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Paul West #5
The Merde Factor
Clarke, Stephen
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2012
36 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Clarke
31 books412 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Stephen Clarke is the bestselling author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction that satirize the peculiarities of French culture. In 2004, he self-published A Year in the Merde, a comic novel skewering contemporary French society. The novel was an instant success and has led to numerous follow-ups, including Dial M for Merde (2008), 1,000 Years of Annoying the French (2010), and Paris Revealed (2011). After working as a journalist for a French press group for ten years, Paris-based Clarke now has a regular spot on French cable TV, poking fun at French culture.
Stephen Clarke is the bestselling author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction that satirize the peculiarities of French culture. In 2004, he self-published A Year in the Merde, a comic novel skewering contemporary French society. The novel was an instant success and has led to numerous follow-ups, including Dial M for Merde (2008), 1,000 Years of Annoying the French (2010), and Paris Revealed (2011). After working as a journalist for a French press group for ten years, Paris-based Clarke now has a regular spot on French cable TV, poking fun at French culture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 28, 2013
This book really was Merde! Awful.
July 10, 2013
Stephen Clarke, a British, studied French at Oxford. He once moved to Paris and got a job as a journalist for an English Language magazine. With his unique experience, Stephen Clarke is qualified to write novels on life in Paris viewed from an Englishman.
“The Merde Factor” is his fifth volume of the fictional adventures of Paul West, an Englishman, in Paris. His first novel on Paul West was “A Year in the Merde”.
If you know the French language, I reckon that you would enjoy more than I, because French phrases were used in conversations between characters in the story. The author knew that some readers might not understand French, so he added the English equivalent to these French words. I found that this was not an impediment to enjoying the hilarious story. (Except that I had to find out the meaning of “Merde” from a dictionary, though I guess it close enough.)
The story takes a dig at French people, French society and all its quirkiness. Not in anyway rude but it describes how foreigners view these Parisians from their own lens. (The Parisians may not feel the same way, being on the receiving end.)
The storyline was unexpected towards the end. I found myself tickled by the creative literary flair of Stephen Clarke. This book is entertaining and it should lift you up from any gloom you might be under. It is suitable as a travel companion when you are on a holiday (to survive Paris next time).
“The Merde Factor” is his fifth volume of the fictional adventures of Paul West, an Englishman, in Paris. His first novel on Paul West was “A Year in the Merde”.
If you know the French language, I reckon that you would enjoy more than I, because French phrases were used in conversations between characters in the story. The author knew that some readers might not understand French, so he added the English equivalent to these French words. I found that this was not an impediment to enjoying the hilarious story. (Except that I had to find out the meaning of “Merde” from a dictionary, though I guess it close enough.)
The story takes a dig at French people, French society and all its quirkiness. Not in anyway rude but it describes how foreigners view these Parisians from their own lens. (The Parisians may not feel the same way, being on the receiving end.)
The storyline was unexpected towards the end. I found myself tickled by the creative literary flair of Stephen Clarke. This book is entertaining and it should lift you up from any gloom you might be under. It is suitable as a travel companion when you are on a holiday (to survive Paris next time).
August 22, 2013
I picked up the book because of the amusing title, read the first chapter and thought it was funny. Bought the book a month later and saved it for my vacation. When I started reading it again it wasn't all that funny. I had a hard time getting into it... And it took me several weeks to finish it. It got all cheesy at the end, but a bit cute and now in retrospect I can say that some of it was amusing. Not a must read, but okay.
March 18, 2013
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes
The Merde Factor is the latest in a series of books by Clarke about Paul West but this is the first one I have read. I wish I’d been following Paul from the start because in The Merde Factor he was a bit lacking in background for me, which would probably have been cleared up if I’d read the earlier books!
The Merde Factor was funny. I wasn’t bothered about the French words pushed into every other sentence as it gave me a proper sense of how an Englishman living in Paris might mix the two languages together. I also got a really solid re-education of French swear words and slang which was nice too! Being fluent (if rusty) in French probably made the story flow more easily but don’t let that discourage the non-French speaker because everything is explained and the constant translation actually made me find it more amusing.
It’s the language portion of the book that makes it the most amusing- that and the insane bureaucracies. The same insane rules and hoops to get anything done with a government branch can, I’m sure, be applied to any country with equal frustration and amusement. Just try and get a television hooked up in England and you’ll know that strange things (that REALLY ought to be simple) happen everywhere!
The book was funny and I enjoyed it and wanted to finish but the story in itself left a little something to be desired. Apart from a vague subplot about the importance of maintaining French culture while embracing others and Paul trying to take back control of his restaurant there wasn’t a lot to hold on to. Perhaps it was that I didn’t quite “get” Paul as I’d hope to or perhaps there wasn’t a lot to relate to if you hadn’t read his previous exploits? Either way I found the novel amusing but I was hoping for more- Clarke can obviously “do” funny so I’m inclined to go back to one of his first publications and get a real first impression.
Thank you to Century for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
The Merde Factor is the latest in a series of books by Clarke about Paul West but this is the first one I have read. I wish I’d been following Paul from the start because in The Merde Factor he was a bit lacking in background for me, which would probably have been cleared up if I’d read the earlier books!
The Merde Factor was funny. I wasn’t bothered about the French words pushed into every other sentence as it gave me a proper sense of how an Englishman living in Paris might mix the two languages together. I also got a really solid re-education of French swear words and slang which was nice too! Being fluent (if rusty) in French probably made the story flow more easily but don’t let that discourage the non-French speaker because everything is explained and the constant translation actually made me find it more amusing.
It’s the language portion of the book that makes it the most amusing- that and the insane bureaucracies. The same insane rules and hoops to get anything done with a government branch can, I’m sure, be applied to any country with equal frustration and amusement. Just try and get a television hooked up in England and you’ll know that strange things (that REALLY ought to be simple) happen everywhere!
The book was funny and I enjoyed it and wanted to finish but the story in itself left a little something to be desired. Apart from a vague subplot about the importance of maintaining French culture while embracing others and Paul trying to take back control of his restaurant there wasn’t a lot to hold on to. Perhaps it was that I didn’t quite “get” Paul as I’d hope to or perhaps there wasn’t a lot to relate to if you hadn’t read his previous exploits? Either way I found the novel amusing but I was hoping for more- Clarke can obviously “do” funny so I’m inclined to go back to one of his first publications and get a real first impression.
Thank you to Century for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
June 2, 2017
I've read the first one, which I thought was much better. The writing is generally tight and characterizations are well-thought-out, but not always consistently. There are a few weaker sections where the plot feels forced, especially at the outset. The middle sections flow more easily, and the end wraps things up well, if a bit hurriedly. Overall though, I like his style and approach, but this isn't his best.
June 21, 2018
That was really merde.
I remembered the first book in the series as somewhat amusing so I was disappointed that this iteration fell so flat. Same linguistic misunderstandings, more incomprehension of local administration, good old French protectionism.
Clarke writes well but confuses writing a lot with developing a story: characters are not interesting, their quests are banal, so they end up in situations created only to provide jokes or bilingual punchlines.
Time to put the Merde to rest.
I remembered the first book in the series as somewhat amusing so I was disappointed that this iteration fell so flat. Same linguistic misunderstandings, more incomprehension of local administration, good old French protectionism.
Clarke writes well but confuses writing a lot with developing a story: characters are not interesting, their quests are banal, so they end up in situations created only to provide jokes or bilingual punchlines.
Time to put the Merde to rest.
January 15, 2013
With some regret I've abandoned this book. It's kinda fun, lots of French and English idioms, stereotypes, silliness.
July 17, 2021
Další dobrodružství Paula Westa ve Francii. Kniha je už pátým dílem a musím říct, že se mi líbila prozatím asi nejvíc. Autor se podle mě držel více při zemi, v tomto díle se méně soustředil na nahánění žen a dějová linie je již rozvinutá. Nejvíce mě bavilo, že se autor v této knize zaměřil na boj hrdiny s francouzskou byrokracií (která mi připomněla tu naši) a svými vtipnými postřehy dobře okomentoval jak místní lid, tak prostředí, v němž žijí. Kniha měla i zajímavý zvrat, který jsem u předchozích knih postrádala.
December 13, 2017
Funny, better that the previous two in the series. With many clichés and hard to believe plot twists, but still nice because 1) it happens in Paris and Bretagne and 2) some lines made me laugh out loud, which rarely happens lately (with new books I mean).
January 29, 2018
Zabawne bardzo polecam
May 13, 2019
Easy read
September 28, 2020
Opět zajímavé, jen už trošku moc nastavovaná kaše. Ale stejně si přečtu i zatím poslední knuíhu série.
July 10, 2021
One more brilliant Paul West book
August 28, 2023
1.5 historia nijaka, płytka - 350 stron o niczym
September 24, 2023
Finally 😃
October 10, 2020
Best in the West series since the first one. Humorous without trying too hard.
October 15, 2012
There is no doubt this is a funny book and on the whole i enjoyed it, but i have to say i got very irritated with the sentences in french. Stupid thing to say you might say judging by the cover and the fact it has a very french feel to it, and to an extent i agree. But although many authors do this with all sorts of languages, this one doesn't have the meanings... i struggled with the limited amount of french i did at school and got there, but it did take a big shine of the story.
Having said that, there is very many people who will see straight past the french and enjoy this book whole heartily, the humor is brilliant and the book did keep me gripped to the end so i would give another of these books ago, but without any promises.
Having said that, there is very many people who will see straight past the french and enjoy this book whole heartily, the humor is brilliant and the book did keep me gripped to the end so i would give another of these books ago, but without any promises.
February 28, 2022
Personally love french culture and language. This is a fun and easy read while trying to learn some simple french and some fun facts here and there.
January 7, 2016
Roses are red, Parisians are blue...
After the events narrated in Dial M For Merde , Paul is back in Paris… and broke! Old friends and foes will rise along new hilarious characters for this fifth Franco-British adventure set in the culturally rich environment of the “Marais”. Business and love life will intertwine and no poetry contest had higher stakes. Incredibly funny!
After the events narrated in Dial M For Merde , Paul is back in Paris… and broke! Old friends and foes will rise along new hilarious characters for this fifth Franco-British adventure set in the culturally rich environment of the “Marais”. Business and love life will intertwine and no poetry contest had higher stakes. Incredibly funny!
October 21, 2013
Love these books! As an American married to a Frenchman and living in UK, I really appreciate the accuracy of the French-British relationship. Stephen Clarke really "gets" the French! I found myself laughing out loud while reading the book because I've had similar experiences or thoughts. My husband and I both found the series funny and very entertaining. The characters are fantastic..........I know people who fit each of them! Can't wait for the next one!
October 19, 2014
More Paul West fun. I like the way the author manages to poke fun at the French and their ways, but do it in an almost loving way. His fondness of France, whilst still being able to appreciate its absurdities, is very entertaining, indeed. Oh, and the wacky character of Jake is back in full force, in this installment. I do hope there will be another Paul West book in the future. In the meantime, I will hunt down the author's non-fiction works.
August 4, 2014
I loved the first 2 in this 'series' (haven't read 3,4). This had some funny moments and for someone who lives in France, a lot "Preach!" moments too; but, overall it's a been there done that book. Well-written, but just not exciting to read after having read some of the others. Now if this was my first Paul West read then I would rate it differently.
July 10, 2013
Una nueva aventura de Paul West en la capital de Francia. Como buen inglés en el extranjero, Paul es anglocéntrico y condescendiente con todo lo que no es como en casa. Todo es profundamente irracional y divertido. Lo mejor es el amigo poeta.
August 4, 2013
Quite funny but some depth in characters and plot is missing. It is overall a pleasant, light summer reading. Should it be taken as such, you will enjoy it. I finished it while sunbathing and I think that was about the right context for reading this book.
January 1, 2019
Very solid work by Stephen Clarke, a very successful writer at leaking French into an English book with a brilliant sense of humor. I suggest reading the Merde Factor to those with some ideas on French culture and especially Parisian approach to life.
October 27, 2013
I saw the title and assume it going to be a funny book. Well it funny alright but took me a long time to finish. It's not the kind of book that the story is exciting and can put it down , at least for me.
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September 25, 2012It's making me laugh...I like it.
July 17, 2013
After being disappointed by the third and fourth installment of the Merde-series, I was positively suprised by book number 5, which was again hilariously funny!
December 13, 2013
Clarke definitely picked up his game after the previous two books which I had enjoyed a bit less - a barrel-full of laughs which I devoured in two days!
December 27, 2020
A pleasant read, with a few real good laughs. Ending was a bit lame and predictable, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews