC, Virginia, Nashville, Mississippi, New Orleans, Texas, Santa Fe, Vegas, LA, SF, and finally flying up to Seattle, they attempt to imbibe a campy version of the American experience. The observations on America are only very occasionally insightful—most of the time Condon is too busy reworking cliché into punch line to do any real observing. The reason My 'Dam Life was so good is that Condon's scattershot one-liners are mixed into a real narrative about trying to make a new life in a foreign city. Here there is simply a choppy travel journal with joke after joke, many of which aren't that funny. There are so many aspects of America that deserve sending up, it's a shame Condon doesn't reach beyond the obvious targets. Which is not to say there aren't some really funny moments or episodes, just that they are few and far between. It also doesn't help that he draws no distinction between events that really happened on his trip, and events that he makes up partially or entirely. For the true American road experience, rent Monte Hellman's classic film Two Lane Blacktop.

At this price, it's a steal!
Seanie does it again. A very different and interesting take on travel writing by Mr Condon although it helps if you were a kid in the 1970's too. Certain sections do smack of fiction but that's ok, the book is worth a read. Because of the fragmented type, it's very easy to open a page and start reading.

A damned fine road trip across America
A road trip with a difference, 2 slightly mad Aussies living in a movie script world snake their way across the US not always telling the truth. The tone is very laconic and off the wall and the characters they meet are very colourful (so much so one suspects a bit of embellishment by the author) All in all a good read, great fun and full of life.