The third novel in the “Merde” series is the best one yet. You don’t have to have read the first two to thoroughly enjoy Paul West’s exploits as he and his French girlfriend travel across the States. English, French and American points of view all clashing together make for a brilliantly funny read and his cheeky style makes for a refreshing read.
Paul West is in deep financial merde. His only way out of debt is to accept a decidedly dodgy job that involves him crossing the USA in a Mini, while pretending to be typically British.
Adding to the crush in the car is Paul’s French girlfriend, Alexa, and his American poet friend Jake whose main aim in life is to sleep with a woman from every country in the world. Preferably in the back of Paul’s Mini.
But as the little car battles from New York to Miami, and then heads west, legroom turns out to be the least of Paul’s troubles. His work is being sabotaged, his tour plans are in tatters, and his love life becomes a Franco-American war zone.
And as Paul knows better than anyone, when you mix love and war – merde happens …
"Done more for the Entente Cordiale than any of our politicians." Daily Mail
"Must-have comedy-of-errors diary about being a Brit abroad." Mirror
"Edgier than Bryson, hits harder than Mayle." The Times
Author
About Stephen Clarke
Stephen Clarke lives in Paris, where he divides his time between writing and not writing. His first novel, A Year in the Merde, originally became a word-of-mouth hit in 2004, and is now published all over the world. Since then he has published three more bestselling Merde novels, as well as Talk to the Snail, an indispensable guide to understanding the French.
Research for Stephen's novels has taken him all over France and America. For 1000 Years of Annoying the French, he has also been breathing the chill air of ruined castles and deserted battlefields, leafing through dusty chronicles, brushing up the medieval French he studied at university and generally losing himself in the mists of history.
He has now returned to present-day Paris, and is doing his best to live the entente cordiale.
