MERDE actually is the second instalment in the adventures of Francophile Paul West. Paul is living in Paris and trying to set up an English tea room in the city, encountering along the way a plague of courgettes, a nudist beach and a lazy architect. Clark

MERDE actually is the second instalment in the adventures of Francophile Paul West.

Paul is living in Paris and trying to set up an English tea room in the city, encountering along the way a plague of courgettes, a nudist beach and a lazy architect.

Clarke's novel offers an affectionate look at French life. It also offers a glimpse of great British traditions such as the office party, which, when seen through French eyes, is frankly terrifying.

Paul West is an entertaining and intelligent narrator and slightly hapless in a way that is vaguely reminiscent of Bridget Jones.

He does, however, possess a supreme self confidence and a knack of attracting members of the opposite sex that our Bridge could do with a share of.

Because of this he sometimes appears a bit of an unrealistic character (Could this man REALLY be that attractive to everyone?) but Merde actually is nevertheless a good tale and worth a read.

Thanks to Ottakar's of Stevenage 4/5