{"product_id":"9781800960206-secondhand-a-waiter-in-paris-adventures-in-the-dark-heart-of-the-city","title":"A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City","description":"SHORT LISTED FOR THE ACKERLEY PRIZE FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY           *** 'This astonishing book describes a cruel, feral existence and is worthy of standing on the shelf next to George Orwell's  Down And Out In Paris And London  (1933) as another classic about human exploitation.'  -  Daily Mail 'Chisholm's story is immersive and often thrilling ... He's a fine writer.'  -  WSJ 'Kitchen Confidential for Generation Z'  -  Fortune 'An English waiters riveting account of working in Paris'  -  Daily Mail   'Visceral and unbelievably compelling'  - Emerald Fennell 'Vividly written and merciless in its detail'  - Edward Stourton 'An excellent book'  -  Strong Words magazine 'A completely fascinating read and feels like a the book Anthony Bourdain would have written'  Rosie Kellet 'A Dickensian tale of a young man's trial by fire in a French bistro gives rise to biting commentary on Parisian culture in Chisholm's intoxicating debut'  -  Publisher's Weekly 'Ah, Paris...  gastronomie magnifique  and... insane shit going on behind the scenes.  A Waiter in Paris  charts Edward Chisholm's jaw-dropping experiences while serving tables in the French capital, a demi-monde of sadistic managers, thieves, fighting for tips and drug dealers. Seems like not much has changedsince George Orwell worked the same beat.'  -  Evening Standard 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.  The waiter 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. It's physically demanding, frequently humiliating and incredibly competitive. And with a cast of thieves, narcissists, ex-Legionnaires, paperless immigrants and drug dealers, it makes for a compelling and eye-opening read. Shortlisted for the 2023 Ackerley prize.","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47595399545051,"sku":"9781800960206-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/f24e5b76-f17e-42b2-9114-fefba9929aee.jpg?v=1757867327","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/9781800960206-secondhand-a-waiter-in-paris-adventures-in-the-dark-heart-of-the-city","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}