A Waiter in Paris cover art

A Waiter in Paris

Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City

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A Waiter in Paris

By: Edward Chisholm
Narrated by: Orlando Wells
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About this listen

A waiter's job is to deceive you. They want you to believe in a luxurious calm because on the other side of that door...is hell.

Edward Chisholm's spellbinding memoir of his time as a Parisian waiter takes you below the surface of one of the most iconic cities in the world and right into its glorious underbelly.

He inhabits a world of inhuman hours, snatched sleep and dive bars; scraping by on coffee, bread and cigarettes, often under sadistic managers, with a wage so low you're fighting your colleagues for tips. Colleagues—including thieves, narcissists, ex-Legionnaires, paperless immigrants, wannabe actors and drug dealers—who are the closest thing to family that you've got.

It's physically demanding, frequently humiliating and incredibly competitive. But it doesn't matter because you're in Paris, the centre of the universe, and there's nowhere else you'd rather be in the world.

©2022 Edward Chisholm (P)2022 Octopus Publishing Group Cultural & Regional Europe France Emotionally Gripping Funny Witty Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Inspiring

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All stars
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Well written, in captivating style and a fascinating story, relatable and also bizarre. This unusual, yet wholly authentic portrait of Paris and it’s intersection with the grand old tradition of serving food to customers captures a great deal of life, equally hilarious and horrifying

Superb, engaging writing style

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Excellent all round. A really lovely, funny and eye opening book - pulling back the curtain on a world we so easily overlook. Couldn’t recommend highly enough.

An amazing listen

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Excellent performances. Strong story and from the POV of someone who has spent a life in the industry incredibly accurate… charming yet utterly brutal

At times horribly bleak, but overall had an oddly glowing positivity

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Fascinating glimpse into a world that we are a hairs breath from which might as well be miles, compelling story expertly told in the audio version. I look forward to the authors next story it can't arrive quickly enough! Highly recommend read or listen and enjoy.

a view behind an OZ like curtain

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Great development of the characters in his story. he brought the characters likeable or not … to life .. felt like you were in Paris with him. He told his experience honestly including the racist behaviour that went on unchallenged both in and behind the dining rooms.
Anyone who has been to Paris will find something for them in this book. A coming of age story that takes you back to your own post student days when you were trying to find your place in the world.

Captivating insight into the Underbelly of a Parisienne Restaurant

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Great story, interesting and inciteful, fascinating to hear a side of Paris that you don't always spot as a tourist

the other side of Paris

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What a wonderful book.
In the early days after the recession, the author (a Brit) is unable to find work following his graduation so accepts his girlfriend's offer to travel with her to Paris and stay with her until he finds a job there. But he doesn't speak French, has no better luck getting work there and his accommodation disappears when his friend returns to England. It is cold, he needs money for shelter, so in desperation he gets work in a restaurant, first as a runner, working hard to be elevated to the position of waiter. This is his story and that of the men he met and worked with, heroes, villains and sometimes friends, and the functioning workplace which so dominated his life, as well as Paris itself.
The writing is eloquent, bringing the whole picture to life as well as imparting the author's inner hopes, fears and sorrows and feelings for those colleagues around him. And narrator Orlando Wells further imparts that bird's eye view with his perfect performance of Chrisholm's struggle to survive and succeed in an alien environment with unfamiliar language. A perfect pairing of author and reader

Emotional, informative, full of characters and wonderfully written, this book is.one to truly savour. Recommended.

"Tamil Tiger, freedom fighter."

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I really enjoyed this book, it is so interesting the narrative was amazing, thank you for such a enjoyable read

very very good

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This book kept me interested as I drove, did manual work and gardened.
It was entertainingly and informatively written. (And well regaled)!
I very much look forward to listening to other books by this author.

Delightfully darkly enlightening stories of a Parisian restaurant

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I really enjoyed this listen. Like the author I’d previously read Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell and had enjoyed the insights and atmosphere of that time in the 1930’s. Edward’s book is equally well written and atmospheric and his insights show that actually little has changed since Orwell’s book of some 90’odd years ago!

Fascinating and insightful

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