A Year in the Merde, Stephen Clarke
A Year in the Merde, Stephen Clarke
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A Year in the Merde

Author: Stephen Clarke

Narrator: Gerard Doyle

Abridged: 4 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/09/2005

Categories: Nonfiction, Travel, Europe, France


Synopsis

An urban antidote to A Year in Provence, Stephen Clarke's book is a laugh-out-loud account of a year in the life of an expat in Paris- for Francophiles and Francophobes alike
A YEAR IN THE MERDE is the almost-true account of the author's adventures as an expat in Paris. Based loosely on his own experiences and with names changed to "avoid embarrassment, possible legal action and to prevent the author's legs being broken by someone in a Yves Saint Laurent suit (or quite possibly, a Christian Dior skirt), " A YEAR IN THE MERDE is the story of a Paul West, a 27-year-old Brit who is brought to Paris by a French company to open a chain of British "tea rooms." He soon becomes immersed in the contradictions of French culture: the French are not all cheese-eating surrender monkeys, though they do eat a lot of smelly cheese; they are still in shock at being stupid enough to sell Louisiana, thus losing the chance to make French the global language, while going on strike is the second national participation sport after pétanque. He also illuminates 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.
The author originally wrote A YEAR IN THE MERDE just for fun and self-published it in France in an English language edition. Weeks later, it had become a word-of-mouth hit for expats and the French alike, even outselling Bill Clinton's memoir at Paris's fabled American bookstore Brentano's. With translation rights now sold in eleven countries, Stephen Clarke is clearly a Bill Bryson (or a Peter Mayle...) for a whole new generation of readers who can never quite decide whether they love-or love to hate-the French.

About Stephen Clarke

Stephen Clarke is a British journalist and the internationally bestselling author of A Year in the Merde and In the Merde for Love, which describe the misadventures of Paul West in France, and Talk to the Snail, a hysterical look at understanding the French. He himself has lived in France for twelve years.

About Gerard Doyle

Gerard Doyle reads everything from adult, young adult, and children's books to literary fiction, mysteries, humor, adventure, and fantasy. He has won countless AudioFile Earphones Awards and was named a Best Voice in Young Adult Fiction in 2008. His audiobook credits include the bestselling Inheritance series (Eragon, Eldest, and Brisinger),  How to Train Your Dragon, The Looking Glass Wars, Clubland, And Thereby Hangs a Tale, and Risk Worth Taking. His career in British repertory theatre includes many productions, most notably The Crucible, The Tempest, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Fiddler on the Roof.  In America, he has appeared in Broadway in The Weir and on television in New York Undercover and Law & Order.  Born of Irish parents and raised and educated in England, Gerard has taught drama at Ross School for the past several years.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian on July 27, 2008

I picked this up in the train station at Charles de Gaulle airport a few minutes before my flight was cancelled and I was forced to spend another day in Paris, almost a year ago. Tough life, right? I never read it, though. Don't know why, but last week I felt an urge to pick it up. Read it in about 26......more

Goodreads review by BigTreesAndBigBooks on March 10, 2016

I read this book at the airport on my way home from france and i couldn't stop laughing.it's very clever, and extremelly laugh out loud funny.......more

Goodreads review by Ben on April 29, 2008

This book is highly readable, the kind of thing that one could read from start to finish if one just had a few hours with nothing to do. However, this is the most positive thing I can say about this book. It's supposed be one of those screwball accounts of someone living in a foreign culture and the......more

Goodreads review by Evan on September 13, 2022

As a brit having spent three years living in Paris, I was really excited to read this - it's probably been on my list for a decade. Finally picked it up this summer. The first page starts with this description of the French: "Great lifestyle, great food, and totally unpolitically correct women with......more

Goodreads review by Cynthia on September 16, 2009

Hilarious but also really intelligently put together. If you're looking for an idealized, dream version of an expats year in France, this ain't it. But if you have even a slight knowledge of Parisian life and culture, this book is wonderful. Some reviewers said they found it too mean and insulting,......more