The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe

By: Sam Taylor - translator, Romain Puértolas

Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe is the globetrotting story of a trickster from rural India and his adventure of a lifetime.

When the fakir - a professional con artist - arrives in Paris, he has just one goal: to get to Ikea. Armed with only a counterfeit hundred-euro note in the pocket of his silk trousers, he is confident that he has all he needs to thrive. But his plan goes horribly awry when he hides inside a wardrobe at the iconic Swedish retailer - the first in a series of accidents that will send him on a whirlwind tour across Europe.

Pursued across the continent by a swindled taxi driver dead set on revenge, our fakir soon finds unlikely friends - from movie stars to illegal immigrants - in even unlikelier places. And, much to his own surprise, his heart begins to open to those around him as he comes to understand the universal desire to seek a better life in an often dangerous world.

Channeling the manic energy of the Marx Brothers and the biting social commentary of Candide, Romain Puértolas has crafted an unforgettable comic romp around Europe that is propelled by laughter, love, and, ultimately, redemption. (Meatballs not included but highly recommended.)

©2015 Romain Puertolas (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Who would have thought that a comedy that mixes flat-pack furniture with magic could tackle some of the biggest subjects of our time? With a big heart, a brilliant sense of humour and an excellent translator, that's what French writer Romain Puértolas achieves." ( The Independent)

"With his first novel, as sprightly as it is funny, Romain Puértolas adds one hell of a cheerful note to this fall season. Total nonsense? Yes, but developed at a brisk pace by Romain Puértolas, who piles up the vivid scenes along with oodles of puns." ( L'Express, Paris)

"This brilliant first novel... delivers a contemporary, off-the-wall version of Candide. It's a fable, a farce, but also and above all, a delicious satire of the modern world, that we'll have to read while cautiously holding our sides!" ( Figaro magazine, Paris)

Clever and heartwarming story

A chaotic ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. Not deeply moving but fun. An imagination on display.

Jolly farce with trite life lessons

Perfectly narrated this farcical story fails to convince with its patronizing life lessons and simplistic characterizations. It's brevity saves it

Enjoyable and funny story

loved the observations and overall story telling. it was a fun book to read. i highly recommend

Not as smart as the title

I'm not going to lie, I bought this book because of the title -- what a fantastic title, right? Also, becuase in trying to read more books in translation this year.

I was disappointed. It's a creative story idea and has brief pockets of interesting, but it's ultimately forgettable. It's trying too hard to be clever and a bit surreal to do either properly.

More positively the narrator was great and the name jokes played well in audio.

Overall don't waste your time. The title is the best bit.

Unfortunately this Book is Forgetable

The title "The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe" is quite catchy and seems to promise an interesting and unusual story. The story is indeed unusual it's just not very interesting. I found the story line highly improbable and the characters shallow. While a transformation of the main character occurs it feels like a surface transformation at best and almost convenient and disingenuous at worst. Over the years I've read and listened to many many books and know that it is possible to write a book that is improbable and still believable or at least creates a space where I can suspend my belief this book is not one of those. I listened to this book all in one day while I was working on some deep house cleaning. By the time I put my head to the pillow it surprised me to notice that I had trouble remembering the plot and the characters, nothing had stuck. This is in contrast to books like the Outlander series,The Night Circus, the Isaac Bell series, the Royal Spyness series and the Elemental Assassin series.. All very different books and all books that I've thought about and still think about long after I've read or listened to them. I was excited to listen to The "Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in and Ikea Wardrobe" because of it's catchy title and was disappointed. It will be one of those books that I forget. I expected more. . .

title is most original feature of this tired tale

Corny, trades in stereotypes, not suitable for a mature audience. The narration was first class, wasted on this material.