A Year in the Merde

Stephen Clark's internationally bestselling first book is a nearly true, uproarious account of a year in the life of an expat in Paris. Paul West is a twenty-seven-year-old Brit brought to Paris by a French company to open a chain of British "tearooms." Soon enough, he finds himself juggling a group of grumbling French employees, a treacherous Parisian boss, and a succession of lusty girlfriends (including the boss's morally challenged daughter). As he becomes immersed in the contradictions of French culture (the French are not all cheese-eating surrender monkeys, but they do eat a lot of smelly cheese), he also discovers how to get the best out of the grumpiest Parisian waiter, how to survive a French business meeting, and how not to buy a house in the French countryside. An urban retort to A Year in Provence, this is a book for everyone who loves - or loves to hate - the French.