Merde Happens

Oh, his books are SO entertaining! In this one, he takes on America and while I was VERY disappointed that he didn't go to Chicago, I really enjoyed it - I laughed out loud and I'm still eager to see what happens next with him. I will continue to watch out for his books! I wonder what color his next cover will end up being...

I thought the description of American life was accurate, but the book itself was not stylistically different from the previous two. Therefore, boring. So boring, that I, in fact, flipped to the last page and read the ending, "Just as I thought", I thought. But I did keep reading, only to discover to my ultimate delight that the ending was the exact opposite of what I thought, - have I read the last two pages, instead of one, I would have known. The book is worth reading for that ending alone. I look forward to the next one. P.S.: "the ending" is a reference to Paul West's love life, and not to the contest ending. The "fight scene" between Elodie and her "Papa" was silly, as well as the whole contest set up. Seriously lacks even traces of realism.

Clarke's version of America is every bit as funny as his version of France. Paul West (lead character)drives across the US in an attempt to win a contest that will save his business back in Paris. Aside from the inevitable culture clashes, what makes this book so enjoyable is his relationships with his friends, who are a ragged yet good hearted bunch who end up looking out for one another as Paul West gets himself into one weird (and occasionally life-threatening) situation after another.I have read the previous 2 books based on the Paul West character, and I found this to be every bit as engaging, although I did not care for the end, and a few plots were too far fetched to suspend belief. But as with the other 2, I found myself laughing aloud several times.