Dave Fox has produced a truly funny work in is new book, Getting Lost. Dave has always had the wanderlust, and the book chronicles some of the more amusing aspects of roaming the globe.
There is little doubt in my mind that humor is a very hard genre to work with. Most authors fall flat on their face when they try it. Dave Fox is the rare exception; from page one—actually from the preface—he had me laughing out loud. I was laughing so much that my wife—who was in the shower—could hear me.
Dave starts his traveling at the age of eight when his parents relocate to England. His adventures with school dinners (which are definitely an adventure in the culinary arts) and extracurricular activities, such as school plays, make for a very satirical view of living in England in the late 1970s. Being English by birth, this part of the book brought back all of the horrors of my own childhood. It is also during this period that his parents take Dave on a vacation to Tunisia, where he almost starts a war.
As a teenager our ever so slightly dysfunctional hero heads off to Norway in a student exchange program. Minor problems like not speaking the local language do not seem to bother him. Sign and body language cross every border. During his time in Norway Dave masters the art of drinking, and I suspect that this is a hobby that has endured. The picture that the author paints of this country should put it on the ‘must visit’ list of every young person looking for some fun.
After all of these adventures in foreign places, what else could Dave become but a professional travel guide? Not even British school dinners and vast quantities of Norwegian alcohol are enough to dampen Dave’s spirit, and as an adult (and I use that term loosely) we join Dave on a wild ride that spans many countries.
From Binky the Rat in Venice, to Lucy the crazed sheep in Dingle, Ireland, we follow Dave in his conquest of the world. Lost socks and cell phones are all part of life for the regular traveler, but having guns pointed at you is likely an adventure that you do not want to take part in. While it makes for a great photo op, it is really bad for the blood pressure.
This is a very funny book, and I enjoyed every page of it, but from a critical point of view, I did find a problem in the style. It is really two books combined into one. The first part is written as a humorous tale that has continuity, while the second half is a collection of unrelated essays. Both parts are funny, but I think it would have worked better if he had stuck to a single style.
Dave has agreed to an interview. I can’t wait!
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!