Wholesale Monsieur Mediocre: The High Art of Being Everyday French

This book is a humorous and candid account of life in France, from a Vanity Fair and GQ writer. Author John von Sothen fell in love with Paris through his mother’s stories. After marrying a French waitress in New York, he moved to Paris. But fifteen years later, he admits his mother’s Paris is mostly a fantasy. In this collection of essays, von Sothen reveals the real life in Paris, debunking daydreams and showcasing the pleasures of family life abroad. Relentlessly funny and full of insightful observations, Monsieur Mediocre is a love letter to France—its absurdities, history, and ideals. It’s a frank, smoky, unsentimental ode to a beautiful, complex, contradictory country from someone who both eagerly and grudgingly calls it home. (This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)