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Rowdy in Paris
A rollicking comic romp by the author of Skipped Parts and Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty.
Rowdy Talbot isn't the world's greatest bull rider. Not even close. But he lives by the cowboy code, and he never forgets to take off his cowboy hat during the national anthem.
When Rowdy wins the rodeo in Crockett County, Colorado, he celebrates his triumph with two young Frenchwomen he meets in a local bar. The next morning, when he discovers that the two have left for Paris with the championship belt buckle he won, Rowdy does what any true cowboy would: he hops on a plane to the City of Light to retrieve it.
What follows is a comic collision of cultures and personalities. In Rowdy in Paris, Tim Sandlin has concocted an unlikely but engaging mélange of characters: disaffected French revolutionaries, a turquoise-peddling CIA operative, and a middle-aged courtesan, all caught in a plot to destroy an American fast-food chain. At the center of the chaos is Rowdy himself, who finds as he searches for the belt buckle that there's another world beyond the back of a bull.
By turns smart and satirical, biting and engaging, Rowdy in Paris is a surprisingly moving story about what it means to broaden one's horizons by opening one's heart.
Rowdy Talbot isn't the world's greatest bull rider. Not even close. But he lives by the cowboy code, and he never forgets to take off his cowboy hat during the national anthem.
When Rowdy wins the rodeo in Crockett County, Colorado, he celebrates his triumph with two young Frenchwomen he meets in a local bar. The next morning, when he discovers that the two have left for Paris with the championship belt buckle he won, Rowdy does what any true cowboy would: he hops on a plane to the City of Light to retrieve it.
What follows is a comic collision of cultures and personalities. In Rowdy in Paris, Tim Sandlin has concocted an unlikely but engaging mélange of characters: disaffected French revolutionaries, a turquoise-peddling CIA operative, and a middle-aged courtesan, all caught in a plot to destroy an American fast-food chain. At the center of the chaos is Rowdy himself, who finds as he searches for the belt buckle that there's another world beyond the back of a bull.
By turns smart and satirical, biting and engaging, Rowdy in Paris is a surprisingly moving story about what it means to broaden one's horizons by opening one's heart.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Tim Sandlin
15 books151 followersTim Sandlin has published ten novels and a book of columns. He wrote eleven screenplays for hire; three have been made into movies. He turned forty with no phone, TV, or flush toilet and now he has all that stuff. Tim and his wife adopted a little girl from China. He is now living happily (indoors) with his family in Jackson, Wyoming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 1, 2014
This was four stars for the first half of the book and then 3 stars for the rest. I thought the first half was interesting and creative with lots of little anecdotes and character introductions. The cowboy stories in the western environment then switching to the culture shock of an American Cowboy in Paris were quite amusing at times.
Once it moved from interesting little anecdotes to a James Bond-esque story (Rowdy being our "James Bond") it lost a little something and it started to feel forced. Almost like Sandlin felt like he had to get somewhere, get there fast, and wasn't really sure how to get there in a smooth fashion.
I did enjoy this book, but it was not quite as good as his GroVont series or the stand alone Honey Don't.
Once it moved from interesting little anecdotes to a James Bond-esque story (Rowdy being our "James Bond") it lost a little something and it started to feel forced. Almost like Sandlin felt like he had to get somewhere, get there fast, and wasn't really sure how to get there in a smooth fashion.
I did enjoy this book, but it was not quite as good as his GroVont series or the stand alone Honey Don't.
January 18, 2016
The greatest strength of this novel is the voice and point of view of its narrator and protagonist Rowdy. Sandlin has done a wonderful job of creating a persona whose dry wit and pigheadedness creates much of the humor in this text. Rowdy's logic can be ridiculously close minded one minute and amazingly tolerant and wise the next. It is this character's contradictory nature and his uncomplicated view on life that gives this novel its innate charm.
Tim Sandlin is a gifted storyteller, and his writing has moments of sheer brilliance. You might be reading a chapter with a ridiculous plot element and all of a sudden stumble upon a line that stops you cold with its depth and singular power. This happened to me numerous times while reading this book, and I for one appreciate a text that has literary elements AND moments of simple "fun".
Be prepared for an ending that is more touching than the reader will be primed for. The situation that Sandlin creates between Rowdy and his son Tyson rings very true, as I know people who have found themselves in very similar circumstances. The reality of that subplot is actually uncomfortable and painful at times because of its harsh authenticity.
Overall "Rowdy in Paris" is a worthwhile and enjoyable read. Buy it. Maybe it will convince Mr. Sandlin's publishers to put more of his books back into print.
Tim Sandlin is a gifted storyteller, and his writing has moments of sheer brilliance. You might be reading a chapter with a ridiculous plot element and all of a sudden stumble upon a line that stops you cold with its depth and singular power. This happened to me numerous times while reading this book, and I for one appreciate a text that has literary elements AND moments of simple "fun".
Be prepared for an ending that is more touching than the reader will be primed for. The situation that Sandlin creates between Rowdy and his son Tyson rings very true, as I know people who have found themselves in very similar circumstances. The reality of that subplot is actually uncomfortable and painful at times because of its harsh authenticity.
Overall "Rowdy in Paris" is a worthwhile and enjoyable read. Buy it. Maybe it will convince Mr. Sandlin's publishers to put more of his books back into print.
May 4, 2021
I know I liked it, but I can't remember a thing about it. Sad.
March 13, 2008
I just finished "Rowdy in Paris" and repercussions were about what you'd expect. I laughed my hind end off.
For longtime Sandlin fans, this novel is sure to be a joy as the author returns to the first person voice that marks his most beloved work. Rowdy Talbot speaks in pretty much the same voice as Sandlin's most famous creations, Kelly Palomino and Sam Callahan and this gaurantees that the book is going to be a joyous comic romp. True, the plot is a little much to believe and the geo-political stuff and Rowdy's fish out of water critiques of French culture are a little forced, but that's not the point. The real fun here is in Rowdy's musings on the cowboy code and life in general and the way Sandlin mixes humor with moments of real tenderness and sweetness. If you're not already a member of the Cult of Tim, I'm not sure this is the best place to start--Skipped Parts probably would be far better. However, for longtime fans, especially those who didn't quite dig Sandlin's last two novels (or those who did) this really hits the spot.
For longtime Sandlin fans, this novel is sure to be a joy as the author returns to the first person voice that marks his most beloved work. Rowdy Talbot speaks in pretty much the same voice as Sandlin's most famous creations, Kelly Palomino and Sam Callahan and this gaurantees that the book is going to be a joyous comic romp. True, the plot is a little much to believe and the geo-political stuff and Rowdy's fish out of water critiques of French culture are a little forced, but that's not the point. The real fun here is in Rowdy's musings on the cowboy code and life in general and the way Sandlin mixes humor with moments of real tenderness and sweetness. If you're not already a member of the Cult of Tim, I'm not sure this is the best place to start--Skipped Parts probably would be far better. However, for longtime fans, especially those who didn't quite dig Sandlin's last two novels (or those who did) this really hits the spot.
January 15, 2009
So far, much better than his last book... Still not as good as the Skipped Parts trilogy, though.
February 18, 2025
A cowboy finally wins a rodeo and celebrates with a couple of foreign women who steal his prize belt buckle that he wants to show his young son. Impetuously, he takes a plane to Paris to track it down and soon this fish out of water story involves corporate espionage and a lot of people not being who they appear to be. This was a fun novel that often made me laugh out loud.
June 13, 2023
Not funny enough to be humorous, original enough to be interesting or provocative enough to make me wonder about any of the characters. Meh. Moving on.
June 12, 2008
I love Tim Sandlin! I love his awkward and reprehensible but endearing characters. I love his hilariousness. And I love that I can get his books for free now!
I first found him after a weird sexcapade, waiting for coffee to percolate, I thumbed through a book called Western Swing by him and suddenly all dark questionable behaviors were made light and unimportant by a story beginning with a writer out on a vision quest or something in the Rockies who suddenly thinks he's being shot at and is scrambling for his life thinking about things like maybe he should try to make-up with his ex-wife. Ok, it's been awhile. I'll re-read it after I order them all.
But anyway it's sitcomy or at best indie dark comedy stuff made by Wes Anderson but not really and less hip--maybe Noah Baumback but less hip or the guy who wrote Juno but less hip--I don't know but he just makes these people work so well. After western I read the trilogy with the little kid and the single mom and how the kid knocks up his little girlfriend and that sounds awful as I write it. But it's sooo gooood!!
Rowdy in Paris I read after I tried to read Sandlin's Jimmy Hendrix Turns 80 but found it a little too Grumpy Old Men (but more hip) for me (though I'll try it again because I did like it I just wanted not to read about a retirement community) and it's about a bad rodeo rider who finally wins a competition and gets a buckle and hopes that will win back his estranged young son living with his mean ex-wife. Then two French chicks seduce him and steal it. So he goes to Paris and is annoyed about the coffee situation. And then he takes up with a taxi driver and has run ins with anti-American Chain restaurant revolutionaries. And after that it gets a little campy which is why I hold back that final star.
