A Piano in the Pyrenees by Tony Hawks

Let me start off by saying I love Tony Hawks. Not the skateboard guy, but the British comedian. While I've never heard any of his stand up, I've read two of this other books (Round Ireland with a Fridge and Playing the Moldovans at Tennis) and really enjoyed them. While A Piano in the Pyrenees wasn't as good as the other two, it' still a good read.

Hawks is one of those people who gets into a lot of weird "this could only happen to me" situations. And this is where is comedy shines. Hawks is self-deprecating, optimistic, and just seems downright nice. I'm tempted to compare him to David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs but Hawks is a lot nicer than Burroughs and not as well, Sedaris-y as Sedaris (though I still think David's the funniest writer on the planet), because Hawks has a lot brighter take on life.

Anyhow, about the piano and about the Pyrenees. Hawks and his friend head to the Pyrenees in the south of France for a ski trip. However, after a half hour, his friend realizes he can't ski any longer because his ankle is injured. Not wanting to ski by himself, Hawks and his friend decide to drive around the countryside. And Hawks buys a house. Yep, just like that. His friend says he should look into a vacation home and he finds what he thinks is the perfect one and puts in a bid. Just like that, spur of the moment. And he gets the house.

The idea is that he'll use this house as a place to relax and practice his piano skills so he can really get back to music. Alas, things never work out as planned, especially if your name is Tony Hawks. He takes us through his adventures in trying to fix up the house (along with his grumpy friend/handyman from home, Ron), fit in with the village, remember to speak in French, and build a pool. Not to give anything away, but the pool becomes known as "Serge's Hole."

It's tough to go into too much detail, but typical of Hawks, there are many times I found myself laughing out loud, thinking "god what another mess he's in," and most importantly, I smiled almost the whole time I was reading it. A good read, a fun read, and even a little uplifting. Perfect summer reading. Thanks for the good time, Tony!