Pretty average
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This is a mildly amusing account of a fictitious journey across America, but the book doesn't ever manage to live up to the blurb. The writing is competent enough, but at no point is the story actually funny, and the plot appears to hinge on a series of extremely unlikely coincidences. Worth reading once - on a boring train journey, perhaps - but certainly not worth reading twice.
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Clarkes got himself out of the merde yet again !
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Equally as funny as the other two novels in the Paul West series.Clarke manages to pull it off yet again with humourous situation aplenty on every page.Those not familiar with Clarke's writing can expect travel writing in the format of Bill Bryson (although all is fictional) but without the Political correctness you'd expect from the good natured Mr Bryson, plus,of course, a barrel full of laughs.Clarke takes a shot at pretty much everyone other than English men in this his third novel.There are similarities in style to another great comedy writer John o'Farrell with sarcasm dripping from every page.If you are a feminist or from France,oe worst still a French feminist then perhaps give this one a miss as he'll have your blood boiling by about the third page.Aimed squarely at the male demographic this is a light hearted and fun read that'll give you hours of laughs and enjoyment with sexual innuendos and smutty remarks by the hundred.Definitely a book for the boys.
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A fun interpretation of the US viewed through English eyes
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I enjoyed this comic observation of the US, British and French culture and recognised many characters which brought a smile to my face. Although for me not as funny as the original 'Year in the Merde'.
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Not a patch on Year in the Merde
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The story line is ridiculous unless you like farce. Fleetingly funny in parts. I was looking forward to this book after reading A Year in The Merde but it was a big disappointment.
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As it happens, Merde
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This is a truly execrable book. I have not read Stephen Clarke's earlier works, but from his background and situation in France I can assume that he has some reasonbly acute insights to offer about the experience of living in France. But this book was clearly written on the back of a quick jaunt around a few American cities. The plot and characters are both dreadfully weak, and the book is crammed with some of the most unoriginal observations about the US it's possible to make - the worst example being Clarke's 'witty' riff on the green visa waiver form with its questions about terrorism. There can hardly be a Brit alive who has not made exactly the same joke themselves ("Oh, damn, if only they'd not asked me if I were a terrorist") whilst standing in the immigration line at JFK. It really is scraping the barrel to include it in a book. And as a Brit living in the US, I found the various tired US stereotypes exceedingly wearisome. There are surely better ways to while away the flight to Disneyland.
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United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada