What do you think?
Rate this book
Paul West #4
M jak merde!
Genialna parodia klasycznych powieści kryminalnych. Czy Paul West, bohater M jak Merde!, zda egzamin na Jamesa Bonda, czy raczej ulegnie kobiecemu urokowi i da się wykorzystać kuszącej M?
Następna część przygód Brytyjczyka znanego z poprzednich powieści Stephena Clarke'a.
Paul po raz kolejny przyjeżdża do Francji i już od pierwszych chwil wie, że nie będzie to spokojny pobyt. Jego przyjaciółka Elodie wychodzi za mąż za milionera z francuskiej arystokracji. Zadaniem Paula jest przygotowanie przyjęcie weselnego. W dwa tygodnie! Poza pojawia się tajemnicza Gloria Monday, zwana przez wszystkich M. Piękna kobieta zabiera Paula na wybrzeże. Zapowiada się romantycznie, jednak M zaczyna się dziwnie zachowywać: znika na całe dnie i prowadzi podejrzane rozmowy telefoniczne. Czy to możliwe, żeby ta wspaniała dziewczyna chciała... zabić prezydenta Francji?!
Następna część przygód Brytyjczyka znanego z poprzednich powieści Stephena Clarke'a.
Paul po raz kolejny przyjeżdża do Francji i już od pierwszych chwil wie, że nie będzie to spokojny pobyt. Jego przyjaciółka Elodie wychodzi za mąż za milionera z francuskiej arystokracji. Zadaniem Paula jest przygotowanie przyjęcie weselnego. W dwa tygodnie! Poza pojawia się tajemnicza Gloria Monday, zwana przez wszystkich M. Piękna kobieta zabiera Paula na wybrzeże. Zapowiada się romantycznie, jednak M zaczyna się dziwnie zachowywać: znika na całe dnie i prowadzi podejrzane rozmowy telefoniczne. Czy to możliwe, żeby ta wspaniała dziewczyna chciała... zabić prezydenta Francji?!
334 pages, ebook
First published September 11, 2008
46 people are currently reading
688 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
June 5, 2009
I enjoyed this book immensely, as I have enjoyed all of Stephen Clarke's "Merde" novels. This was definitely better than the last one though, which I had to make myself read at times. The wit and cleverness was ever present in this novel, where he daringly used the French President (who we know is Nicolas Sarkozy but obviously Stephen couldn't mention for fear of getting sued or worse hunted down by the French government) for laughs. I really hope he brings us more hilarity from Paul West, I'll certainly be queueing up to buy the book when it comes out. Such is my love for this series.
June 15, 2009
A perfect summer read for us francophiles! I wasn't let down by the author in this installment of his Merde series, or his take on French culture. He is still a wry Brit with a taste for les femmes. Following him through southern France in the wake of his girlfriend is lovely with a hint of shaken, not stirred...and his girlfriend from a previous book is trying to get married into a gentille famille. Bonne Maman and her relatives are a riot!
April 18, 2021
Další příběh Stephena Clarka, bojujícího s francouzskými zvyky i jazykem. Tentokrát zároveň organizuje svatbu a pokouší se zachránit francouzského prezidenta. Už mi to přišlo trochu přitažené za vlasy, ale pořád jsem se relativně dobře bavila. Odpočinková kniha.
May 20, 2017
Could have (should have?) been called 'dial s'
Nuff said.
Nuff said.
July 15, 2010
Dissapointing compared to the other books in the Merde series. I felt that Stephen Clarke was a bit half hearted with this attempt. The book was humourous in places and an easy summer read but it lacked the comedy and believable storyline and characters of the other Merde books.
November 19, 2014
Der vierte Aufguss eines ehemals lustigen aber nun natürlich total ausgelutschten Themas - hätte sich der Autor wirklich sparen können.
Schal, fad, uninspieriert
Schal, fad, uninspieriert
August 13, 2023
So, this was a completely blind read, picked up in a second hand shop. My understanding was that it was about an attempt to assassinate the French president.
The blurb sounded promising; the main character, Paul, is in a relationship with Gloria Monday, commonly known as M, who turns out to be part of a the assassination plot. It sounds promising, but much of the story is overwhelmed by a plot where Paul's friend is about to get married, and has asked him to cater; the assassination isn't mentioned until half way through the book.
Early on in the book, the farce seems to involve a misunderstanding on a beach that gets Paul and his friend's fiancee briefly arrested, and much of the rest involves him trying to find a fish to serve at the wedding.
Most of the book is farce, full of misunderstandings that feel influenced by the writings of P.G. Wodehouse (a lot of it involve Paul mispronouncing "traiteur", French for "caterer", and calling himself a "traitor" by accident. The assassination becomes more prominent later on in the book, but overall it just felt too slow-paced, with the climax over very quickly. Apparently this is the first book in a series, but I don't think I'll be reading any more in a hurry. It's unfortunate, as it felt like there was more comic and dramatic potential in this premise; it ended up feeling like Poor Man's "Day of the Jackal".
The blurb sounded promising; the main character, Paul, is in a relationship with Gloria Monday, commonly known as M, who turns out to be part of a the assassination plot. It sounds promising, but much of the story is overwhelmed by a plot where Paul's friend is about to get married, and has asked him to cater; the assassination isn't mentioned until half way through the book.
Early on in the book, the farce seems to involve a misunderstanding on a beach that gets Paul and his friend's fiancee briefly arrested, and much of the rest involves him trying to find a fish to serve at the wedding.
Most of the book is farce, full of misunderstandings that feel influenced by the writings of P.G. Wodehouse (a lot of it involve Paul mispronouncing "traiteur", French for "caterer", and calling himself a "traitor" by accident. The assassination becomes more prominent later on in the book, but overall it just felt too slow-paced, with the climax over very quickly. Apparently this is the first book in a series, but I don't think I'll be reading any more in a hurry. It's unfortunate, as it felt like there was more comic and dramatic potential in this premise; it ended up feeling like Poor Man's "Day of the Jackal".
February 23, 2019
I enjoyed this one so much. The characters are really interesting, the story is really cool, not all fast paced and action filled, which is something i prefer, and i found it really funny. The whole British guy in France making all these faux pas in the French Language is hilarious to me.
January 16, 2020
The book was entertaining enough. Extremely lightweight with enough momentum to keep my engaged for an hour at a time. There were a few laugh out loud moments. I doubt I'll be checking out the author's other works though.
January 1, 2021
After completing 2 heavyweights: Anna Karenina and On The Origin Of Species, this book was a palate cleanser.
I found it to be quite funny, and actually laughed out loud and some of the (mis)translations. Looking forward to read other books of this Merde series.
I found it to be quite funny, and actually laughed out loud and some of the (mis)translations. Looking forward to read other books of this Merde series.
December 11, 2025
A very light reading, with an accordingly light finale.
I particularly liked the constant pokes at French culture and the bilingual franco-english puns.
The comedy side definitely beats the mystery one.
I particularly liked the constant pokes at French culture and the bilingual franco-english puns.
The comedy side definitely beats the mystery one.
October 30, 2017
Very fun. Snappy pacing, absurd characters, and classic movie French atmosphere. Very enjoyable. DPL e book via Freading
January 7, 2019
! Перед прочтением - сжечь. Время тратить на неё - нельзя. Оценка "2" лишь потому, что "афтор" старался... писал... время тратил.
October 4, 2019
Thoroughly amusing, and probably my favorite so far in this series. Is it me or has the main character become more likable? Fun and entertaining reading.
November 3, 2021
Mažiausiai patiko iš visos serijos knygų. Pereinama prie detektyvo žanro, o jis pavyko labai mėgėjiškai ir labai nuspėjamai.
August 23, 2022
Most amusing. Even improved my French vocabulary with a few mauvais mots.
September 13, 2023
Totally enjoyed this book. An American is Paris and colourful characters. I learned some new French words.
June 17, 2024
3 stars.
A ridiculous story which just becomes even more absurd. However, it's also entertraining, has a nice flow to it and is surprisingly quite the page-turner.
Overall, a light-hearted read.
A ridiculous story which just becomes even more absurd. However, it's also entertraining, has a nice flow to it and is surprisingly quite the page-turner.
Overall, a light-hearted read.
June 15, 2020
Paul, a lucky bloke,
bundled with aristo-
beautiful, rich, and dope,
police, president also in tow.
His thrill, only a joke.
Sensual tide, ebb flow.
Virtual vacation, well spoke;
Readers in prison, easy sold.
bundled with aristo-
beautiful, rich, and dope,
police, president also in tow.
His thrill, only a joke.
Sensual tide, ebb flow.
Virtual vacation, well spoke;
Readers in prison, easy sold.
June 5, 2012
My review copy of Dial M for Merde was graciously provided by the good people at Open Road Media Marketing. Special thanks to Kayla Shaw at Open Road for reaching out and inviting me to review the book.
If you’re not familiar with the “Merde” books (A Year in the Merde, In the Merde for Love, Merde Happens), you really should be. They’re a very fun collection of quirky, goofy tales about the exploits of Paul West, a British ex-pat living in France. The books are a series of first-person narratives that read, like the best fiction, in a style that feels semi-autobiographical (the author, Stephen Clarke, is himself a Brit living in Paris). At least, they feel that way right up until the inevitable bizarre hijinks start. Then, well, they just feel like funny, silly fiction – in the best possible way.
The latest installment has Paul gallivanting off to the South of France with a hottie named Gloria Monday. It seems like an ideal vacation – but for the inexplicable presence of commandos, his friend Elodie’s pending wedding to the drug-addled son of a a hyper-matriarchal family of old French money, the hottie’s weird sturgeon-obsession – and her insistence on being called “M” like some sort of James Bond character, that is… There’s drama and comedy and even a lesson or two about the importance of caviar. It’s good stuff.
Sounds wild, no? It’s actually pretty de rigueur for Paul – which is the good thing and the bad thing about this series. I absolutely loved the first book, quite enjoyed the second, and was a little less enthusiastic about the third. This is my fourth foray into Paul’s world, and while I did find the writing to be as enjoyable and engaging, the characters to be as wacky, and the situations they find themselves in to be as goofball-fun as in the previous iterations, I also felt somewhat like I was reading the same book again. It’s a good book, don’t get me wrong, but it’s starting to feel a little overly comfortable.
In each book, Paul blunders his way into some bizarre drama, barely manages to escape with his skin, and somehow always ends up the hero at the end of the day. There are enough misunderstandings for several episodes of Three’s Company (I know I just dated myself there, but it’s true), enough linguistic and/or cultural booboos to make a protocol officer blush, and hilarity always ensues. There are laugh-out-loud parts to each and every book, whether situational or conversational, and the characters are a great mix of stereotypes and defiantly unique individuals.
The good thing is that each book consistently has each of these elements, because they’re very enjoyable to read. The bad thing is that each book consistently has each of these elements, because I’ve come to expect them. This doesn’t make the good parts less good, but it does leave me constantly on the look out for the twist or unexpected spin, which makes the surprise less surprising when it inevitably gets revealed.
I read the first three books in rapid succession. It’s been a while since I read the last one, and I did enjoy this one more as a result I think. My unsolicited advice, therefore: wander into Paul’s world for a vacation every now and then. Don’t overindulge. Pace yourself. Like the best vacations, you don’t want to overdo it – too much of a good thing makes the good feel less so. Sprinkle these books in with your other reading though, and you’re sure to enjoy yourself when you do.
If you’re not familiar with the “Merde” books (A Year in the Merde, In the Merde for Love, Merde Happens), you really should be. They’re a very fun collection of quirky, goofy tales about the exploits of Paul West, a British ex-pat living in France. The books are a series of first-person narratives that read, like the best fiction, in a style that feels semi-autobiographical (the author, Stephen Clarke, is himself a Brit living in Paris). At least, they feel that way right up until the inevitable bizarre hijinks start. Then, well, they just feel like funny, silly fiction – in the best possible way.
The latest installment has Paul gallivanting off to the South of France with a hottie named Gloria Monday. It seems like an ideal vacation – but for the inexplicable presence of commandos, his friend Elodie’s pending wedding to the drug-addled son of a a hyper-matriarchal family of old French money, the hottie’s weird sturgeon-obsession – and her insistence on being called “M” like some sort of James Bond character, that is… There’s drama and comedy and even a lesson or two about the importance of caviar. It’s good stuff.
Sounds wild, no? It’s actually pretty de rigueur for Paul – which is the good thing and the bad thing about this series. I absolutely loved the first book, quite enjoyed the second, and was a little less enthusiastic about the third. This is my fourth foray into Paul’s world, and while I did find the writing to be as enjoyable and engaging, the characters to be as wacky, and the situations they find themselves in to be as goofball-fun as in the previous iterations, I also felt somewhat like I was reading the same book again. It’s a good book, don’t get me wrong, but it’s starting to feel a little overly comfortable.
In each book, Paul blunders his way into some bizarre drama, barely manages to escape with his skin, and somehow always ends up the hero at the end of the day. There are enough misunderstandings for several episodes of Three’s Company (I know I just dated myself there, but it’s true), enough linguistic and/or cultural booboos to make a protocol officer blush, and hilarity always ensues. There are laugh-out-loud parts to each and every book, whether situational or conversational, and the characters are a great mix of stereotypes and defiantly unique individuals.
The good thing is that each book consistently has each of these elements, because they’re very enjoyable to read. The bad thing is that each book consistently has each of these elements, because I’ve come to expect them. This doesn’t make the good parts less good, but it does leave me constantly on the look out for the twist or unexpected spin, which makes the surprise less surprising when it inevitably gets revealed.
I read the first three books in rapid succession. It’s been a while since I read the last one, and I did enjoy this one more as a result I think. My unsolicited advice, therefore: wander into Paul’s world for a vacation every now and then. Don’t overindulge. Pace yourself. Like the best vacations, you don’t want to overdo it – too much of a good thing makes the good feel less so. Sprinkle these books in with your other reading though, and you’re sure to enjoy yourself when you do.
October 17, 2020
“High Noon” in the “Midi”
Paul West gets back to France following the events narrated in Merde Happens , but this time he’s out of Paris. Follow him as he gets stuck in a “jamesbond-esque” adventure while trying to organize a marriage party catering in a villa not so far from Marseille; cringe as he finds himself in the only possible position to save le Président… A new change of setting from the two first Parisians novels and the third American one, as well as a new narration style that transforms the classical fish-out-of-the-water novel in something (while still greatly comical) more like a spy-story. Entertaining as usual!
Paul West gets back to France following the events narrated in Merde Happens , but this time he’s out of Paris. Follow him as he gets stuck in a “jamesbond-esque” adventure while trying to organize a marriage party catering in a villa not so far from Marseille; cringe as he finds himself in the only possible position to save le Président… A new change of setting from the two first Parisians novels and the third American one, as well as a new narration style that transforms the classical fish-out-of-the-water novel in something (while still greatly comical) more like a spy-story. Entertaining as usual!
April 12, 2016
With "Dial M for Merde" Stephen Clarke not only added another account to his list of linguistic pitfalls prepared for the France-traveling Englishman, but he also wrote a really funny thriller that develops into a real page turner. Again his friends of the first book, Elodie and Jake are with Paul, and while Elodie, the genuine french woman, unravels to him the almost invisible differences in the french language that turn a dealer into a traitor, Jake seems to loose the grip on his english more and more, speaking kind of frenglish. In the end everybody becomes either a hero or fabulously rich and the merde is reserved for the president himself.
September 30, 2016
I enjoyed this book starting from the first line. I lived in the past 15 years or so in francophone countries in which the last 3 in Paris. I felt that a lot of things Paul West described were exactly how I felt at various occasions during my life in France. Extremely witty style - I must admit. While reading how he described the status of a public toilet in Marseille or so, I closed the book and laughed for really long! I witnessed something similar while I was vacationing in the Normandie a few years ago. But I wouldn't have been able to describe it in such a funny way as Stephen Clarke ! I recommend this book to anyone who has some experience living in France.
July 11, 2014
Since I have been a big fan of Merde series, I jumped right in this book. I loved it immensely since it involves characters that I have grown to love. However, saying that, this book is not the strongest one in the series. Some parts were a bit stretched and bit harder to pull through than usual, and the whole feeling was that this instalment was a bit rushed in the production. Having all this in mind, I would still recommend it since it has that typical Franco-British wit and sharpness. It is still full of humour and (a bit) absurd situations that we learned to love in this Clarke's series.
September 19, 2009
Pretty much on an equal level with the other 'Merde' books. Paul West is still likeable, the books normally have three or four real laugh out loud moments and are generally really good fun. They always make me wish I was Poolside or in a cafe in France to be able to sit and read them in one sitting. Roll on the next one whenever that may be,
March 17, 2013
Another funny instalment by Stephen Clarke. I have enjoyed the 'Merde' series but I have to say that none were better than the first one. It wasn't as easy a read as the others either. I felt myself distracted at times and found other things to do. In the end, it still made me giggle here and there but I don't think I would read it again.
January 23, 2009
Really enjoyed this book. Even though I had a pretty good idea of where the book was going it just grabbed me. Maybe cause I can relate to an English speaking person attempting to figure out the nuances of the French language. I would definitely read other books by this author.
January 6, 2010
Fourth instalment in this comical series about a Brit living in France. Although the storylines are getting more and more far-fetched it was still a nice lifght enjoyable read.Recommend to anyone to needs a chuckle or two.
February 25, 2011
Brilliant, comic genius, had me laughing out loud with the subtle mix ups of English - French translations of similar words. Please, please don't pronounce bouillabaisse incorrectly!! If you want a laugh, read this.
July 26, 2011
ha. Same old same old from monsieur Clarke, I really liked his previous books but the Englishman in France thing is starting to wear a bit thin. Only bother reading this is you really like him otherwise too much deja vu.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews