A review by rebeccaolee
The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed by Julie Barlow

5.0

Must read for anyone who learned French as a second language, travels to France or just knows French people. A staggeringly accurate deciphering of French culture and conventions for les etrangers. These two Québécois journalists reflect on their time spent living in Paris, and the "codes" of French conversation that they encountered : according to them, the French insist on conversing in strict invisible rules (codes) that are hard for foreigners to decipher, and without which communication becomes frustrating or leads to a dead end. The book takes its title from the first and most important "code" of speaking French : every conversation starts with the exchange of "Bonjour" no matter what. Well researched, with wonderful personal anecdotes from their travels around France and their experience of everyday life in Paris. I especially enjoyed learning about the French education system, and the authors' theories for the rise of the National Front. A lire!