Dessine - moi un parisien

by Olivier Magny

Parisien ? Une insulte pour certains, un graal pour d'autres. Qu'il soit origine ou destination, Paris c'est sûr façonne ses habitants. Olivier Magny propose ici une plongée dans le monde étrange des parisiens et nous donne enfin de bonnes raisons de les aimer ou de les détester. Au programme : mauvais esprit et autodérision portés par un auteur 100% parisien. Alors... Parisien ?

Genres: Nonfiction, France, Travel, Humor, Cultural, Sociology, Unfinished

219 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2010

About the author

At age 23, native Parisian Olivier Magny turned his back from the life his parents expected him to maintain to follow his true passion: wine.

One decade later, Olivier's unique approach to wine (French journalists like to refer to Olivier as "The Jamie Oliver of Wine") has turned his little company - O Chateau - into France's #1 wine tasting school & wine bar.

On top of being an international best-selling author and an award-winning sommelier, Olivier is also a guest speaker for Duke University, Melbourne University or Sciences Po.

But if you meet him, or are fortunate enough to read his books, what you'll discover is a incredibly talented young man with a unique voice, genuine passion and most of all... a wonderful sense of humor.

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I've brought up France in conversation, I've generally gotten the response, "They're really nice folks ... outside of Paris." I've never had a bad experience there, but I've generally been in contact with folks who deal with tourists. From the author's description, probably just as well as they wouldn't likely cotton to a bumpkin such as I (unless, I suppose, I could impress them with my childhood sailing lessons).

Each chapter (The weekend, pastries, travel, etc.) explains how Parisians judge others in that respect. For example, visit New York, South America or Thailand - hooray! Anywhere else and you're in the "Oh dear, best you could do, eh?" category. You don't need to be an actual sailor, but should strive to impress others with your nautical wear. As for pastries, there's one type from one shop that counts. Otherwise, you may as well serve day-old Dunkin Donuts.

By the end of the many examples I got the picture: Hundreds of thousands of Francophone Hyacinth Buckets, with all the "depth" of a stereotypical L. A. denizen. The food scene's better in Lyon anyway . . . .

[Elizabeth]

A found object that became a bit of light reading.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! After many trips to Paris, studying the French language and attempting to not behave in a manner that shouted AMERICAN to anyone in Paris, I found so many "clichés" in this book that sure reminded me of what I've experienced of the French. Exaggerated of course but you can't help but nod while reading and frequently laugh out loud.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection of blogs on dozens of aspects of Parisian attitude and thought, by the owner of a Parisian wine bar. Every entry is followed up with a "useful tip" on how a visitor can make the most of the topic discussed, as well a mini-French lesson in how to "sound like a Parisian!" Great fun to read and great way to pick up on current colloquial French.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuff Parisians Like: that's exactly what this book is about. It takes on all the odd and currently fashionable things that those who live in Paris love, and shares them, with an air of both reverence and humor. It's a fun read including things I knew of (scorn for tourists; wearing black; scarves) and things I didn't (snow; Thailand;barbecues), all related in a gentle and kindly manner.

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Un repas sans café à Paris est comme un jour sans alcool en Angleterre -une chose bien singulière".

"La coupe de votre jean dira beaucoup sur vos préférences sexuelles. Choissesez-la avec précaution".

"Un superbe syllogisme parisien est ici à l'oeuvre: La personne qui se plaint est celle qui a identifié le problème. La personne qui a identifié le problème est la personne intelligente. Par conséquent, la personne qui se plaint est la personne intelligente".

[Jonna Higgins-Freese · Rating 5 out of 5]

An actually very funny book making fun of Parisians. No idea how accurate it is, but I enjoyed it.

-- says that all Parisians love to say they like classical music, though they only listen to it for 3 minutes a year.
-- Parisians love going to the market, although they do almost all their shopping at supermarkets (except old women and housewives).
-- "all Parisians know that a car won't stop for a pedestrian. Especially at a crossing. A car that actually stops at a pedestrian crossing will be honked at and its driver immediately suspected of provinciality. Knowing that they don't belong at pedestrian crossings, Parisians cross teh street mostly randomly" (47)
-- "buying a glace Berthillon makes you all at once very gourmet, very distinguished, very in the know, very old school, and very rich." (77) Nice to go at night.

[Derek Erb · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's rare that I don't finish a book. It may take me a very long time to do so, as I may get bored or not have time. But I almost always come back to it eventually. I am also the type who very, very, very rarely leaves a movie or play before the end. I even stay for all of the credits!

But I gave up on this book about after about 20%.

I found myself getting annoyed and angry more than enjoying the reading. As there isn't actually a story I wasn't waiting for something to happen or for it to get better later on. The book is a collection of short anecdotes by a well-off Parisian about other well-off Parisians. It's unfortunately yet another collection of stereotypes and generalisations. It's the generalisations that annoy me and make the reading "insupportable" after not too long. Not only is the book full of stereotypes but the Parisians this book refers to are the 1%. The rest of us Parisians, the other 99% who are not B.C.B.G, are not buying organic cherry tomatoes and are not eating in Sushi restaurants for lunch every day, are obviously not as easily classified or perhaps just not as funny.

