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A Year In The Merde
A Year In The Merde
Feb 22, 2026 10:12 PM

Author:Stephen Clarke

A Year In The Merde

What are the French really like?

Paul West, a young Englishman arriving in Paris to start a new job, is about to find out.

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They do eat a lot of cheese, some of which smells like pigs’ droppings.

They don’t wash their armpits with garlic soap.

Going on strike really is the second national participation sport after petanque.

And, yes, they do use suppositories.

Less quaint than A Year in Provence, less chocolatey than Chocolat, A Year in the Merde will tell you how to get served by the grumpiest Parisian waiter; how to make perfect vinaigrette every time; how to make amour - not war; and how not to buy a house in the French countryside.

Reviews

Edgier than Bryson, hits harder than Mayle

—— The Times

Must have comedy-of-errors diary about being a Brit abroad

—— Daily Mirror

This is the season's word-of-mouth must-have book for Francophiles and Francophobes alike... This comedy of errors has almost certainly done more for the Entente Cordiale than any of our politicians

—— Daily Mail
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