2008-04-13 don't waste your time on this book

I bought this book as a gift for my English boyfriend as we are planning to visit my native Madrid soon and I thought it would be a good idea for him to get a humorous introduction to the city from a fellow brit's point of view.

After reading it, I am not sure that I can subject him to it. The author does not try to hide his distaste for tabloid-type magazines, but his own book consists of a collection of names that would usually only be found in those very magazines. More often than not, the name dropping exercise does not lead to even an anecdote or story, basically there is no point to it; and if you are not spanish or leaving in Spain, you won't even get who they are talking about.

The stories are not well developed and every other page you are left with a feeling of "so what?". And unfortunately, the literary quality is non-existent.

If you think this book can be compared to "A year in le Merde", think again. It was what I was hoping for, but this only managed a couple of laughs out of me.