Year In The Merde, A

Self-published in France, and a subsequent bestseller, the hilarious story of a year in the life of a young Englishman abroad.

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 pétanque. 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.

Author Biography
Stephen Clarke is a British journalist and writer working for a French press group in Paris. He has previously written comedy sketches for BBC Radio 4 and jokes for a stand-up comedian. A Year in the Merde is an almost-true account of things that may or may not have happened to him in the ten years he has lived in France, depending on who is asking the question. He is currently working on the next volume of Paul West’s adventures.

Reviews
Edgier than Bryson, hits harder than Mayle.' ,‘Must have comedy-of-errors diary about being a Brit abroad.',‘This is the season's word-of-mouth must-have book for Francophiles and Francophobes alike...This comedy of errors has almost certainly done more for the Entente Cordiale than any of our politicians’