num_pages: 411
description: 'Edgier than Bryson, hits harder than Mayle' 
  The Times
A year after arriving in France, Englishman Paul West is still struggling with some fundamental questions:What is the best way to scare a gendarme? Why are there no health warnings on French nudist beaches? And is it really polite to sleep with your boss's mistress?Paul opens his English tea room, and mutates (temporarily) into a Parisian waiter; samples the pleasures of typically French hotel-room afternoons; and, on a return visit to the UK, sees the full horror of a British office party through Parisian eyes.Meanwhile, he continues his search for the perfect French mademoiselle. But will Paul find l'amour �ternel, or will it all end in 
  merde
?
  MERDE ACTUALLY
In his second comedy of errors, Paul West continues to sabotage the entente cordiale.Author's apology: 'I'd just like to say sorry to all the suppository fans out there, because in this book there are no suppositories. There are, however, lots of courgettes, and I see this as progress. Suppositories to courgettes - I think it proves that I'm developing as a writer.' Stephen Clarke
language: English
title: Merde Actually
titlecomplete: Merde Actually
characters: Paul West
genres: Fiction, France, British Literature, Comedy, Roman, Humor, Novels, Travel, Contemporary, Modern
ratings_count: 4788
series: Paul West
publisher: Bantam