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268 reviews for:
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious---And Perplexing---City
David Lebovitz
3.68 AVERAGE
268 reviews for:
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious---And Perplexing---City
David Lebovitz
3.68 AVERAGE
I read this for an upcoming trip to Paris and I had mixed emotions. It left me feeling a little nervous, like I might not be welcome there, and also sort of embarrassed to be American. I’m hoping that it is a little dated and maybe things have changed? Love the included recipes and can’t wait to try them, therefore the 3 stars!
There's just something about books on life in Paris that draws me to them - Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon, Pamela Druckerman's Bringing Up Bebe, Edmund White's The Flaneur. And now Leibovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris, where he moved to from San Francisco to get a fresh start after his partner passed away unexpectedly.
Whereas Gopnik's book introduced readers to the little nooks and crannies of the city that only a resident is likely to discover, Leibovitz's book covers the attitudes, behaviours and quirks of Parisians - from their standoffishness, lack of service and rampant queue cutting, to their apparently camel-like tendencies. Then of course there are all the various aspects of life in Paris - not the rose tinted version of the tourism industry featuring the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the Champs Elysee, but the gritty reality of navigating the French healthcare system, trying to buy a pair of shoelaces, hiring a plumber and trying to find a half decent cup of coffee. And of course, dealing with strikes.
However, this being Leibovitz, and this being Paris, The Sweet Life in Paris is also about the joys of eating and shopping for food in Paris (the exceptions being coffee - see para above - and the soul sucking experience of shopping in a French supermarket. So the reader is treated not only to a selection of Leibovitz's recipes, but also a list of his favourite vendors, from MORA for pastry equipment and G. Detou for speciality foods, to Patrick Roger for chocolates. The appendix even lists Leibovitz's favourite addresses for various edibles and US sources for ingredients that may not be readily available in France.
A breezy read, perfect for curling up with while on vacation and during the holiday season.
Whereas Gopnik's book introduced readers to the little nooks and crannies of the city that only a resident is likely to discover, Leibovitz's book covers the attitudes, behaviours and quirks of Parisians - from their standoffishness, lack of service and rampant queue cutting, to their apparently camel-like tendencies. Then of course there are all the various aspects of life in Paris - not the rose tinted version of the tourism industry featuring the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the Champs Elysee, but the gritty reality of navigating the French healthcare system, trying to buy a pair of shoelaces, hiring a plumber and trying to find a half decent cup of coffee. And of course, dealing with strikes.
However, this being Leibovitz, and this being Paris, The Sweet Life in Paris is also about the joys of eating and shopping for food in Paris (the exceptions being coffee - see para above - and the soul sucking experience of shopping in a French supermarket. So the reader is treated not only to a selection of Leibovitz's recipes, but also a list of his favourite vendors, from MORA for pastry equipment and G. Detou for speciality foods, to Patrick Roger for chocolates. The appendix even lists Leibovitz's favourite addresses for various edibles and US sources for ingredients that may not be readily available in France.
A breezy read, perfect for curling up with while on vacation and during the holiday season.
Read this after I went to Paris, and this book helpfully explained to me why I had such a rotten time. In addition to delicious recipes, it laid out all of my social sins to explain why--despite my best intentions--I was a just another rude American tourist. Such a fun read! :)
Meh. Not terrible but not riveting either. The complaining about Paris is a bit annoying. I wish he had talked more about the people that made his life worth staying there. The recipes are tantalizing though! Can't wait to make the bacon and blue cheese quickbread. Also socca.
Wonderful. Absolutely hilarious. Great snapshot into Paris life. Can't wait to make some of the recipes!
This was a fun pre-Paris adventure read. Very insightful and humorous, plus the addition of excellent sounding recipes.
I know I'm not the first person to fall in love with Paris after visiting there, and I dream that someday I will live there. David provides critical insight into the true experience of becoming a Parisian, with enough detail that I have started to rethink if living in Paris would truly be worth it lol.