In the Merde for Love

May 1, 2006
Clarke, a British journalist working in Paris, offers fans of his international roman a; clef bestseller A Year in the Merde a novel-sequel that mixes adolescent humor with occasionally astute observations about an expatriate's life in France-with happy results. Clarke's alter-ego Paul West, a 27-year-old Englishman and culinary school graduate turned entrepreneur, opens a tearoom in Paris. After "accidentally screwing someone else," Paul must prove himself to Alexa, the woman he loves, and many shenanigans ensue. A chef with the Breton name of Yann Kerbolloc'h and the French seaside resort town of Ars are sources of great mirth, as are bum jokes, see-through nighties, the many names for male genitalia (dongler, todger, zizi, pair of walnuts and a chipolata, and "what I hoped was an adequate bump in my surfer shorts," to name a few). Clarke doesn't gloss over the racial tensions in Paris, and an occasional editorial voice can be heard, as when the protagonist laments "the dire state" of Britain's railways. On Nutella, he says, "Teenagers and jobless graduates turn to it with a spoon in times of stress." This quick summer read is a rollicking, self-mocking, and brazenly uncouth meal of bonbons coton.

May 1, 2006
The title of this fake memoir-as-novel should alert readers as to what they -re in for: lots of puns, jokes, wordplay -and playing around in general, with people, events, and feelings. British journalist Clarke -s predecessor to this volume, "A Year in the Merde" has become an international best seller and a favorite on airplane travelers - reading lists. With this sequel, you will not find yourself in the midst of a guide to Paris and some French garden spots; rather, you will see Paris and the French countryside through the eyes of a smart, late-twentysomething Englishman attempting to open a British tea room in the heart of Paris and win the heart of -or at least a night with -a beautiful young woman named Alexa. Those who enjoyed Clarke -s first book will certainly delight in his newest production. However, if you easily tire of vivid bedroom escapades, descriptions of binge drinking, and negative assessments of the French, you may wish to find your amusement elsewhere. Recommended for the fiction rather than travel sections of large public and academic libraries." -Olga B. Wise, Austin, TX"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.