I can't stand the Stephen Clarke books either. If you like those then you should ignore this review. This book falls quite well within that range of books with the added interest that this is written by a Frenchman rather than a Brit and a certain type of Parisian at that. It is quite self-deprecating and full of quite dry humour.

It's a pity. I like the way Olivier Magny expresses himself. I like most of his humour. We share the same major passion in our lives: fine wine. This could have been a winner for me and he is the reason I bought it and put it on my Kindle. Unfortunately this rapidly became just a simple Frenchman's version of an annoying Stephen Clarke generalisation of the Parisians. The fact that it is through the voice of a Frenchman does not make it any less annoying. I fear that many may feel that his voice and opinions are more authentic and real and many may actually believe these caricaturisations.

Although Olivier Magny's English is excellent it definitely helps to be more than a bit bilingual when reading the book. The French phrases and terminology liberally used throughout does not translate quite as well in to English as presented. It helps if you know a bit of the language he is using to understand and a get a feel for what he is saying. But he expresses himself extremely well in English and better than quite a large number of anglophone authors.

I wanted to like this book. But I'm afraid I couldn't and it was rapidly sent to the burial grounds of a certain section of the archives of my Kindle.

[Manfred Moonlight Ackermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

D'abord auteur sur un blog à destination des anglophones, l'auteur (français) proposait ces petites "critiques" des parisiens sous le nom "Stuff Parisians like". (http://www.o-chateau.com/stuff-parisi... , pour les anglophones, n'hésitez pas, mis à jour régulièrement ! !)

Ce livre s'adresse à tous les non-parisiens qui y trouveront masses de raisons plus ou moins nouvelles afin de critiquer ces extraterrestres de parigots !
Il s'adresse également à tous les parisiens dotés d'un certain sens de l'auto-dérision et qui n'ont pas peur d'y retrouver certains de leurs travers.
Les sujets vont de la "coolitude" aux choses qui énervent le parisien. La hype, la prétention etc ... bref .. un régal.

Certes, certaines choses sont plus ou moins véridiques, ne font pas toujours plaisir à entendre, peuvent également être aisément extrapolées aux "provinciaux".. mais qu'importe !
Le must étant de lire ce petit best-seller des libraires dans le métro parisien. Il y aura toujours une tête qui lira par dessus votre épaule plus ou moins discrètement et qui y découvrira une vérité qui le forcera à changer son regard de direction (ou à vous demander le nom du bouquin!) !

Les articles sont nombreux et courts ! On sent que l'auteur se fait un plaisir en critiquant la vie de ses compatriotes, et s'incluant très probablement parfois, ainsi que ses amis proches, j'en suis convaincu ! Et cela doit être jouissif pour lui !

Les articles sont rédigés intelligemment, en tentant d'avoir un certain niveau littéraire avec un vocabulaire ou des tournures de phrases un peu recherchées (il ne faut pas sortir d'une grande université pour comprendre non plus hein !).

On peut comparer sa démarche à Stephan Clarke avec, notamment, son "God Save La France" ou "Francais Je Vous Haime : Ce que les rosbifs pensent vraiment des froggies", qui sont de bonnes critiques pertinentes de la France vues par un anglais venu vivre en France

Un livre qui permettra des moments de détente, et pourquoi pas quelques discussions passionnées entre amis afin d'en débattre ! !

[Jeannie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah, Paris. Gay Paree. The City of Light. A mecca for international fashion. Beware Americans wearing white socks! In "Stuff Parisians Like", Olivier Magny strips away all the layers and boils an entire population of 2.2 million individuals down to a black-wearing, denim-clad, art-loving, sushi-eating society of doubting Thomases who think all Americans are stupid (though there is no doubt about this fact!). (For the record, Belgians, you are safe - they like you!) Parisian men must be scruffy, while Parisian women are all on diets, always. In fact, Parisians are not a decadent people: they never overindulge. Parisians watch foreign films in their original languages only, and take extended weekend holidays to escape the city - they long to sail the seven seas and love L'Isle Saint-Louis. Parisians love certain words ("petit" and "putain" being two of them), winning arguments, making lists, snow and skiing, sunshine, house parties, Berthillon ice cream, and New York. They urinate on the city streets, feel continually guilty, and often flake on plans at the last minute. Take all of this information to heart and you will envision a rather ridiculously impersonal modern society that welcomes few and scoffs at most; and yet, even as the proverbial 'Stupid American', I see a serious problem with the pictures painted herein. So while "Stuff Parisians Like" should be a witty little treatise on all that is Parisian - a mocking tribute, if you will - there is a defined lack of humor here. Instead, this reads like a traveler's how-to for the stupid 'beauf' who dares to enter this beautiful, classic European city.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather fun. A good bathroom book, as it is one of those collections of blog entries that publishers put out in book form these days. As a student of French, I enjoyed Magny's little French sentences, illustrative of whatever point he was making in the essay, that he appends to each chapter. The book is all about criticizing/teasing Parisians for their various quirks and pretensions, which can get a little old after a while - which is why it's a great bathroom book, just read one or two essays at a time.

