Oh goodness,

This book was super hilarious. It had me laughing out loud from start to finish. The author's sense of humor is truly remarkable.

I hope the others in the series are just as funny. I can't wait to get my hands on them and continue this laughter-filled journey.

I travel a lot too, and it's always a blast putting yourself in new cultures. Experiencing different traditions, cuisines, and ways of life is so enriching. It broadens your perspective and makes you appreciate the diversity of our world.

Just like the characters in the book, I love exploring new places and meeting new people. It's an adventure that never gets old.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good laugh and has a passion for travel. It's the perfect combination of entertainment and inspiration.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a copy and get ready to embark on a hilarious and unforgettable adventure.

As a Brit who has spent three years living in Paris, I was truly excited to read this book. It had been on my list for a decade, and finally, I picked it up this summer.

The first page begins with a description of the French: "Great lifestyle, great food, and totally unpolitically correct women with great underwear." The author, upon arriving in Paris, then muses, "I've got to check out those underwear."

"Okay," I thought, "That's kinda funny." But soon I realized that this would be the entire premise of the book, and it's tremendously cringe.

The main character, Paul (allegedly an avatar of the author), measures his life progression by how many times he gets off. The way women are described is incredibly shallow and sexist. There is almost never any mention of personality, and the way their exteriors are described makes it seem as though Clarke/Paul is unaware that women are more than just legs, asses, and breasts. In his 8 months in Paris, Paul describes (with painfully cringy metaphors and analogies) his sex lives with 5 different women. None of these women are fleshed out (at least not in the figurative sense) nor given a personality, yet their lovemaking sessions receive ample attention. Paul views them as exploits.

Throughout the book, the characters Paul meets are sorted into two categories: "potential shags" and "jerks who are out to get him." It's painfully obvious to every reader, but somehow not to Paul, that "hey, maybe it's not everyone else who is the jerk - maybe it's you?"

Ultimately, during his 8 months in France, Paul's impressions of French culture are wildly misguided. He goes to a pub with a group of obnoxious, oblivious, hot-blooded British football hooligans (also only in Paris for the sex) and laments at how his countrymen don't understand the finesse of French women. This book enforces the exact stereotypes that fuel disastrous British stag parties in Paris: that Parisian women are all nymphomaniacs simply begging to be mounted by tactless Englishmen with beer-breath who think their "superior British wit and charm" makes them irresistible.

This is the kind of book I would imagine Harvey Weinstein keeps on his bedside table. However, I did allow a second star on account of the nice descriptions of Paris and non-sexual bits of humour that brought me a few smiles and laughs.

The sad thing is that there is so much material in a Brit living in Paris, and it could have involved sex as well (just perhaps not as the main theme). It would only have taken an author able to write female characters with a micro-gram of nuance and a male character who wasn't a huge self-obsessed prick.

I actually remember seeing Clarke's second book (Love in the Merde) on bookshelves and thinking it was a funny title.

However, I choose to read this one first since it's the first book in the series.

The story follows Paul West as he relocates to Paris for work and has to interact with Parisians as an Englishman.

I adored how it began with him being like a fish out of water and then developed into his journey of becoming an expat.

He points out numerous differences between Brits and Parisians.

But since I'm not an expert on either, I required a British to American cultural explanation.

I managed to muddle my way through and I believe I figured out most of it.

I think my favorite part was when Paul attempts to purchase a house in the French countryside.

It sounded so romantic and lovely, but unfortunately, he was being made a fool of by his boss.

Overall, it was a great book.

It was a great read and presented a different side of France than I've read about before.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a humorous and engaging story about life as an expat in France.

I would have truly appreciated a more in-depth exploration of the French/English culture clash. It would have been fascinating to see how the differences in language, traditions, and social norms played out in various situations.

However, instead of that, there seemed to be an excessive amount of bragging about getting so much sex. This aspect felt rather juvenile and detracted from the overall potential of the story.

It would have been much more engaging if the focus had been on the cultural aspects and how they influenced the characters' experiences and relationships.

By delving deeper into the culture clash, the author could have provided a more rich and meaningful narrative that would have appealed to a wider audience.

As it stands, the overemphasis on sexual conquests gives the impression of a shallow and immature perspective.

Hopefully, in future works, the author will recognize the value of exploring cultural differences and tone down the more juvenile elements.

I read this book approximately a month and a half into my trip to Paris. It provided a welcome break from the guidebooks, intellectual culinary reviews, and other literature, all of which used "rose-colored glasses" language to describe Paris to the point of nausea. Well, perhaps instead of calling it a "breath of fresh air," it might be more like a "fresh burst of flatulence in a crowded elevator."

First and foremost, let's be clear about Clarke's writing abilities. It didn't come as a surprise when I learned that he had self-published the book, as some of the sentences are painfully unedited and juvenile. Clarke seems to have the mind of a twelve-year-old homophobe/misogynist. Half of the book is dedicated to "oogling boobies" and making "shit" jokes. On page 64, when describing a string of prostitutes, he writes, "if I hadn't been so terrified of AIDS I could have let myself be swept into a tide of sex." He even calls someone a "red-faced fatso" on page 239 and frequently describes wanting to shoot his coworkers in the face. He sleeps with practically anything that walks, or attempts to anyway, including his boss's daughter. The women have little character beyond what is described about their legs or mouths.

