A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chrisholm
OFF THE SHELF
“A Waiter in Paris ” by Edward Chrisholm
As a young unemployed and disillusioned graduate, Chrisholm is invited to move with his then girlfriend to Paris. He is determined to learn French and to do this he seeks employment in a well-known and elite restaurant at the edge of the Seine.
His unflinching and brutally honest descriptions of life as a lowly employee, first as a runner and then the slow, often gruelling pathway to becoming an accepted member of the team as a waiter. He describes the dark underbelly of the restaurant business and the cutthroat hierarchy that keeps everybody in their place. Chrisholm captivates the disparity between the glamorous dining experience of the guests and the often-harrowing experience of the workers, from immigrant migrants desperate to eke out a living to the scheming coworkers who aim to get the best tips by any means possible.
Chrisholm’s observations move through the year it takes to get ‘some-way’ to acceptance (never fully), charts the breakup of his relationship and what it feels like to live hand to mouth in the beautiful city of Paris. This is an insightful book that will make you appreciate the waiters who work in these busy restaurants.
As a group we gave this an 8 out of 10.
Tina Alwyn