A Year in the Merde

Probably a 3.5.

It was actually quite funny. The situation that unfolded was filled with unexpected twists and turns that had me chuckling along.

The characters' actions and dialogues were cleverly crafted to bring out the humor.

There were moments when I found myself laughing out loud, much to the surprise of those around me.

The story managed to strike a balance between being light-hearted and engaging, making it an enjoyable read.

Even though it might not have been a perfect 5, the 3.5 rating was well-deserved for its ability to bring a smile to my face and provide some entertainment.

I would definitely recommend it to others who are in need of a good laugh and a quick, enjoyable read.

În limba română - http://bombitaluivladmusatescu.blogsp...

This is a link in Romanian. It seems to lead to a blog post about Stephen Clarke. However, the specific content of the post is not clear from just the link. It might be an interesting read for those who are interested in Stephen Clarke or the topics covered in the blog.

In English - http://bombitaluivladmusatescuenglish...

This is the English version of the link. It also leads to a blog post about Stephen Clarke, but with a different title. The title "Stephen Clarke - Year in Merde" might suggest that the post is about a difficult or challenging year in Stephen Clarke's life. Again, without actually visiting the link, it's hard to know exactly what the post contains. But it could potentially provide some insights or stories about Stephen Clarke's experiences during that year.

This started off so promisingly with snarky but charming British banter about France's little annoying idiosyncrasies.

Anyone who has spent any time in France can appreciate this. The main character, a British twenty-something, chronicles his year living in France.

He is working for a corrupt corporate sleaze bag who wants help marketing tea rooms in Paris. It turns out that the main character is also a sleaze bag AND a "whinge cow" as he so aptly dubs whiners.

By the month of February, I was so sick of his "God invented women so men have something besides horses to mount and, oh by the way, I only associate with stupid trashy people so that I can reinforce my asinine philosophy and then insult everyone around me" syndrome.

I almost stopped reading. I was ready for the whinge cow to go mount himself. However, there were some truly funny moments.

Most of these involved brilliant phonetic transcriptions of the accent of a Frenchman who had spent time studying in Georgia. Those were precious.

And so is my favorite new "whinge cow" expression. But I'm not sure they're worth putting up with the rest of the merde.

I firmly believe that every individual who embarks on a journey to France, regardless of how proficient they may consider themselves in the language, encounters at least a portion of the experiences that Clarke vividly recounts within this travel memoir.

Depending on the ultimate level of trauma inflicted by these experiences, we eagerly share all the details with our friends and family upon our return home. However, only a select few of us are able to convey the entire story with the dry wit that Clarke consistently showcases throughout "A Year in the Merde." In fact, I lost count of the numerous times I found myself laughing out loud.

This particular memoir is an absolute delight for those who possess a certain degree of knowledge in the language, including some familiarity with French slang. Nevertheless, I am convinced that even those who have never set foot in France or who know only a few basic words of French will thoroughly enjoy this captivating read.

It offers a unique and entertaining perspective on life in France, filled with humorous anecdotes and charming insights that are sure to engage and amuse readers from all walks of life.

The odometer has just turned past my 18th month in France.

This book was truly perfect to read in order to commemorate this significant milestone.

It is filled to the brim with hilarious stories that, on numerous occasions, had me on the verge of choking with laughter.

I vividly remember having it at the checkout counter in the grocery store.

Before I could even utter a word, the clerk began laughing uproariously.

Now, the question arises: Is it all true?

Well, of course not.

However, it does contain some truly tremendous insights that are artfully blended with humor and some light-hearted, not overly profound writing.

It makes for an enjoyable read that can bring a smile to your face and a bit of entertainment during your spare time.

Overall, it's a great book to have in your collection, especially if you're looking for something to brighten your day.

I believe my evaluation of the original version wouldn't be so negative. Surely it wouldn't be a 5, but the drastic 1 here is entirely due to the translation. No disrespect to Luísa Silva Maneiras, who did a great job with what she had at her disposal, but the essence of this book, almost all of it based on wordplay between French and English, is completely lost in the Portuguese version, no matter how hard those involved try. I never took so long to read such a small book, but each chapter was more painful than the other. If you are thinking of buying the book, I recommend that you do so in the original language.

It's truly a pity that the charm and cleverness of the original work couldn't be properly conveyed in the translation. The wordplay, which is likely a significant part of the author's intention and the book's appeal, just doesn't come through in Portuguese. This shows how important accurate translation is in bringing a foreign work to a new audience. For readers who want to fully appreciate the nuances and subtleties of the story, it's essential to read it in the language it was originally written in. In this case, the English or French version would likely offer a much more satisfying reading experience.

Audiobook. It can be a source of entertainment, but this particular one struck me as rather laddish and not entirely believable.

I understand that the French have their own ways, but the excessive amount of casual bonking described in it seemed rather hard to believe.

While it was interesting to listen to while in France, getting a taste of the author's second-hand impressions, it was ultimately very vanilla comedy fare.

It didn't offer anything truly unique or thought-provoking.

It was just a light-hearted listen that passed the time, but didn't leave a lasting impression.

Overall, it was an okay audiobook, but not one that I would highly recommend.

A curious digression to start – in a Facebook readers' group, the question: Given the book you are reading, where are you currently? I felt like blurting out "in the shit" like a shot, but, being the decent person I am, I replied "In Paris."

Stephen Clarke introduces us to this book (calling it a "serious comedy") with many comparisons like "The Hermès tie is so charged with energy that it could power the entire Parisian metro if they plugged it in" or "The arrondissement forms a snail's little house, and the snail itself has probably been eaten long ago."

According to the comments, this writing style has quite angered some readers, I assume mainly the French. But, since I don't belong to either of these two nations, it amused me.

"I mustn't try to please people. That's too English. You have to show them that your arse hurts for their opinion. Only then will they give you what you want."

Our hero Paul West, an Englishman, neither married nor in a relationship, gets a business opportunity to open a chain of English pubs with a selection of teas in Paris. He is forced to collaborate with French colleagues who supposedly know English, but in the actual conversation, you wonder if they even know their own language. He will soon realize that the French just nod their heads but actually always do everything their own way.

"I asked for a café au lait and was served a combination of the annual harvest of Colombian coffee plantations and the total production of all the cows in the Normandy region. I looked at the bill and the price included the transport of the cows in first-class carriages."

A particular problem is the dog poop on the streets of Paris, where, damn it, it's often Paul who has the misfortune to step in it.

And that's not all: over time, he will discover that his boss illegally imports banned British beef and at the same time tries to sell him a weekend house in an area where a nuclear power plant is planned. All merde to the max!

Since a solution for his project doesn't seem to be in sight anytime soon, from an acquaintance (of course, an Englishman), he will receive the advice to start teaching the English language. You guessed it, that too will not pass without problems, but again, it made me laugh.

"What did you have for dinner last night, Sylvie? I made crepes. You mean crêpes, pancakes? Yes, pala pičke. OK, Philippe, what would you say to the waiter if you don't have eating utensils? Well, excuse me, I want the fucking utensils."

I didn't read the original so I must also mention and praise the translator Vlata Jurić!

While reading, I couldn't help but remember that story about the crow, which has two points, related to our topic here: "Not everyone who pulls you out of the shit is your friend, nor is everyone who shits on you your enemy." Nevertheless, regardless of that, I recommend reading this satirical work about the clash of the mentalities of two nations, especially if you need a good laugh.

"Merde is everywhere, you see, and it can even bring you luck. If someone else steps in it."

Finally, I believe that even Paul West himself would have changed the famous slogan of the French Revolution to "Liberté, égalité, merde."