Spotted in France: A Dog's Life...On the Road [Hardcover]

Gregory Edmont (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

Gregory Edmont is just another American sojourning in Paris...until he adopts a sophisticated Dalmation named JP. Suddenly his life is charmed: He's met with smiles every time he and JP step out, acquaintances become friends, and the City of Lights becomes home. The good fortune continues as the rest of France beckons, and the duo set off on a mission of love via motorscooter.

They leap to action after a desperate call from the eccentric Dalmatian breeder, Madame Clix: JP's services are needed to sire a litter in the south of France. The adventure begins with a near-arrest, as the French authorities question the legality of a two-wheeling Dalmatian. They escape, but the roller-coaster of a journey includes a breakdown or two, a coven of witches, eleven-course meals at five-star restaurants (JP is served from a silver platter), a cleaver-bearing butcher's wife, and much more. When they finally arrive at their destination, they discover the power of love...just not quite as anyone expected. Spotted in France is entertainment at its very best: Amusing and poignant, this lively tale examines the role of fate in our lives, and surprises us with its unexpected twists and turns. In addition to charming us with storytelling finesse, Gregory Edmont offers an intimate glimpse of six regions and a dozen towns and villages in France--their people, their dogs, their food, and their hearts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Film and television writer Edmont went to Paris for graduate school and stayed, "out of school, out of work, and an outsider in a very closed society." But the arrival of a liver-spotted Dalmatian named Jarny- Prince du Bois-de-Tanagra, nicknamed JP, at his sixth-floor walkup in Montmartre soon changed his life. "The very first day I walked JP around the quartier, the world became more intimate with me, almost absurdly so.... JP became my golden key to practically every bar, cafe, and restaurant in Paris... and eventually my passport to all of France." When the "mad, absolutely mad" Dalmatian breeder Madame Clix phoned wanting JP to sire puppies in southern France, Edmont set out across the French countryside on his Vespa with the well-mannered, goggle-wearing dog riding on the scooter's foot rest. Escaping from gendarmes who detained the duo so they could research "the legality of dogs on scooters," man and dog received white magic and a moped repair from witches en route to Lourdes. With occasional phone calls from Clix, the pair passed medieval towns and lovely vistas, met friendly locals and dined everywhere, from a riverside pique-nique to open-air cafes and five-star restaurants. Yet they hurried, because the "nitty-gritty side of canine ovulation" meant a brief window of opportunity. The book's lighthearted lilt, with French phrases sprinkled throughout, could delight dog-lovers and Francophiles, while others may find the anthropomorphic aspects (e.g., "JP looked at me sideways, knowing I'd uttered some kind of untruth") contrived. Edmont's meandering, lightweight restaurant guide and travel diary is in a writing style that varies from coy to cloying. Map, illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gregory Edmont, an American living in Paris, and his precocious Dalmatian Jamy-Prince du Bois-deTanagra (JP) undertake a delightfully quirky journey to the south of France, where JP has been summoned by a desperate dog breeder to provide stud services. Hopping aboard a vintage Vespa scooter, these unlikely traveling companions turn heads and charm locals as they meander through a series of colorful towns and villages. A canine prodigy accorded a great deal of respect by the dog-loving French, JP provides a unique entree into provincial French society for his seemingly less worldly master. No ordinary tourists, Gregory and JP encounter all manner of memorable adventures along the road, including a run-in with gendarmes, a fortuitous encounter with a coven of mechanically able witches, and a hilarious assortment of eclectic dining experiences. Both travel enthusiasts and dog lovers will be charmed by this breezy odyssey as man and dog stray off the beaten path. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592281478
• ISBN-13: 978-1592281473
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars i had a lovely journey...., May 14, 2004

By 

"swingydoll" (Lincoln, RI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spotted in France: A Dog's Life...On the Road (Hardcover)

i had a lovely journey through the south of france with greg and j.p.! from the moment i strapped on my goggles (reading glasses), to the end of the trip when i jumped off the vespa scooter (rose from the 'barker'lounger), the fun never stopped. mr. edmont's magical writing style had me enchanted from begining to end. even though i read this book several months ago, i feel as if it were yesterday. the 'memories' of this adventure are so vivid in my mind, i enjoy recalling so many of the events as if i actually expirienced them. i've heard this wonderful story is being made into a movie! watch for me, i'll be first in line at the theater. i'm looking forward to the next book by this author!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Un Petit Cadeau pour Tout le Monde--- Charmant!, May 11, 2004

By 

Diana F. Von Behren "reneofc" (Kenner, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spotted in France: A Dog's Life...On the Road (Hardcover)

American writer, Greg and his petit ami, JP, are hurrying from their apartment in Paris to the South of France for a date with destiny; JP is about to lose his virginity and become the sire of his own great line of liver spotted dalmations. Along the way, Greg tells in simple, straight-forward prose the amusing story of this journey, where JP's magnificent presence transcends cultural boundaries and opens doors for Greg that would have been ordinarily difficult to breach. Even the best restaurants fling open their portals and their hearts, wooing JP with succulent dishes fit for this roi des chiens.

But the story that will really tug at your heart begins once JP and Greg arrive in the Midi at the home of unlucky bteeder, Bonbon whose life has taken a turn for the worse. When JP shows absolutely no interest in the female for which he is intended and all Bonbon's frustrated attempts seem for naught, JP and his master, turn things around, charming the near-by villagers while planting the seed for another generation of extraordinary companions.

Absolutely charming, this book is a gem in every way. The exquisitely rendered drawings of JP and friends that act as a frontpiece to every chapter heading enhance the reader's anticipation of yet another amusing anecdote to follow. The story itself, would make a rather sweet BBC production--having all the right ingredients---sensitive humans, wise-beyond-years four-legged mentors, doggy and dogged romance and new beginnings where cantakerous characters turn over a new leaf with the wag of a magical tail. Commendably the author does not compromise his leading man by including a human romance of his own and teases the reader with a picture (worth a thousand words) on the back jacket flap that depicts the prestigious outcome. Highly recommended----please write a sequel!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spotted in France, October 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Spotted in France: A Dog's Life...On the Road (Hardcover)

I loved this book! So have the reviewers:

Spotted in France - Chicago Tribune Review September 21, 2003

The French love their dogs, and author Gregory Edmont, yet another American in Paris, loves his Dalmatian, nicknamed JP (his French name is way too long and unpronounceable). A breeder in Provence desperately needs a litter of new puppies. Would JP do the honors? It is here that the story begins and Edmont's life changes. For as he wanders the streets of Paris and then journeys on a motor scooter into the heart of the French countryside with his Vespa-riding pooch alongside, he his met with good fortune and we, the reader, are entertained with wonderful and quite funny stories.

Spotted in France - Library Journal Review September 15, 2003
The numerous endearing and eccentric characters (like the cleric who marries JP) will have the reader in stitches. Part travel log, part book about dogs and dog lovers, this magical work is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. Read it when you are feeling down.