Product Description

Paul West, a young Englishman, arrives in Paris to start a new job - and finds out what the French are really like They do eat a lot of cheese, some of which smells like pigs' droppings. They don't wash their armpits with garlic soap. Going on strike really is the second national participation sport after petanque. And, yes, they do use suppositories In his first novel, Stephen Clarke gives a laugh-out-loud account of the pleasures and perils of being a Brit in France. Less quaint than A Year in Provence, less chocolatey than Chocolat, A Year in the Merde will tell you how to get served by the grumpiest Parisian waiter; how to make perfect vinaigrette every time; how to make amour - not war; and how not to buy a house in the French countryside

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4191 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"'Has done more for the Entente Cordiale than any of our politicians' Daily Mail"

Daily Mail
'Has done more for the Entente Cordiale than any of our politicians'

From the Author
"There are lots of French people who are not at all hypocritical, inefficient, treacherous, intolerant, adulterous or incredibly sexy. They just didn’t make it into my book …"
"All names have been changed to avoid embarrassment, possible legal action and having my legs broken by someone in an Yves Saint Laurent suit (or, quite possibly, a Christian Dior skirt)"

Customer Reviews

The Real France
I've been living in France for 10 years now and have been waiting for someone to write the definitive anti-"Year In Provence" book for almost that long. This very funny book sounds a lot more like the France that I know. Read it and you'll still want to come here, you'll just be a lot better prepared for the surprises that France has to offer.

Whether you love or hate the French...
Many people in Paris have already read this book in its first edition, and enjoyed it very much! Being one of them, and having lived in the UK for a few years, I can relate to most of what Stephen Clarke depicts in this hectic year in Paris... and I probably missed some of it, but I laughed out loud and now I'm asking for more!

A right good chuckle
This book had me in stitches right from the start, although whilst reading it I did recieve a few raised eyebrows on the beach in Tunisia. It really depicts a true picture of one Englishman living in Paris and the things that can happen. Can't wait too long for the next book "Merde Actually".
A good light hearted read with just a little bit of serious thrown in.