And then I wonder how he actually feels about Starbucks in Paris because of the afterword about how many there are now (depressing), but Rowdy at the end does go to an indie coffee shop so...
Whatever try out Tim Sandlin!
I first found him after a weird sexcapade, waiting for coffee to percolate, I thumbed through a book called Western Swing by him and suddenly all dark questionable behaviors were made light and unimportant by a story beginning with a writer out on a vision quest or something in the Rockies who suddenly thinks he's being shot at and is scrambling for his life thinking about things like maybe he should try to make-up with his ex-wife. Ok, it's been awhile. I'll re-read it after I order them all.
But anyway it's sitcomy or at best indie dark comedy stuff made by Wes Anderson but not really and less hip--maybe Noah Baumback but less hip or the guy who wrote Juno but less hip--I don't know but he just makes these people work so well. After western I read the trilogy with the little kid and the single mom and how the kid knocks up his little girlfriend and that sounds awful as I write it. But it's sooo gooood!!
Rowdy in Paris I read after I tried to read Sandlin's Jimmy Hendrix Turns 80 but found it a little too Grumpy Old Men (but more hip) for me (though I'll try it again because I did like it I just wanted not to read about a retirement community) and it's about a bad rodeo rider who finally wins a competition and gets a buckle and hopes that will win back his estranged young son living with his mean ex-wife. Then two French chicks seduce him and steal it. So he goes to Paris and is annoyed about the coffee situation. And then he takes up with a taxi driver and has run ins with anti-American Chain restaurant revolutionaries. And after that it gets a little campy which is why I hold back that final star.
And then I wonder how he actually feels about Starbucks in Paris because of the afterword about how many there are now (depressing), but Rowdy at the end does go to an indie coffee shop so...
Whatever try out Tim Sandlin!
June 30, 2013
It's hard not to love Rowdy Talbot, especially if you're a guy. A mediocre cowboy and even less-than-mediocre bullrider, he nevertheless embraces a cowboy code to which he is unwavering. When he finally wins first prize at the Crockett County rodeo in Colorado, Rowdy gets drunk and winds spending the night with a pair of nubile young French girls. The next morning they are gone, and with them his championship belt buckle, so Rowdy buys a ticket to Paris and sets out to reclaim his prize.
At first glance, it may seem that very little is at stake, but there is more to Rowdy than spurs and a ten-gallon hat. Rowdy is a divorcee, estranged from his ex-wife and his son, and the buckle to him is validation that he is not a complete failure. Once in Paris, however, the quest becomes about more than a belt buckle as Rowdy gets caught up with a group of French revolutionaries intent upon destroying a popular fast food chain. And although Rowdy may be a man's man, he's not exactly John Wayne.
This book is like a big bucket of popcorn, or at least it deserves to be read with one by your side. Screenwriter Tim Sandlin creates a fast-paced, cinematic experience that has the look and feel of one of those obscure cult movies you rent with your drinking buddies on a Saturday night. But this isn't just a guys's book. The story is surprisingly moving, especially when Rowdy wins the affection of one of the two French girls, a jazz-loving hipster who proves herself to have untapped reserves of tenderness, so women will find something to love as well.
All in all, this is a fun little romp in the City of Lights, and as a man who loves both westerns and Paris in equal measure, I couldn't put it down.
At first glance, it may seem that very little is at stake, but there is more to Rowdy than spurs and a ten-gallon hat. Rowdy is a divorcee, estranged from his ex-wife and his son, and the buckle to him is validation that he is not a complete failure. Once in Paris, however, the quest becomes about more than a belt buckle as Rowdy gets caught up with a group of French revolutionaries intent upon destroying a popular fast food chain. And although Rowdy may be a man's man, he's not exactly John Wayne.
This book is like a big bucket of popcorn, or at least it deserves to be read with one by your side. Screenwriter Tim Sandlin creates a fast-paced, cinematic experience that has the look and feel of one of those obscure cult movies you rent with your drinking buddies on a Saturday night. But this isn't just a guys's book. The story is surprisingly moving, especially when Rowdy wins the affection of one of the two French girls, a jazz-loving hipster who proves herself to have untapped reserves of tenderness, so women will find something to love as well.
All in all, this is a fun little romp in the City of Lights, and as a man who loves both westerns and Paris in equal measure, I couldn't put it down.
April 5, 2008
Chapter 16 - "In France, the ground floor is ground floor. The story above that is number one." I counted in my head. "So, the fourth floor is the third floor?" The boy said, "that is so."
