alundeberg 's review for:

Солодке життя в Парижі by David Lebovitz

3.0

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I have a penchant for books about non-French people all of the sudden finding themselves living in France. It's even better when they find themselves living in Paris. Regardless of the author or the geography all of their experiences are the same: French logic does not correlate with their logic from home. Pastry chef David Lebovitz discovers this after he packs up his life after twenty years in the City by the Bay to move to the City of Light and recounts his his adventure in, "The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious-- and Perplexing-- City". In a series of vignettes, interspersed with many delicious recipes, he shares his travails of adjusting to his new life. His writing and tone is light, like one of his desserts, and he pokes fun at himself and Parisians. As someone who has visited Paris before, I related to many of his experiences, such as the blasé attitudes of grocery store cashiers (it's not just me!) to clerks who show no interest in you buying something, and most recently, the habit of not refrigerating many items (jelly kept on shelves, room temperature breakfast items). Lebovitz faces these cultural challenges with humor as he works to make the city not just the place he lives, but his home. However, the best part is the last section of the book where he provides a list of all of his favorite addresses in Paris to find the best hot chocolate or his favorite restaurants. It is a good read if you are planning a trip to Paris or are just dreaming of Paris.