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sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
2.0
The Secret Life of France fell down in two places for me:
- The stream of consciousness style that meant the chapters were somewhat arbitrary
- The fact that the author was really examining PARISIAN, not FRENCH attitudes, something she doesn't acknowledge until the epilogue. Mass generalisations are made throughout that any reader who didn't know better would assume applied to the whole of France, when this is certainly not the case
- The stream of consciousness style that meant the chapters were somewhat arbitrary
- The fact that the author was really examining PARISIAN, not FRENCH attitudes, something she doesn't acknowledge until the epilogue. Mass generalisations are made throughout that any reader who didn't know better would assume applied to the whole of France, when this is certainly not the case
ghostofyesterday's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed Lucy Wadham's personal account concerning being an Englishwoman who, upon marrying a Frenchman, adopted the French way of life. Her anecdotes were amusing, often funny, and her observations about French culture were informative for any nascent (or longtime) Francophile. In short, a vivid depiction of cultural immersion. However, when Wadham descended more into the political goings-on of France, and it became less of a memoir, I found myself becoming increasingly disinterested. Still an enjoyable and entertaining read, but I would have preferred Wadham kept with the style and subject matter she had established in the first half of the book.
Sidenote: Despite the author's claims, Air are in fact a very good French band...
Sidenote: Despite the author's claims, Air are in fact a very good French band...
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