This explanation had been part of my German class a few days earlier. Explained in (Barron's Learn German Deutsch The Fast and Fun Way Third Edition 2 Ankunft - Unterkunft finden)
*Note that Germans designate flooors in a building differently than Americans. In Germany, the street-level floor is called das Erdgeschoss, not the first floor. The German first floor is above das Erdegeschoss and is the same as the American second floor. Thus, when the German hotel clerk speaks of the third floor (dritten Stock), he is referring to what is known as the fourth floor in America.
Rowdy wonders - Why would an entire nation call the second floor the first? Anyone would have made the same mistake, only it wasn't anyone. It was me. The French did not see the humor of rowdy's mistake.
Rowdy would be beside himself if he learned that the entire German nation has the same system. Rowdy's dealings with the French are consistently humours.
This explanation had been part of my German class a few days earlier. Explained in (Barron's Learn German Deutsch The Fast and Fun Way Third Edition 2 Ankunft - Unterkunft finden)
*Note that Germans designate flooors in a building differently than Americans. In Germany, the street-level floor is called das Erdgeschoss, not the first floor. The German first floor is above das Erdegeschoss and is the same as the American second floor. Thus, when the German hotel clerk speaks of the third floor (dritten Stock), he is referring to what is known as the fourth floor in America.
Rowdy wonders - Why would an entire nation call the second floor the first? Anyone would have made the same mistake, only it wasn't anyone. It was me. The French did not see the humor of rowdy's mistake.
Rowdy would be beside himself if he learned that the entire German nation has the same system. Rowdy's dealings with the French are consistently humours.
November 30, 2011
I'm not one who usually laughs while I read. I tend to take things to literally and what most find funny, I find more like stupid humor.
However, Sandlin did a terrific job keeping my interest and actually made me laugh so hard in several places I had to stop reading to finish laughing.
Rowdy is a cowboy from Wyoming and he goes to great lengths to pursue his prize. There were several times I was shocked at Rowdy's behavior and it also made him more endearing to me as a character.
Sandlin uses real places and facts about Wyoming and Paris.
One of my favorite scenes from the book is when Rowdy is in the bathroom and a Colorado politician type man comes in to do his business on page 10 and Rowdy says, "I finished leaking, zipped it up, and headed for the door. The man said 'In Colorado, we wash our hands after we urinate.'
I looked back at him 'In Wyoming, we don't pee on ourselves."
There are many more funny little gems like this throughout the book.
However, Sandlin did a terrific job keeping my interest and actually made me laugh so hard in several places I had to stop reading to finish laughing.
Rowdy is a cowboy from Wyoming and he goes to great lengths to pursue his prize. There were several times I was shocked at Rowdy's behavior and it also made him more endearing to me as a character.
Sandlin uses real places and facts about Wyoming and Paris.
One of my favorite scenes from the book is when Rowdy is in the bathroom and a Colorado politician type man comes in to do his business on page 10 and Rowdy says, "I finished leaking, zipped it up, and headed for the door. The man said 'In Colorado, we wash our hands after we urinate.'
I looked back at him 'In Wyoming, we don't pee on ourselves."
There are many more funny little gems like this throughout the book.
May 9, 2015
Somewhat amusing. Wouldn't recommend it.
I liked Sandlin's Gro Vont Trilogy, especially Skipped Parts. "Honey, Don't" didn't do a thing for me, but I decided to give Sandlin another chance. Am bored with "Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty", even though the premise sounded entertaining. Struggled through "Rowdy in Paris" and finally finished it. That's the thing you normally say about a 1000-page epic or a multiple volume work, not a comic novel of under 300 pages.
Rowdy's first person narrative is funny at times, especially his fish-out-of-water observations about French culture as compared to "the cowboy code", but it's not enough to overcome a weak, contrived plot that didn't keep me engaged.
Thought an endorsement from Christopher Moore meant I was in for a good read. His credibility took a hit with this one.
I liked Sandlin's Gro Vont Trilogy, especially Skipped Parts. "Honey, Don't" didn't do a thing for me, but I decided to give Sandlin another chance. Am bored with "Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty", even though the premise sounded entertaining. Struggled through "Rowdy in Paris" and finally finished it. That's the thing you normally say about a 1000-page epic or a multiple volume work, not a comic novel of under 300 pages.
Rowdy's first person narrative is funny at times, especially his fish-out-of-water observations about French culture as compared to "the cowboy code", but it's not enough to overcome a weak, contrived plot that didn't keep me engaged.
Thought an endorsement from Christopher Moore meant I was in for a good read. His credibility took a hit with this one.
July 15, 2008
I picked this up because of a recommendation on Neil Gaiman's blog.
I found it really funny. I tried to explain the plot to a friend when I was half way through, and we both ended up giggling.
A bull rider visiting Paris could be funny on its own, but with his mission of getting his newly won belt buckle back and being mis-identified as a CIA operative, the weirdness ensues. It was lots of fun.
With the amount of sex mentioned, I won't be suggesting it to the older readers at the library, but I will be looking for more of Tim Sandlin's books for me.
I found it really funny. I tried to explain the plot to a friend when I was half way through, and we both ended up giggling.
A bull rider visiting Paris could be funny on its own, but with his mission of getting his newly won belt buckle back and being mis-identified as a CIA operative, the weirdness ensues. It was lots of fun.
With the amount of sex mentioned, I won't be suggesting it to the older readers at the library, but I will be looking for more of Tim Sandlin's books for me.
May 10, 2012
Never take yourself too seriously. Read cowboy poetry. Learn to drink espresso coffee before going to France. The Parisian girls will teach you everything else.
Bull riders are heros with broken bones, and Tim Sandlin is the master of off the wall humour. Well, actually, it's a toss up between him and Christopher Moore.
Settle back with a beer to wet down the dry humour Tim writes, and cowboy up when the glass gets empty.
Bull riders are heros with broken bones, and Tim Sandlin is the master of off the wall humour. Well, actually, it's a toss up between him and Christopher Moore.
Settle back with a beer to wet down the dry humour Tim writes, and cowboy up when the glass gets empty.
April 4, 2009
I never thought I'd read about Paris from a cowboy's perspective -- but the author stayed in an apartment around the corner from my old Paris apartment when working on the book (per the jacket cover), so I picked it up. Now, I doubt me and Rowdy have a lot in common - but we sure seem to hit a lot of the same spots (except I've never quite enjoyed the Catacombs the same as is). A good tale, good humor writing, enjoyable read.
January 5, 2010
This was a pretty funny book. If you're a fan of westerns it's a great change from the kind of shoot'em up fare that usually graces the pages of westerns. This book is a fish out of water story that is full of sterotypes and humor. The title pretty much says it all, this book is about the adventure a cowboy, Rowdy, has while in Paris trying to chase down his championship buckle. It was a fun, quick read that I'd recommend to anyone who just wants a laugh without a whole lot of drama.
October 17, 2011
I really wanted to hate this book. In the first few pages, I made up my mind to hate it, but something made me go further. I have to say, I enjoyed it. Which, by the way, kind of scares me to say. It was raunchy, trashy, smutty, but funny and entertaining, with interesting plot twists. I would recommend it.
July 18, 2008
A cowboy gets his prize bull riding belt buckle ripped off by girls from Paris during a threesome and takes off on an adventure to get it bac. This turns into having to save Paris from terrorists threatening to poision and kill people at McDonalds and Starbucks. Quirky and fun, classic Sandlin.
January 26, 2009
Entertaining. Quick read. I enjoyed learning a little about professional rodeo. Bought this while in Jackson Hole and got a kick out of the connection to that charming area. Characters that are quirky with some unlikeable traits but definitely relatable.
February 7, 2010
This is one of the first books I checked out from the Castro Valley library. A rodeo rider finally wins a belt buckle, only to have it stolen by the women he picks. They're French, so the only way he can get it back is to fly to Paris. A great fish-out-of-water story.
March 27, 2013
What a waste of time. One of the few books I've just not cared enough to finish. Found myself not even liking the title character. And didn't care enough about the others to form an opinion. I think it was supposed to be funny, but the humor was lost on me. I just wanted to be done with it.
September 1, 2012
Rodeo bull rider Rowdy Talbot follows two french women to Paris in hopes of recovering his stolen championship belt buckle -- finding love and saving Starbucks along the way. I liked this book better than I thought I would, as it could have been really lame.
April 23, 2013
Surprisingly entertaining! I wasn't entirely expected it to be quite so enjoyable, but it was great. Funny and very witty. I like the author's style. So many great one liners, if I had written them all down, I would have copied the entire book. Great read.
Read
February 23, 2010Will read it after "Jimmy Hendrix Turns Eighty."
November 19, 2008
Not as good as his Sex & Sunsets, but still a fun read. Filthy and convoluted, but definitely entertaining.
January 27, 2009
Started this one along with 2 other books. Got distracted by the other two, finished those and just wasn't interested in picking this one back up.
March 28, 2009
This book is a nice piece of literary fluff. Approach this book like you would the latest Will Farrell movie and you will have a great read.
April 28, 2009
This book had me laughing so much!! It's LOL Emeritus. Vive la France et aussi Rowdy.
September 17, 2009
It always makes me happy to be reminded that the genre of comic novel exists.
May 2, 2010
I am again reminded of why I prefer to stick with YA and children's lit - they are slightly less jaded than adult writers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews