| Title | : | One Hit Wonderland |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0091882109 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780091882105 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2002 |
Fast forward to the 21st century and those heady days of pop stardom are a distant memory. That is, until it is suggested that Tony is just another One Hit Wonder. Really? We'll have to see about that ...
For two years Tony struggles to have a hit somewhere, anywhere, in the world, changing acts and styles with a bewildering lack of integrity. From Nashville to Amsterdam, from Eastern Europe to Africa, he travels the globe in search of that elusive hit.
But it's only after a chance encounter with Norman Wisdom that things get really strange. Is it really possible that together they could storm the Albanian charts?
In One Hit Wonderland anything can happen ...
One Hit Wonderland Reviews
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I picked this one up after seeing it in a charity shop and reading and enjoying Round Ireland with a Fridge. Hawks has a quirky sense of humour, but it’s one of the rare instances where someone’s sense of humour comes across really well in the written page and where it doesn’t annoy me.
Here, we basically follow what happens when Hawks decides to head abroad to try to record a follow up to a one hit wonder that he had before I was even born. He meets a colourful supporting cast of characters along the way of course, and overall we end up with a fun little book that you can whizz through in a couple of days.
I actually read this while everyone was locked down because of Coronavirus, and it was the perfect read for that because it helped to take my mind away to a time where the world wasn’t quite in the state that it’s in today. It’s weird, I haven’t seen anyone I know for a week or so, and so just the very idea of going outside and spending time with people feels like something I did half a year away.
All in all then, I was pretty happy with this book and I still plan to eventually read everything that Hawks has published. The list is disappointingly short, and he must be about due something by now, but perhaps he’s no longer taking silly bets and going off on crazy madcap adventures. I don’t know, I haven’t looked him up.
Would I recommend this one? Definitely, and it’s actually one of those where I think you’ll find something no matter what kind of stuff you normally read. It’s just loads of fun. -
I had hoped for something as wonderful and entertaining as "A Piano in the Pyrenees", but this just didn't hit the mark for me. Overall, the book is enjoyable enough, and with some really amusing anecdotes.
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A fun and enjoyable read. How Tony illustrates the places he visits and the vibe of the people adds to the charm and his hilariously absurd attempt to score a number one hit to win a date with girl who bet him he couldn’t.
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Great fun! An amusing & entertaining read...what more can I say? The only disappointment is that I can't seem to get on
www.onehitwonderland.com to hear the songs... -
I started off loving it but then it all became a bit too much of the same and a bit too much. Great if you just read the first few chapters.
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I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Will definitely seek out other books by Mr. Hawks!
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If you're a fan of Dave Gorman's books then this is the sort of thing that you will enjoy. I'm sure that someone will point out that Tony Hawks was doing the 'zany bet/travel writing' genre first but I know that Dave Gorman has been popular in the last few years and the comparison stands.
Basically, Tony Hawks had a comedy hit record in 1985 with 'Stutter Rap' and appeared on Top of the Pops performing it. In 2002, he meets an attractive woman at a dinner party and they have a drunken bet that he can't have another hit record, anywhere in the world, within two years. Hawks then travels to Nashville, the Sudan, Romania and Albania in search of an elusive top twenty hit.
It's not laugh out loud funny, but it is amusing enough and certainly interesting. There are also times where Hawks talks seriously about the country that he is visiting and his reflections of the poverty in the Sudan or the red light district of Amsterdam are well conceived and thought provoking.
It's never going to be a world changing piece of literature - but it is enjoyable and well worth reading just for the account of taking Norman Wisdom to Albania and to read about the public response that he received. -
This is, of course, Tony Hawks the British writer/comedian, not the skating icon. If you've ever read "Round Ireland With A Fridge," you know what wonders he's capable of rendering — and like that book and its follow-up "Playing Tennis with the Moldovans," this one features Hawks making a stupidly ambitious bet and then setting out with absolutely no self-consciousness to succeed. In this case, Hawks bets that he can record a Top Ten single. Top Ten... anywhere. Which leads him to Nashville, then Sudan, then... well, all over the place, really, as he attempts to achieve stardom with something that straddles the line between a disarming lack of self-doubt and total arrogance. The result is a mixed bag (this is probably my least favorite of his three books), but a mildly entertaining read nonetheless.
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My first of several Tony Hawks books and on the account of this one, cannot wait!! Follow his journey to Nashville, the Sudan, Holland, Romania and finally Albania to complete another ridiculous bet. This time, following on from his 80s one hit wonder, he was wagered that it couldn't be repeated and that he couldn't have a song in the charts again.
After jamming with local musicians in Texas, recording children's voices in the Sudan and a chance encounter with knights of the realm, this bet was completed. If you want to know more, you'll just have to get a copy!! -
I'm not sure how I missed this 2002 book by Tony Hawks - I read all his other stuff pretty much as soon as it came out. Another journey trying to win a madcap bet, this one surrounding writing a hit song. Hawks' excellent humor, combined with his penchant for surreal situations make for a really fun read.
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Yet another bet, this one I only read because it was bought for me. This time our Tony has to have a number one hit single somewhere in the world.
To be honest I didn't care too much if he succeeded or not. Sorry Tony. -
The book is so deliciously Tony. He's that weird friend you have who does crazy things, but taken up a few levels. As usual, this concerns a bet - that he couldn't have a top 20 song in any country in two years. The story of his struggles were funny. I love tony Hawks.
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I very much enjoyed A Piano in the Pyrenees but all the other books by Hawks I have read have been a disappointment. One Hit Wonderland was alright but I just didn't find it very funny. I actually ended up skimming through the book...
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I quite like Tony Hawks (I've read 2 now) and his writing style. But I'm not sure that I would go out of my way to get any more of his books than are already in my possession right now.
But I can't put my finger on what's missing. -
This guy is crazy, we knew it and this 3rd book confirms... :-))
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Very funny but not as good as his other books.
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Hawks describes how he tries to get a hit in a country somewhere in the world. Funny book, mostly because of Hawks' self-deprecating sense of humour.
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Not as good as his book where he hitched hiked around Ireland with a small refrigerator.
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Why did I bother reading 100 pages of this? Barely amusing, a stupid premise, poorly written (and badly proof-read too), a waste of time. And no mention whatsoever of skateboarding. Whatever.
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Awesome story, where you can learn so much about music. And stupid bets...
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OK, a bit more serious than some of his other adventures.
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Reviewed for my student paper.
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Such a funny book, and the presence of Norman "Mr Grimsdale" Wisdom made this a pleasure from start to finish. Fans of Hawks previous books will be pleased to know that this is even better!
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Tony Hawks is just hilarious!!!
