Successive waves of immigrants to Paris from the Côte d’Ivoire find themselves working as undocumented security guards in various locales, their experiences reflecting societal shifts from the 1960s to the 2010s.

This was a rollicking good read and I thoroughly enjoyed it - very funny at times, but with a lot of depth behind the humour. It’s a short, sharp commentary on racism and the legacy of colonialism in France, as well as consumerism and globalisation both in France and more widely.

The book alrernates between a security guard’s withering internal observations of various customers as they do their job and the stories of a few Ivorian men who immigrated to France in different decades - the latter are less entertaining to read, but anchor the funnier observational vignettes. The two formats complement each other, resulting in a stronger, more balanced overall offering. I loved the cutting observations, but I also enjoyed the glimpses of the immigrant experience across several generations, the differences and the crushing similarities.

GauZ’ doesn’t pull any punches and some of the societal critiques cut a little close to the bone, but also…he’s not wrong. The pill of truth is easier to swallow when served up with disarming humour.

A cutting commentary on consumerism, racism and the legacy of colonialism within French society - entertaining to read, but with depth behind the sharp humour.