Customer Reviews

Ricky Gervais Presents: The World of Karl Pilkington

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those of you who are familiar with the Podcasts done by Ricky Gervais, Steven Merchant, and everyone's favorite round-headed idiot, Karl, this is a great book, albeit somewhat redundant but never tiresome. It is comprised primarily of the transcripts from the show, yet there are many pictues and musings straight from Karl that are very funny. I thought it was great and I never get tired of listening to Ricky and Steve gang up on Karl, and reading it was great too, especially when you only have to imagine Ricky's high-pitced cackle as opposed to letting it rip through your ear drums every 10-15 seconds.

I will say this: Karl is too funny to be a complete idiot. It probably is a gag and part of his persona to act dim-witted but it is pulled off so effortlessly that therein lies his genius. Playing a convincing idiot while still entertaining us is something that is funny and stays funny. Great stuff.

If you caught the first series of 12 Ricky Gervias Show podcasts, much of the material in the book will be familiar to you. Some of the stories, like the classic, "I could eat a knob at night" aren't quite as funny on the page as they were on the pod. But others, like "What d'you mean about eyes facing forward" are just as absurd, if not more so, on paper. Rounding out the book are some genuinely cute illustrations by the man himself, and original excerpts from his now legendary diary.

If you've heard the show, you already know the material. If you liked it enough to revisit it, the book is a remarkably analog way to do just that. If you haven't been introduced to Karl Pilkington yet, the book is an entertaining read and a glimpse into the inner workings of well-meaning madness.

This book is very much so the transcripts from the podcasts of Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington, with some illustrations and further musings by the man that is Karl Pilkington. This may turn some fans of the show off because the majority of it is word for word exactly what you hear on the podcast. However, it is just as good and should not be immediately dismissed with a "I've already heard it, why would I want to read it." You can instantly hear again Ricky and Stephen calling Karl an absolute idiot for stating that man and dinosaurs must have had some crossover point where they co-existed. For anyone who loves the podcasts and is able to listen to them over and over again, this is a perfect gift. I included this book in a Christmas gift to my brother along with the first two flanimals and the third season of Ricky and his crew's podcast. ENJOY!

What a great book. I've not read another publication that so distinctively illusrates that massive f**king orange that is Pilkington's head.

If you have any doubt about what a fuzzy bald headed manc he truly is, then read this book and doubt no longer.

If you love the podcasts you'll love this book. Karl is one of the most entertaining people to come along in a VERY LONG time. Who else talks about chimps grabbing womens' chests, flying planes, participating in the 4 man bobsleigh, performing eye surgery, and chimps that get cheeky with the zoo keeper's wife?
His drawings are great too!
I'd definitely buy some of his artwork.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I got it before I'd heard the podcasts fully so a lot of the material was new to me. Inside you'll find many of the mystical and wise insights of the one and only Karl Pilkington, as well as the comments and remarks of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant who only facilitate the round-headed genius that comes from Manchester. Gotta love Karl's doodles also, and especially appreciate the cover imagery of a citrus fruit dressed up to look like a person's head, oh wait, that is his head.

This book was the vehicle to the top. While other folks are celebrating their Nobel Prizes and their Pulitzers, Headicus Sphericus (his nom de plumage) won the World's Roundest Head Award. No more squozes Ricky, the citric acid will ruin your shirt.

No, this is not the Office, but it is the result of a completely different project started by Ricky Gervias, Steve Merchant (co-writer of the Office), and Karl Pilkington. There are 3 free podcast specials of these guys, (They were officially taken down, but are still floating around) and it would help to hear at least one of the episodes to appreciate the references in this book. Or better yet, check out the whole series on iTunes.

I love the show, which is why I bought the book, not realizing it was really all just transcripts of the radio show. The content, of course, is funny - but I was expecting something other than just repackaged material.

If you've already heard the show, there's no reason to get this book.

Great Book. A wonderful companion to the podcast. Karls illustrations are fantastic. Check out Happyslapped by a Jellyfish, its even better