I'm giving it two stars instead of one simply because it's kind of like the trashy magazine that you read after subscribing to the Times, New Yorker, or Economist for five years. Sometimes you just need a bit of politically incorrect trash. And I liked hearing the mention of the Parisian arrondissements, being familiar with them myself. The political stuff, although a bit biased, was also amusing.

I'd recommend it for the plane ride to Paris, considering I finished it in about three days (it could probably be done in less time). It should also be noted that there are now fines for dog poop, so Clarke's problem with his shoes is no longer an issue here.

However, it's important to approach this book with a critical eye and not take everything in it too seriously. It's a light and somewhat raunchy read that can provide some entertainment during a trip to Paris, but it doesn't offer any profound insights or literary value.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a quick and dirty read to pass the time on your way to Paris, this book might be worth checking out. But don't expect it to be a masterpiece.

Okay, I rarely give ratings to books that I couldn't manage to finish. However, once I reached a little over halfway through this particular one, I became certain that I just couldn't bring myself to complete it. The main character is truly such a misogynistic prick. He relocates from London to Paris for work, and right from the start, it seems as if the only thing he is concerned about is getting intimate with someone. The only aspects of this book that I derived any enjoyment from were those that described the act of walking around Paris. That's literally it - and the reason for that is because Paris is simply gorgeous. It's a shame that the rest of the book failed to capture my interest and was overshadowed by the unlikable nature of the main character.

UPDATE: This book was truly one of the worst ones I've read in recent times.

There is hardly any humor to be found, and the few attempts at it are simply pathetic.

To be completely fair, I did give up halfway through reading it.

The misogyny in the book just became too overwhelming for me to handle.

However, I did manage to pick up some good tips on how to order at a French cafe.

I purchased the French translation of this book at the airport in Paris two days ago.

For some reason, it is titled "God Save La France".

The story is about a 20-something Brit who doesn't speak much French and is working in Paris for a year.

I am reading the French version, which, as my sister would put it, is kind of meta.

Sometimes, I don't understand the translations of the British slang (which was in English in the original version), but I do understand all of the actual French that is used in the dialogues.

So far, a good portion of it is quite funny, while some parts are just stupid or annoying.

We'll have to wait and see if the humor can maintain its quality past page 40.

Solid handbook if you want to learn how to objectify women.

This so-called "handbook" is nothing short of a disgrace. Objectifying women is a demeaning and disrespectful act that reduces them to mere objects for the pleasure and consumption of others.

It is important to recognize that women are individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, dreams, and aspirations. They should be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.

Rather than promoting such harmful and sexist behavior, we should be working towards a society where women are valued and empowered. This means challenging and changing the cultural norms and attitudes that perpetuate the objectification of women.

We need to encourage healthy and respectful relationships based on mutual understanding and consent. Only then can we create a more just and equal world for all.

A bit like Emily in Paris, but only in the most mean-spirited, dated (read: toxic masculine) way.

This description implies a comparison that is not flattering. It suggests that something or someone is attempting to imitate the charm and allure of the popular TV show Emily in Paris, but is doing so in a negative and unappealing manner.

The use of the terms "mean-spirited" and "dated" indicates a lack of authenticity and a certain backwardness. The addition of "toxic masculine" further emphasizes the negative connotations, perhaps suggesting that the imitation is being done in a way that is overly masculine and disrespectful.

Overall, this description paints a picture of something or someone that is trying too hard to be like Emily in Paris, but is falling short in a big way. It serves as a warning to others not to make the same mistakes and to strive for authenticity and respect in their own endeavors.

This story initially began in a rather humorous vein, but unfortunately, it took a downward turn.

During his year-long stay in Paris, he seemed to be completely preoccupied with using women for various purposes.

He would seek them out for sex, taking advantage of their physical attraction to him.

Moreover, he also relied on them for housing, finding convenient places to stay without much regard for the consequences.

To make matters worse, he would even enlist their help in his business venture, perhaps exploiting their skills and connections.

It is truly disheartening to see how his actions deviated from what could have been a more positive and respectful experience in the beautiful city of Paris.

One can only wonder what led him to adopt such a self-serving and unethical approach during his time there.

Perhaps he was blinded by his own desires and failed to see the harm he was causing to those around him.

In any case, this serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of treating others with dignity and respect, regardless of the circumstances.

This book is not really my cup of tea.

If you don't know how to read French, then you'll find it quite difficult to get through as a significant portion of the conversations are in that language.

Moreover, I thought the time skips, especially when it jumps to a new day without any indication like asterisks or a new paragraph, were rather strange.

Personally, I'm not overly fond of romance, and the ending of this book left me with a sense of incompleteness.

Overall, it might be a decent read for those who are curious about what France is like. However, in my opinion, some aspects of it are exaggerated.

It has its merits in描绘 the French setting and culture, but it also has several flaws that prevent it from being a truly great book for me.

Maybe others with different preferences will enjoy it more, but for now, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Made me laugh!

This simple phrase holds a world of power. It has the ability to brighten our day, relieve stress, and bring people together.

Laughter is truly the best medicine. When something makes us laugh, it releases endorphins in our brains, which are natural feel-good chemicals. These endorphins can improve our mood, reduce pain, and even boost our immune system.

There are so many things that can make us laugh. It could be a funny joke, a silly movie, a hilarious story, or even a random encounter with a stranger.

We should always strive to find the humor in life and let ourselves laugh freely. It not only benefits our physical and mental health but also makes our lives more enjoyable.

So, the next time something makes you laugh, embrace it and let the joy spread. You never know who else might be lifted up by your laughter.