In the Merde for Love

The latest episode in Stephen Clarke's almost-true account of his adventures as an expat in France is just as winning as the first. This "anti-Mayle" will have readers chortling over their croissants and café au lait while Paul West struggles to solve the mysteries inherent in life in France. What is the best way to scare a gendarme? Is it really polite to sleep with your boss's mistress? And why are there no public health warnings on French nude beaches? Paul discovers how to judge a French vacationer by the rustiness of his bicycle; opens his English tearoom; and finally understands why Parisian waiters are so cranky. Just in time for spring in Paris, find out if Paul finds the perfect French mademoiselle or if it all ends in merde!

Stephen Clarke is a British journalist who has written comedy sketches for BBC Radio. He is the author of Talk to the Snail and the international bestseller A Year in the Merde.

Praise for Stephen Clarke and In the Merde for Love:

"Call him the anti-Mayle. Stephen Clarke is acerbic, insulting, un-PC and mostly hilarious."-San Francisco Chronicle

"Highly entertaining...Clarke renders the flavor of life in Paris impeccably: the endless strikes, the sadistic receptionists...Clarke's eye for detail is terrific."-Washington Post

"Those who enjoyed Clarke's first book will certainly delight in his newest production."-Library Journal

"This memoir is full of comic misadventure and misunderstanding, but underlying it is a deep affection for France and its people. Along the way, there is plenty of hilarity."-Booklist
"Paul [West] is also a comic, canny observer of French rural customs and English business practices alike."-Kirkus Reviews