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| Talk to the Snail | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephen Clarke
Publisher: Black Swan
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy New: £2.38
You Save: £4.61 (66%)
New (22) from £2.38
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 3981
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0552773689
EAN: 9780552774093
ASIN: 0552773689
Publication Date: July 2, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New. Shipped from UK Mainland. Delivery is usually 2 - 3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-9 of 9 | | « PREV | | |
 Take your snail with some salt February 8, 2007
10 out of 15 found this review helpful
Stephen Clarke's amusing little book consists of eleven chapters on different aspects of France that he says you need to know about in order to understand the French. He is at his most entertaining when discussing things that really are different in France, the food, the health service, the attitude towards work etc. Some ways in which he considers French people different from the English puzzle me though. If he thinks English people don't let their dogs poo on the pavement then he obviously hasn't visisted an English town recently, and English shopkeepers are, on occasion, capable of ignoring customers. And nobody has ever been anything but civil to me in Paris. And motorists will stop at pedestrian crossings, but the pedestrian has to step out onto the crossing FIRST. It requires some nerve, but it can be done. And his nagging on about smoking gets a bit tedious after a while, he's lived in Paris for twelve years for goodness sake, he should be used to it by now. Likewise the chapter on love made me a bit sceptical. So French people don't get jealous when their spouses have affairs? Pull the other one, Stephen, it's got bells on. Nancy Mitford gave us that line in 'The Blessing' years ago, and I am still sceptical about it. Can human nature in France really be so very different from anywhere else?
This book gave me some smiles and even a few laughs, but I would advise anyone reading it to take the advice offered with a large pinch of salt.
 Highly entertaining reading for any time of the day (or night). November 12, 2006
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is the perfect travelling companion. Packed with historical as well as cultural information, useful translations and helpful hints on how to keep on the right side of the French. This the funniest, wittiest, most entertaining book I've read in ages. I look forward to a re-read.
All completely true! November 5, 2006
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Having lived in France for the last few months, I've come to view Stephen Clarke's book as much more than a set of humorous anecdotes about our closest neighbours. As well as being highly amusing, it's also completely true. I find myself consulting it when I need advice on how to approach a situation. The chapter about how to get things done in France is invaluable. The book functions on 2 levels: 1) an hilarious account of the habits and peculiarities of the French, and 2) an extremely useful guide on how best to understand the French and get things done when living in France.
Exploring the love/hate relationship October 12, 2006
27 out of 28 found this review helpful
Anyone familiar with A Year in the Merde or the author's follow-up book Merde Actually will have a rough idea of the style and content of Talk to The Snail. This time, rather than following the fortunes of Paul West, Stephen Clarke writes in his own name offering a wide range of advice on understanding the French.
Stephen Clarke takes the reader through eleven "commandments" such as Thou Shalt Not Work (the French addiction to the 4.5 day week and the public holiday) Thou Shalt Not be Served (why French waiters can be so difficult), and Thou Shalt be Ill (where Clarke writes about French hypochondria and gets in the inevitable references to suppositories). These commandments are all dealt with wittily of course, and anyone familiar with the country will recognise the traits and characteristice he describes.
Many people found the fictional Paul West so credible that they believed he really was a latter day Bryson, a real person writing about his real life, but in this volume, Stephen Clarke confirms that the earlier two books were novels rather than biography. However, the "voice" is the same, as is the enjoyment of the writing.
My only quibble is that I wonder if some of the French behaviours are Parisian rather than applying generally to the whole nation? I know from personal experience that the people of many areas of rural France are often polite, neighbourly and eager to help. However, let's not spoil a good diatribe with un-necessary altruism. The book is good natured throughout and I doubt the most patriotic French person would find much to complain about. This is another very humorous book from Clarke it is good to see the author step from behind the curtain of "Paul West". It will draw the reader from page to page as a light, refreshing read, a nicely presented harback book which would make an excellent gift for anyone who enjoys visiting France.
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