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Paul West #3
Merde Happens
In the acclaimed third book in the popular Merde series, Paul West winds up stuck in America, chin-deep in financial trouble. He and his French girlfriend set off on their journey, with hopes of escaping fiscal ruin. But as the not-so-dynamic duo stumble toward Los Angeles, via Boston, Miami, New Orleans, and Las Vegas, Paul’s plans for success, of course, turn to merde: the couple takes on carjackers, old flames, and liaisons dangereuses. The result is a madcap, hilarious adventure and a sardonically witty tour through America, France, and England.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
57 people are currently reading
743 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Clarke
31 books411 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Stephen Clarke is the bestselling author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction that satirize the peculiarities of French culture. In 2004, he self-published A Year in the Merde, a comic novel skewering contemporary French society. The novel was an instant success and has led to numerous follow-ups, including Dial M for Merde (2008), 1,000 Years of Annoying the French (2010), and Paris Revealed (2011). After working as a journalist for a French press group for ten years, Paris-based Clarke now has a regular spot on French cable TV, poking fun at French culture.
Stephen Clarke is the bestselling author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction that satirize the peculiarities of French culture. In 2004, he self-published A Year in the Merde, a comic novel skewering contemporary French society. The novel was an instant success and has led to numerous follow-ups, including Dial M for Merde (2008), 1,000 Years of Annoying the French (2010), and Paris Revealed (2011). After working as a journalist for a French press group for ten years, Paris-based Clarke now has a regular spot on French cable TV, poking fun at French culture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
August 28, 2011
Clarke still has his satirical humor in his favor, lampooning multiple cultures in one book, but the farcical plot twists of this book made it much less entertaining to read than the first two in the series. The whole set-up of the lamely named "World Tourism Competition" was pretty weak, at best, and the over-the-top misadventures with the failed tea party in Boston and the Mini convention in Miami were a bit too much for me. I enjoyed the increased role of the culturally and linguistically confused sidekick Jake, but most of the jokes were killed for me by Clarke's incessant need to explain his jokes for his non-French speaking readers. Whereas I own the first two books in this series and would enjoy re-reading them, I am glad I got this from the library. I wanted to see how it turned out, but am glad I didn't spend money in doing so.
November 30, 2010
Everything that made 'A Year in the Merde' laugh-out-loud hilarious is missing from this misguided exercise in milking a book franchise to an exhausted, unfunny end.
August 6, 2011
Clarke gets by on the trail left by Peter Mayle's Provence series.
I found this boring and trite. If I could give it 0 on this application I would.
I found this boring and trite. If I could give it 0 on this application I would.
December 18, 2019
Boring. Quite disappointed actually, very much not as good as the first book in the series
September 8, 2008
From this book, I simultaneously able to learn three different culture, which were French's, American's, and English'. Stephen Clarke tells us a story about an Englishmen,Paul West, who's need a job badly to pay his debt when his restaurant in Paris was fined because its menu was written in English, and Paul didn't want to translate it into French.
Paul then applied for a job, and he got one. He has to promote his country, so that the American would vote Britain in World Tourism Promotion instead of France.
He then went across America in a Mini, accompanied by his girlfriend, Alexa, and an Englishmen who's intention is to go to bed with women from different countries, Jack Tyler.
This was a fascinating book because I like to travel and this book describes American cities such as Washington, Miami, Vegas, Los Angeles, in a funny way.
I simply like it.
Paul then applied for a job, and he got one. He has to promote his country, so that the American would vote Britain in World Tourism Promotion instead of France.
He then went across America in a Mini, accompanied by his girlfriend, Alexa, and an Englishmen who's intention is to go to bed with women from different countries, Jack Tyler.
This was a fascinating book because I like to travel and this book describes American cities such as Washington, Miami, Vegas, Los Angeles, in a funny way.
I simply like it.
May 16, 2018
Pořád dobrý, ale když si utahoval z Francouzů, tak mě to bavilo víc.
September 7, 2023
Zawiodłam się na tej 3 części, totalnie pisane na siłę z bardzo szybkim zakończeniem, które po tak długim czasie rozwijania się historii jest czymś co bardzo zawodzi.
March 24, 2018
Full review soon.
October 5, 2016
2.5/5
There is humour in this book, where a Brit (Paul), who lives in France, must travel around the States to try and win a contest between England, China and France. If he wins, he can pay off a large fine that his tea shop in France has for not translating the full menu into French (which is true, the French are notorious for their language laws).
I wasn't really into the story. It was pretty easy to figure out where it was going, plus the story wasn't very engaging.
The love story was ridiculous. I just had no empathy for them. I disliked the ending where a character literally says "I was looking for you, Paul". Of course, he's just so amazing that after meeting him once, someone would track him down at the most opportune time.
The book was free, and I had read the first one... but I wouldn't recommend it. I'd give it away, but won't go beyond that.
There is humour in this book, where a Brit (Paul), who lives in France, must travel around the States to try and win a contest between England, China and France. If he wins, he can pay off a large fine that his tea shop in France has for not translating the full menu into French (which is true, the French are notorious for their language laws).
I wasn't really into the story. It was pretty easy to figure out where it was going, plus the story wasn't very engaging.
The love story was ridiculous. I just had no empathy for them. I disliked the ending where a character literally says "I was looking for you, Paul". Of course, he's just so amazing that after meeting him once, someone would track him down at the most opportune time.
The book was free, and I had read the first one... but I wouldn't recommend it. I'd give it away, but won't go beyond that.
April 19, 2021
Florence și cu mine stăteam la patruzeci de kilometri la sud de Limoges, în Corrèze, drept în mijlocul Franței. Dacă răstignești pe cineva în stilul lui da Vinci pe harta țării, cu mâna dreaptă în Bretonia, stânga la Strasbourg, iar picioarele la Biarritz și Monaco, atunci Corrèze ar fi peticul unde ar face pe el.
Mama lui Florence avea o casă la țară în Corrèze. Plănuiserăm să poposim acolo pentru un prânz scurt și apoi să ne continuăm plimbarea de două săptămâni prin sud-vestul Franței.
Dar lucrurile nu se petrecuseră tocmai conform planului, iar acum ședeam în soare, lângă o mașină recent bușită. După zece minute de stat în așteptarea poliției sau a depanatorilor, Florence își lăsă capul în poala mea și rosti cuvintele fatale.
— Presupun că va trebui să rămânem câteva zile la Maman.
Firește, atunci încă nu știa că voi încerca să o omor pe maică-sa. Nici eu. Nu eram împreună decât de vreo două luni, iar, dacă mi s-ar fi cerut părerea, aș fi zis că nu consider că tentativa de a o ucide pe mama prietenei mele e o baza solidă pentru o relație de succes.
Oricum, de fapt nici n-a fost vina mea. Eu dau vina pe șoferul francez.
— Conasse! zbieră el.
„Insultele franțuzești sunt de o gramaticalitate adorabilă”, mi-am zis. Până și în focul unui război verbal trebuie să îți amintești să treci înjurătura care înseamnă idiot de sex masculin, „connard”, la forma feminină.
Mama lui Florence avea o casă la țară în Corrèze. Plănuiserăm să poposim acolo pentru un prânz scurt și apoi să ne continuăm plimbarea de două săptămâni prin sud-vestul Franței.
Dar lucrurile nu se petrecuseră tocmai conform planului, iar acum ședeam în soare, lângă o mașină recent bușită. După zece minute de stat în așteptarea poliției sau a depanatorilor, Florence își lăsă capul în poala mea și rosti cuvintele fatale.
— Presupun că va trebui să rămânem câteva zile la Maman.
