If you are unfamiliar with Karl’s singular outlook on the universe, I highly recommend downloading the three latest podcasts from either Guardian Unlimited or iTunes before they disappear on January 6th. Or, you could turn to Wikipedia for a crash course in all things Karl.

Karl’s impresario is Ricky Gervais of The Office and Extras fame. The genius of the Ricky Gervais Show typically comes not from the witty banter between Ricky and Steve Merchant, but rather from Karl’s totally befuddled counterpoint. As a wellspring of misinformation and uninformed conjecture, it is possible that the internet was invented for Karl, or he for it. Not since Cat Macros has their been a finer match of content and medium.

If you caught the first series of 12 podcasts, much of the material in the book will be familiar to you. Some of the stories, like the classic, “I could eat a knob at night” aren’t quite as funny on the page as they were on the pod. But others, like “What d’you mean about eyes facing forward” are just as absurd, if not more so, on paper. Rounding out the book are some genuinely cute illustrations by the man himself, and original excerpts from the now legendary diary.

If you’ve heard the show, you already know the material. If you liked it enough to revisit it, the book is a remarkably analog way to do just that. If you haven’t been introduced to Karl Pilkington yet, the book is an entertaining read and a glimpse into the inner workings of well-meaning madness.

Ricky Gervais Presents: The World of Karl Pilkington

[tags]Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, The Office, Extras[/tags]