An Irish Experience: Travel Tales Flowing from History, Humor and the Search for Home Book

Mr. Howard Franklin, I'm afraid, needs a serious sit-down with Strunk & White's book [The Elements of Style]. This travelogue of Ireland in 2001 initially appealed because I had planned a trip to many of the same places as Mr. Franklin. But after awhile, the book becomes nearly unreadable, because it's a relentless repetitive stream of superlatives and interjections, like "uh-huh" and "unh-unh, no way" and "Big Time!" and "We're talking Total Treasure" and "How about that" and "I renew my appreciative gaze" and especially the verb "smile." I don't think there's a page where he's not smiling in some form or other. I found myself longing for a big roll of duct tape.

While some of the descriptions of landscapes and buildings and monuments are passable, Franklin rarely provides information of any historical depth about the places he visits, other than the recitation of a few names and dates. He almost never ventures into a museum. Mostly he just stands outside and looks around, offering up adjectives. That is, when he's not satisfying his sugar cravings with the purchase of cakes, pastries, cookies and chocolate. Let me venture an understatement, as the author so often does: Mr. Franklin is addicted to sugar in more ways than one.

Another understatement: one might question his treatment of women.

It's a pity, because his comparisons of Ireland and America as homelands, of the quality of life, the culture, and the resonance of history in both countries, are sound. They're just hidden beneath unbearable prose. By all means, travel to Ireland. But leave Mr. Franklin behind.