A YEAR IN THE MERDE (BOOK REVIEW)

Author: Stephen Clarke

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (2006) as In THE MERDE FOR LOVE

Type of work: a comic novel

Genres: long fiction

Number of Pages: 276

How long it took me to read: 4 weeks

ISBN: 978-0-552-77296-9

Student: Jakub Srnka, I. class ANRU

A Story outline...

The review of this book has no spoilers. A Year in the Merde is a comic novel and an almost-
true account of things that might have hapenned to Paul West in the ten years he has lived in
France. The main storyline takes place in the capital of France. The book is completely based
on West's own background.

The story provides an awesome outline of skills gained by Paul West, an englishman living in
Paris. The story tells about Paul West who arrives in Paris to start a new job and finds out
what the French are really like. His job is about helping to create a chain of successful British
tea rooms. Paul struggles to adapt to new ways of eating, drinking, and working in a foreign
country. He learns how to order a glass of wine and make a decent living.

Much of the fun in this book comes from the efforts of Paul and his boss trying to understand
each other. His boss tries to persuade Paul that the chain of tea rooms ought to be called "My
Tea Is Rich", a phrase that has no meaning to the Englishman to assure him it will be hilarious
enough to Parisians.

A brief characterize of characters

All the characters in the book are fictitious, and any resemablance to actual persons, living or
dead, is purely coincidental. The main beauty of this book lies not so much in its literary style
or in the extent and usefulness of the information it conveys, but in its simple truthfulness. Its
pages form a record of events that really happened. All that has been done is to colour them.
Paul West is the narrator and simultaneously main character of the story. There are a lot of
minor characters. Pauls voice is gripping in the story, which makes it even more interesting.
From my point of view ...

As soon as I had finished reading the book, it totally ranked among the best I have ever read.
Even though I have read a lot of books of this type and despite the fact that I am really careful
about choosing what book to read, it is quite possibly the best book I have ever read.

From the very beginning I could not postpone reading this book even for a moment. I would
recommend the book to anyone who is interested in French and English languages, and
countries where these languages are spoken because in this book you can find real insights
into the life of Paul who has a lot of problems with being British while living in Paris. The
author succeeded in conveying that life is full of jealousy, possessiveness, bureaucracy,
pornography and entertainment.

Clarkes writing style...

The story is really well told and his commentaries on the French way of the life are
excellently formed. The anti-French resistance in the USA is involved in the book.

The title "A Year in the Merde" refers, in a metaphorical sense, to the difficult circumstances
that happened to Paul while he lived in Paris. While reading this book you will certainly find
it very entertaining.

However, the story has many cons. For instance, the political content bogs it down and
understanding the French language may be a struggle for some readers. Many times I was
forced to use the dictionary in order to look up words that I did not understand.

My favourite part ...

I had quickly settled into a not unpleasant time-wasting routine. I really do not know why
farniente is an Italian expression, because Paris is the perfect place for it. Breakfast at a caf
(stare longingly at passing women). Wander to an art exhibition (stare longingly at young
female tourist and the art students with part-time jobs as security staff). Lunch at a caf (see
breakfast above), take in a movie (drool at the heroine), go to the pub with English mates
(talk so loudly about women that you scare them all off). The only thing that sometimes
disturbed my routine was the weather,which was playing frustrating games. A day might start
off bright and warm, and you could see that the girls had light, revealing summer clothes
under their coats. But then, come lunchtime, it would could over or rain, and the revealing
clothes would stay unrevealed. (p. 330)

About the author...

Stephen Clarke is a British writer working for a French press group in Paris. He lives and
works in Paris and has avered "I love France because here you are working for a living and
not vice versa".