In the Merde for Love, the sequel to A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke, I hate to say, is not as much fun as its predecessor. And I was really looking forward to it.
Both books center on the experiences of Paul West, a Brit who moves to France for a job. The best parts of both books involve Paul’s trying to learn how to function in France and it’s alien culture. The absolute best parts involve his trying to deal with the French bureaucracy, which often sounds like something out of Brazil.
In the Merde for Love, though, has moved away from all this somewhat, to focus on Paul’s love life and his new English-style tea room in Paris. While there are some great moments in this book, it still felt like kind of a slog and not nearly as much fun as it could have been.