Firește, atunci încă nu știa că voi încerca să o omor pe maică-sa. Nici eu. Nu eram împreună decât de vreo două luni, iar, dacă mi s-ar fi cerut părerea, aș fi zis că nu consider că tentativa de a o ucide pe mama prietenei mele e o baza solidă pentru o relație de succes.
Oricum, de fapt nici n-a fost vina mea. Eu dau vina pe șoferul francez.
— Conasse! zbieră el.
„Insultele franțuzești sunt de o gramaticalitate adorabilă”, mi-am zis. Până și în focul unui război verbal trebuie să îți amintești să treci înjurătura care înseamnă idiot de sex masculin, „connard”, la forma feminină.
August 8, 2017
Enjoyable light reading. If you enjoy travel dramas you will probably enjoy this.
Makes my life seem more normal as the lead character gets himself into some insane scrapes. Perceptive culture clashes. Paul is very naïve and does get conned into doing things most people would have more concerns about. He is conned by most of the other characters at some stage and suspects nothing. The car breakdown just after his opposition arrives, not suspicious at all.....
His girlfriend is a spoilt brat and really not worth the effort he puts in even if she is French and hot. Paul does manage to retain his morals and never harms anyone else which makes the book more enjoyable. He is just too nice for the people he is around. Jake may be a bit odd but he has a good heart and is the other nice character in the book.
Makes my life seem more normal as the lead character gets himself into some insane scrapes. Perceptive culture clashes. Paul is very naïve and does get conned into doing things most people would have more concerns about. He is conned by most of the other characters at some stage and suspects nothing. The car breakdown just after his opposition arrives, not suspicious at all.....
His girlfriend is a spoilt brat and really not worth the effort he puts in even if she is French and hot. Paul does manage to retain his morals and never harms anyone else which makes the book more enjoyable. He is just too nice for the people he is around. Jake may be a bit odd but he has a good heart and is the other nice character in the book.
August 18, 2021
Wow. If I could give this book a 0 stars review I would gladly do so.
Do you want to hear a white entitled male complaining through 381 pages about his luck and how the world is against him? You've picked the right book.
Do you want to hear him cry about he got into trouble for not following the laws and then try to score and unearthly prize in a competition with unclear rules by doing NOTHING WHATSOEVER and moaning about what everyone else does around him and how that disrupts his chances of winning?
Do you care to follow that rant for 365 pages to then get a resolution that it's not such appearing out of nowhere and leading to the whiny douchebag coming out on top?
Yeah, it's the end for me. I'm not reading the sequel.
Do you want to hear a white entitled male complaining through 381 pages about his luck and how the world is against him? You've picked the right book.
Do you want to hear him cry about he got into trouble for not following the laws and then try to score and unearthly prize in a competition with unclear rules by doing NOTHING WHATSOEVER and moaning about what everyone else does around him and how that disrupts his chances of winning?
Do you care to follow that rant for 365 pages to then get a resolution that it's not such appearing out of nowhere and leading to the whiny douchebag coming out on top?
