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Summary: The Power of Observation
Review: This book is an entertaining and thought-provoking read, but as is true with most of life: what you get out of it, depends on how open you are to its messages and what you choose to take away or learn. As a dual American-European citizen, I have been fortunate to have lived and worked all over the U.S. and Europe and find people's viewpoints, lifestyles, cultural rules and how they do or do not apply them to their lives fascinating. My sense is that the author is not trying to evoke a competition between the French and the American woman, rather she seems to be pointing out what makes women (in this case the French woman) unique and special...and how that uniqueness is conveyed through fashion, lifestyle, and relationships. While the actual prose is light -- which makes for easy, entertaining and lively reading, I believe the author's primary observation is a bit more profound, and that is how the (French)women's character manifests itself through the purposeful choices she makes on a daily basis in order to live in accordance with who she truly is and what she wants. Invest your time/life wisely. But she doesn't hit you over the head with self-help dribble. It's not about tying your scarf a certain way, it's about tying the scarf YOUR way (or making any decision from food, to friends to fashion) that communicates you are a unique, self-possessed, interested, confident and passionate woman....the essence of chic. As a side note, I absolutely disagree with the reviewer who doubted whether a woman of "higher education" would enjoy this book. I have several degrees, but more importantly know that life's most worthwhile lessons, are primarily learned outside of the classroom and through quiet observation - which is the crux of this book.
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Summary: ENTRE NOUS: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Gir
Review: This book is charming and smart and though-provoking. It didn't play into the stereotypes of French women, rather it pulled back the diaphanous curtain that has long obscured real and valuable insights about them. I'm no Francophile--I'm as American as they come. But this book made me think about lots of little corners of my life in a different light. Do I need all this stuff? Is this stuff the truest expression of who I am? Does this stuff make my life better or does it just get in the way of my real life experience? I loved the author's observations about the real qualities that distinguish the French girl: Not her stylish clothes but her self-containment and sensuality and discretion. Not her mysterious allure but her deeply ingrained sense of time and quality and authenticity. And I loved the wonderful snips of stories about the author's French girlfriends and the very human ways they express these qualities. This book isn't self help, it's self exploration of a uniquely pleasurable kind.
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Summary: Must be read with champagne flute in hand
Review: This book was so fun! I read it very leisurely during a span of 3 or 4 days. Is it a realistic portrayal of the French Girl? Probably not, but it reminded me to slow down and savour each sensory moment, regardless of what people think.
Rating:
Summary: Must be read with champagne flute in hand
Review: This book was so fun! I read it very leisurely during a span of 3 or 4 days. Is it a realistic portrayal of the French Girl? Probably not, but it reminded me to slow down and savour each sensory moment, regardless of what people think.
Rating:
Summary: Oh La La!!!
Review: This is a deliciously fun book. It's full of glamorous and common sense ideas that can bring joie de vivre into any girls life. Fun, fun, fun!!!
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Summary: Loved this book!
Review: This is the first book I have read cover to cover in ages! Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. It is brimming with insights on French culture and offers advice on how to incorporate some French etiquette/style into your own life. For example, while most American women will form some sort of bond within a few minutes of meeting each other on a park bench (which usually leads to confiding intimate details of your life to a person you met a half hour ago), French women are much more guarded about what they say, when they say it, and who they even speak with. In other words, think before you speak. Don't divulge your life story within a few hours or even days of meeting someone new. Keep quiet and you will also keep an air of mystery to you. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the way French women handle themselves and their daily lives. A side note: Ever wonder how French can take those extra long lunches you always hear about? The book mentions that a 35 hour workweek is the law in France. Also, French citizens receive at least 4 weeks of PAID vacation per year! Mandatory! Oh, the luxeries!
Rating:
Summary: Obvious, but still plenty of good girlie fun
Review: While there isn't anything too startingly *new* in this slim volume, I quite liked it, so I'm recommending it to all of you ladies who'd like some very light, frothy non-fiction for that three hour plane trip, or to curl up with just before bed. While a load of these sorts of books abounds right now, this author comes to her task honestly: she lived in France for 10 years, and from her likeable photo on the back cover, she's the kind of american everywoman whose point of view really might come in handy for those of us who wouldn't mind picking up a little french style. I thought her take on french women was admiring withOUT lapsing into the sort of "self-hating american" all-things-european adoration I've seen plenty of in various fashion magazines. Really a collection of ruminations on what it means to be french. And sociologists take note: her pages on the VERY different approach frenchwomen take to interpersonal relations(when meeting a new person/potential gal pal, general socializing, office demeanor, etc.)are from my limited experience absolutely on the money. In addition to the entertainment value, I'm going to try to adopt the described "french" qualities of self-restraint in gabbing, at least; I'm sure my success will be limited, but every little soupcon helps!
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