An Englishman a la Campagne: Life in Deepest France (Englishman series) [Paperback]

Michael Sadler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005 | Series: Englishman series

How do you plant leeks in cement-hard French soil, impress Gallic neighbours with your non-existent gardening credentials, and survive a seven-hour celebratory communion lunch? An Englishman à la Campagne is a wonderfully warm and witty follow-up to the author's account of his first year living in Paris. Now broadening his affectionate embrace to include the myriad facets of the French countryside, Sadler makes you laugh, makes you think, and makes you love the place.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The English take on the French: formidably droll with a touch of the wacko. -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Michael Sadler is a writer and academic. Born in Lewes, he now lives in Paris, where he teaches an MA course in Contemporary French Studies at the British Institute. He is married with one daughter and grows his own leeks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743492404
• ISBN-13: 978-0743492409
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #946,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Laugh out loud while the leeks, squid and goats look on!, April 28, 2007

By 

City Cook (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Englishman a la Campagne: Life in Deepest France (Englishman series) (Paperback)

This book recounts the author's temporary residence in a country house in the Touraine area of the Loire Valley, obviously not a new premise for a book. But Mr. Sadler -- a wonderful and fearless writer who loves puns, bad jokes and anthropomorphized everything -- is an admitted francophile, and (though he pretends otherwise) he also speaks French, so his is not merely another "babe-in-the-foreign-woods" story. Besides being an exploration of one Englishman's encounter with a foreign culture, the book is also a means for Mr. Sadler to display his keen, zany, and somewhat surreal sense of humor. In this breezy, entertaining read he manages to make you laugh aloud as he pokes fun at both the British (food, teeth) and the French (aperitif mania, work ethic) as he encounters various obstacles and mysteries, from garden slugs to the gallic digestive system. He is also willing to share his unvarnished attraction to several lovely Frenchwomen, which I found refreshing and un-PC for a welcome change! As Sadler recounts dealing with the villagers, attempts with great effort to plant a garden, and gives English lessons to the locals, the reader is drawn into this absurd and yet lovable narrative. Altogether hilarious and charming.