A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City

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The hours are long, the work is hard, harder still if, like Chisholm, French is not a native language.

Replete with a defined social hierarchy cemented neatly in place by the physical layout of the restaurant. He brings the restaurant world to life as he relates the stress, pressure, and anxiety felt by all the workers. Covering the life of an English graduate who, after working at dead-end jobs in London, travels to Paris where his girlfriend has moved to move in with her and find employment. This book was completely different from anything on the City of Lights I've ever read: as the subtitle hints, "adventure in the dark heart of the City," and author Edward Chisholm definitely delivers.Edward Chisholm’s brilliant memoir shows us the behind-the-scenes chaos, but also lets us tour nocturnal Paris and the strange characters he meets. These colleagues include thieves, ex-Legionnaires, paperless immigrants, wannabe actors and drug dealers, and are the closest thing to family he’s got. i love that he has chosen to use whatever platform he does have to tell the stories of those around him honestly.

There's nothing romantic about the City of Love, yet it's as undeniably French as a 'jambon beurre'. A young Englishman’s journey into the merciless world of Parisian restaurants is propulsive, harrowing, and expertly observed. It is absolutely authentic in tone, its short chapters are ideally structured for the general reader, and the author's use of language is a joy.Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. He inhabits a world of inhuman hours, snatched sleep and dive bars; he scrapes by on coffee, bread and cigarettes, with a wage so low he’s fighting colleagues for tips. For all the infectiously intense moments and the genuine interest Chisholm drags out of his experience, it is still unclear why anyone would wish to become a waiter in such a bustling city.