Yeah, it's the end for me. I'm not reading the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
Honestly, I think this book should be called just Merde, because that is what it is full of. I hated the characters and found that all the women were either sexualised, bitches or both. The storyline was tacky at best and if I hadn’t already traveled to the US (and loved it), I wouldn’t want to after reading this. Not only did it make Americans seem shallow and rude, it made the French sound arrogant, untrustworthy and backstabbing, and the British just sound weak, desperate and sexist. If I could’ve given this book a no-star rating I would have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2017
No cóż - ja chyba wolę Anglika we Francji niż w Stanach:) Czytam książki Stephene Clarke'a po kolei i albo temat już mi się przejadł albo jednak te Stany mu słabo wyszły. Zakładam, że autor co nieco tematów zapożycza z własnych niebanalnych przygód. Jednak perypetie bohatera we Francji były dla mnie bardziej wiarygodne niż te w Stanach. Mam wrażenie, że w tej powieści jest dużo więcej fantazjowania i nie do końca mi się to podobało. Mam nadzieję, że w kolejnych książkach będzie lepiej:)
July 30, 2023
A virtual USA road trip and loads of laughs
In a bid to save his English tearoom in Paris, Paul West signs up to be a PR ambassador for the UK's tourism board in the USA. Armed with crazy pals, a French feminist girlfriend, a British sense of humor and an Indian call center assistant, Paul goes through the course of 5 cities in the USA, traveling from coast to coast passing through towns, crazy adventures and personal crises. Get your laughter therapy here
In a bid to save his English tearoom in Paris, Paul West signs up to be a PR ambassador for the UK's tourism board in the USA. Armed with crazy pals, a French feminist girlfriend, a British sense of humor and an Indian call center assistant, Paul goes through the course of 5 cities in the USA, traveling from coast to coast passing through towns, crazy adventures and personal crises. Get your laughter therapy here
March 19, 2020
I have never dabbled in humor genre and I came across this book because a friend gifted it to me. I am glad she did.
It's a very light and witty book with a chuckle hidden here and there. It was engaging enough to not feel boring at any point of time.
Added perks of reading this book is you get to know some cultures and learn a bit of french too 😉.
Enjoy the book and keep reading. Cheerio 😄
It's a very light and witty book with a chuckle hidden here and there. It was engaging enough to not feel boring at any point of time.
Added perks of reading this book is you get to know some cultures and learn a bit of french too 😉.
Enjoy the book and keep reading. Cheerio 😄
August 19, 2024
Final book in the trilogy and I’m not really sad to be at the end of the road. This book moves from France to USA but continues in much the same way as the two French adventures. It’s lightweight holiday reading with a few twists and turns and few giggles, but not really meaty enough for me. It was a pleasant enough ride but I won���t be repeating the trip.
October 25, 2021
Pirma knyga pati geriausia. Šioje veiksmas persikelia į JAV, kas kiek paįvairina situaciją, ten buvusiems gali būti įdomu paskaityti apie matytas vietas ir objektus per britiško skepticizmo/humoro prizmę.
October 28, 2023
Stephen Clarke with his sarcastic humour is always a good idea. My favourite part of the book was an airplane window seat scene that makes him conclude that in case you think the Frenchmen are impolite you should go to the US and spend time among the Americans :)
June 21, 2018
Encore une bonne histoire de Paul West et de ses déboires en France (et en Angleterre). Moins drôle que le premier mais tout aussi intéressant !
September 23, 2019
Bláznivé historky angličana se skotským kiltem v USA. A vše komplikují francouzky.
Read
December 7, 2019Great novel ! very funny ! a page-turner !
June 24, 2020
Fun follow-up to previous novel. Another escape from our troubling times.
August 22, 2021
While I didn't enjoy it as much as the other 'Merde' books of Clarke, It was a very fun and easy read. Perfect to keep your mind off of something stressful for a time or for your holiday.
January 8, 2022
Read 25% of the book and had to stop, I didn’t like it at all! I thought it was very plain and boring.
August 31, 2022
Read in one sitting. Some very funny bits
February 22, 2023
Didn't realise this was a series, so my bad.
But still it was an OK book, it lost its rythym a bit and then just fizzled out at the end like it was rushed with no real ending.
But still it was an OK book, it lost its rythym a bit and then just fizzled out at the end like it was rushed with no real ending.
August 21, 2023
Compared to the other merde Books, the structure of this one is too repetitive, making it seem too long.
September 2, 2023
Funny and unpredictable. Hilarious observations about Americans and their way of life.
Loved the different descriptions of the different cities. A bit long but lots of laughs.
Loved the different descriptions of the different cities. A bit long but lots of laughs.
January 5, 2024
Meh... Good airport/travel/beach time-killer. Given reviews and my rather-good experience reading “Merde in France” I was disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews