Product Description

At the age of twenty-eight, stuck in a dead-end job in London, and on the run from a broken heart, Bryce Corbett takes a job in Paris, home of l’amour and la vie boheme; he is determined to make the city his own—no matter how many bottles of Bordeaux it takes. He rents an apartment in Le Marais, the heart of the city’s gay district, hardly the ideal place for a guy hoping to woo French women. He quickly settles into the French work/life balance with its mandatory lunch hour and six weeks of paid vacation. Fully embracing his newfound culture, Corbett frequents smoky cafes, appears on a television game show, hobnobs with celebrities at Cannes, and attempts to parse the nuances behind French politics and why French women really don’t get fat. When he falls in love with a Parisian showgirl, he realizes that his adopted city has become home.

As lively and winning as Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence and Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French, A Town Like Paris evokes the beauty, delights, and charms of Paris for an ever-eager audience of armchair travelers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #379025 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-01
• Released on: 2008-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780767928175
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Le Kangarou Fou takes Paris
I've read a couple of books of this ilk (foreigner drawn to Paris). Bryce Corbett's take is among the best. He doesn't take himself too seriously. He's a good observer - he knows both funny and absurd when he sees it. He inflects his tales with a generous humor that transcends borders. He's respectful of the French people and their culture, but also arches his eyebrow towards what he perceives as anachronisms like the 35-hour workweek and the government-subsidized work lunch. Plus, he pithily articulated what I've always wanted to see in print: The _real_ reason French Women Don't Get Fat. Hint: it has less to do with the specious 'three square meals a day' and 'good quality produce' theories promulgated by Mireille Guiliano, and more to do with nervous energy, 'a packet of Marlboro Lights and a couple of Xanax.' As for what's fueling that nervous energy, well, read the book!

Also, take a look at Corbett's video posted on this Amazon page. It's a nice three-and-a-half minute summary of the book. It also captures the author's winning personality.

The other side of the mirror
Bryce is hilarious and his book is real piece of expatriate Parisian life. I've been reading other expatriate stories about Paris, and this is the funnier by far.
I am French Parisian living in Sydney and looking to my hometown through his eye was such a refresh. His analysis is entertaining, accurate and witty. Plus, having a showgirl is not something very common for us, Parisian born people ;)

J'ai a-do-ré le livre de Bryce, je lis et relis et le conseille à toutes les personnes qui souhaitent avoir une idée de ce qu'est la vie parisienne à travers les yeux d'un expatrié. Etant moi-même une expatriée, originaire de Paris et vivant actuellement à Sydney, je suis de l'autre côté du miroir et je peux vous assurer que vous retrouverez l'humour et l'enthousiasme typique des australiens. J'ai retrouvé le Paris que je connais avec une écriture tonique, drôle et précise.

Le Bonheur est dans le Book!
Found this coming back from Australia, had selected the films I planned to see on the flight and then read A Town Like Paris from cover to cover. Corbett's account of ex-pat life is hilarious, whether or not you know Paris (although anyone who has spent time there will love seeing their experiences so wittily described). Bring on the sequel!