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Very informative and enjoyable. I learned a lot about lingerie (always wear a matching set) to scents perfumes are a must. It's all about creating your independence and experiencing freedom of style. Putting self first by doing it all for myself and no one else.
I really enjoyed this ethnography on what gives French women their je ne sais quoi. I loved how honest the writer was about alternately being envious and horrified by French (to be fair, for the most part, Parisian) values - so very postmodern anthropologist of her!
Moving to the US Midwest has made me crave all things European. Maybe it's the frankenfoods I see on the shelves of supermarkets, or the depressing soulless malls with samey polyester goods at every store and frankly terrible coffee, and the pervasiveness of plastic cutlery... And during The Plague, my options to go out and do things are also quite limited, adding to the frustration. This book provided a welcome reprieve. I'm glad that the author wasn't afraid of articulating the negatives as well as the positives of the French culture and lifestyle, and went beyond the surface observations. Sure, French women are mostly chic and elegant but it comes at a cost. Of all the French chic themed books I've read, I think this one presents the most realistic and balanced view on the topic. An easy and pleasant read.
This was a fast, easy read. I enjoyed some of the peeks into French culture, and I even picked up a few tips and things I intend to try out. But some parts of the book made me uncomfortable - like the author's brief flirtation with a married man while she's married herself, and the fact that she toyed with the idea of an adulterous relationship. Yes, I realize this is very "French" of her, but it still didn't sit well with my (very Canadian) morals. Aside from that, I found the book pretty fluffy - which I guess it was meant to be. I would have liked to learn more about the women she interviewed, what they really thought about the pressure to be perfect all the time and the incessant competition with other women.
Deliciously engrossing nonfic, this slim volume is best read with a wine pairing. Fabulous; a favorite I revisit every couple years.
“Parisian”
It was funny in places and interesting in others, I never knew the British where so against panties and it was considered you was a Prostitute to wear them
It was funny in places and interesting in others, I never knew the British where so against panties and it was considered you was a Prostitute to wear them
I found this book to be irritating and highly insulting. I lived in France, in Paris and outside, and didn't find any of this to be the norm. One would expect from reading this book to find that all French women are chain smokers, unfaithful, ridiculously thin, and completely obsessed with fashion. Some of them probably are, but I met a ton of INDIVIDUALS, just like one would anywhere else. It's not fair to categorize an entire nation based on a few examples. This book is definitely going into the donation pile.
Charming, as all books regarding how-to-be-French are. This one a bit more enlightening than others. I feel like I got more insight on the culture and why they are the way they are
While I have not yet been to France and cannot analyze this book in terms of veracity, I found it to be one of the better books in this currently popular vein of 'French culture.' The author included many wonderful anecdotes and made the discovery of what makes French women so French more of an adventure than a handbook.
lighthearted
medium-paced