Einzig seine Mutter ist mir hier sehr sympathisch - ich glaube, mit der Frau und ihren Neurosen würde ich mich super verstehen. Sign up to the Little, Brown newsletter for news of upcoming publications, competitions and updates from our authors. We are told to approach family holidays with a degree of cynicism, low expectations and if at all possible, not see the family prior to going away, easier if you are at boarding school as a child, and if you have moved home as an adult, whilst airing old family grievances before helps in lessening their impact when they come up on holiday.

His parents read their own chapters and there is section of “b roll” throughout and at the end that will have you rolling with laughter. If you enjoyed Jack Whitehall’s Netflix show Travels with my Father, this is a spin-off literary version of the show. Holidays with family can be like an awful and protracted dinner with your complicated uncle on one hand and challenging aunty on the other. This is the perfect Christmas present, and I hear the audio is fabulous, with Michael and Hilary relating their parts on it. In the introduction Jack tells us it was originally going to be just him until his parents, Michael and Hilary, muscled their way in, and in my humble opinion, it wouldn't have been half as brilliant without them.We may rage at them and take the mick out of them, yes, there are the mental scars, but there is a strong sense of affection and love in the family ties that bind. Josh points out how time away can actually fuel existing difficulties in a relationship: “The burden of domestic work is rarely distributed equally, which can be amplified on holiday”, he says, “If relationships are unequal, they can become more so under stress or change. Unexpected expenses during a cost-of-living crisis can make it hard to feel present, and the expectation to “enjoy this time” is overwhelming. Stand-out sections were: In Defence of the Fanny Pack, Chernobyl, Michael's Cambodian Massage Story, and the final section on Christmas. Indeed they’ve been allowing us a window to their escapades for the past five years in the hit Netflix show ‘Travels with my Father’ and in this hilarious book they have now decided to pool their advice for fellow travellers.

If there is a bully in your family who keeps after you, simply say, “I hope that you can be happy for me, even though I haven’t followed the path you would have taken. They inflame all your existing tensions into a conflagration of logistics and competing desires, all fanned by the impossible pressure of having the most amazing and relaxing time. I’m sure we all have one of those family members who can easily “put their foot in it” making it relevant for all who listen. Assign someone to come up with a daily schedule of optional activities so everyone can choose what they want to do and no time is wasted negotiating. Jack Whitehall, of whom I had no prior knowledge before listening to this book, and his family are so weird and endearing that I'll probably listen to another book.They've given us a window into their escapades in the hit Netflix show, Travels With My Father, and in this brilliantly funny book they've pooled their advice for fellow travellers.

Was expecting this to be more original than it turned out to be, which is a shame as Jack and Michael have the potential to be funny, but sadly this book felt like a quick cash grab from the popularity of their last book. All the topics that you usually avoid rear their heads until the only relief you can possibly find is at the end of a cigarette outside the restaurant.Fans of Jack and his family will love this entertaining and utterly comic and witty read, and I think even those that have never encountered him before will enjoy this too. In doing so they are sharing some of their best anecdotes, their most extreme experiences and their most valuable advice. In this particular case, listening to Jack, Michael and Hilary, take turns telling stories and commentating on each other’s memories and advice, was well worth the audible credit. Before you leave, it can be helpful to have a conversation with all holidaymakers about what you all expect going into this: how much money are you willing to spend?