Amusingly, Magny has written this book in English without using an editor, it seems. His English is quite good and colloquial, but there are some little linguistic peculiarities throughout. Perhaps he was right not to have it corrected, I found it added a little - dare I say - je ne sais quoi to the experience.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very light and amusing read which, in my view, makes fun not only of Parisians, but also of any citizen of a capital in any Western country. If you've ever been to Paris, you will definitely agree with the author at least on several points. If you ever talked to young (and not so young) people from France, you will have to admit that "sympa" and "putain" are used far too often :)

Of course, this is just a humorous book and it should be taken as such. It's not a guidebook or a philosophical treatise, so there's really no need to take it too seriously. Just have fun reading :)

[Siobhán · Rating 3 out of 5]

That this book started off life as a blog is immediately evident from the start, but it's smart, right on point, and easy to enjoy. This would be the sort of book I'd gift to a friend as it's much more a pick up and flip through thing than read cover to cover novel. However it captures perfectly what Parisians are expected to be like along with what they are, and so short of going to and living in Paris, this book calls it exactly as it is. Only a true Parisian could have written something like this.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Paris für Liebhaber“ ist eine gelungene Mischung aus witzigen Erzählungen und einem Reiseführer. Wer für seine Paris-Reise etwas ausgefalleneres als den klassischen Reiseführer sucht, liegt hierbei definitiv richtig. Das Buch ist für jeden Parisliebhaber, oder für solche die es werden wollen, geeignet. Man erhält eine ganz andere Sicht auf die Stadt und ihre Bewohner und taucht tief in das echte Pariser Leben ein, wofür das Buch von mir 5 von 5 Sterne erhält. Meine ausführliche Rezension: https://silentsunshinereads.wordpress...

[Michaelv]

very funny

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious. A Frenchman explains all.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilarious, but like all good humor, contained a large kernal of truth. Magny is laugh out loud witty and tenderly eviscerates his Parisian culture, which I say is a must read for anyone seriously wanting to understand life and the people of Paris. I had also read another memroir about an Australian woman moving to Paris, marrying a Parisian, and how difficult it was to integrate, (Amost French: Love and a New Life in Paris by Rebecca Turnbull.) and her experiences were more or less verified in Magny's book. It was very funny, but perceptive and interesting and it gave me a true sense of what to and what not to expect while in Paris. The book is highly entertaining and informative, despite some perceived sexism, but I gather his followup book, "WTF" is quite different, starting out humorous but then devolving into right-wing rants, which is disappointing.

[bart · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fairly tongue-in-cheek book, but it has a lot of truths to it as it pertains to Parisian culture. For me, to be Parisian means (1) Refrain from smiling, and cultivate an air of indifference (2) wear Converse sneakers, (3) Do everything in moderation. Fun is a form of excess, which Parisians typically try to avoid. A nice sunny day with a good book is good enough for them, (3) Read Le Monde, the only newspaper Parisians trust, (4) I already do this in the States, but in Paris, please don't wear white socks.

That list is far from comprehensive, but if I were to include everything, then I might as well read to you the entire book!

Avoid du plaisir à lire!

[Anastasiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

i just can't get enough of books about frenchies. (and this definitely goes to stress the fact that parisians do not equal french people... they are just so so different)
this was written as short 2-3 page 'chapters' covering all things 'french'. it was definitely very satirical but oh so relatable. a lot of the things are such cliches at this point but just very very true. i did start to lose steam with it a bit towards the middle. but definitely found myself laughing a lot throughout. vive la france! ;)

[Liz Mandeville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bite sized chapters from a Paris native exposing the lovable foibles of his city’s co-inhabitants. He covers everything from making friends to making enemies and all points in between. A delightful, tongue in cheek, romp with helpful hints and phrases that make you sound like a native.
One correction, there is night life in Paris and you will find genuine Parisians there. So if you’re looking for a place to go dancing in Paris, you can’t go wrong with The Caveau du Huchette near the St. Michele Metro. Be ready to swing dance and enjoy live music!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an interesting book to be honest, there are some interesting tips. Pretty much just skimmed through the second half of the book. Definitely not what I thought this book would be.

[Con Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative.

[Scott Loveland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, but also informative.

[Ines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK. There are better Frenchie books out there.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read WTF: What the French earlier this year and I wish I would've spaced it and this book out because they were just about identical. Other than that, it's a decently fun read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si parisien de souche ou de passage vous êtes, lisez ce livre léger et agréable à lire

[Dani Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes funny, often mean-spirited.

[Gabby Fontes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the humor in the book and how dense it was with the realistic life values of a Parisian! Finally a book not over-romanticizing, just a take it or leave it approach.

[cgs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably outdated and with some p questionable jokes, but (hopefully) gives some sense of the city.

[Mano Chil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting opinions about Parisians.