Joie de Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining, and Romancing Like the French

by Harriet Welty Rochefort

An engaging exploration of the style that permeates all things French―perfect for anyone looking to achieve that classic French flair

For Harriet Welty Rochefort, an American who has lived in France for many years with her very French husband, it's clear that the French truly are singular in the way they live, act, and think―from the lightness of their pastries to the refinement of their Hermes scarves. They simply exude a certain je ne sais quoi that is a veritable art form. The French revel in the moment, appreciate the time spent in preparing a perfect feast, pay attention to the slightest detail--whether flowers on the table or a knockout accessory on a simple outfit--and work hard when not enjoying their (considerable) leisure time without an ounce of guilt. Their joie de vivre can come where you least expect for the French it's better to have a chagrin d'amour than no amour at all, and for the Frenchman a day without discord is a day without a kick. They have fun (yes, fun !) when they fuss and feud, squabble and shrug.

When it comes to joie de vivre, Harriet is convinced the French are unbeatable. With good humor and genuine affection for the prickly, paradoxical, and pleasure-seeking Gauls, she takes the reader on her own personal journey through the often byzantine French mindset, sharing tips and tricks such as how to diet like a Frenchwoman and project confidence like a true Parisienne. In her signature warm, witty, and entertaining voice, Harriet shows how joie de vivre permeates the French way of life, precisely because it doesn't include a "pursuit of happiness." Fortunately, she discovered, you don't have to "pursue" happiness in France. It pursues you.

Genres: France, Nonfiction, Travel, Cultural

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

A French-American dual citizen, I live with my French husband, Philippe, in the trendy east of Paris . Our garden apartment boasts a tiny lawn just big enough to mow and a fig tree that has miraculously defied both Paris weather and pollution.

As a real Parisienne (I have now lived in France far longer than in the States), I love and regularly haunt cafés in all parts of Paris. Large portions of Final Transgression were written in the café shown in the picture of me above (Les Foudres, Place Martin Nadaud in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, not far from the famous Père Lachaise cemetery and our apartment).

For a comprehensive look at life in France, visit Philippe’s site: www.understandfrance.org.

And, of course, read my books!

Reviews

[Katherine Van Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning, read slowly in order to fit the cornucopia of information into permanent knowledge. Joie Je Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining, and Romancing Like the French by Harriet Welty Rochefort, is in itself overwhelming and brimming with what the French call Joie Je Vivre (Joy of Life). Throughout the book, Rochefort, makes it her mission to implant Joie Je Vivre onto the American brain from an expatriate's perspective. This is evident by the way Rochefort, goes in-depth over multiple subjects such as dating, etiquette, fashion, food, wine, by interviewing: Francophile friends, shopkeepers, family and talented French citizens. Thereby, pulling interesting tidbits of information from all things French from the French perspective. Joie Je Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining, and Romancing Like the French by Harriet Welty Rochefort, is a treasure trove (or a veritable dictionary) on life in Paris along side her French husband, Philippe, and multiple mentioning of her children and grandchildren over the years. From the viewpoint of an expatriate, Harriet Welty Rochefort, who lived there so long it would be hard press to tell the difference or impression from her writings. In some places in the book, she grabs your attention so well it is almost as if you woke-up in Paris for the perfect snapshot of what life is like. Overall, a fairly good read if you are planning a visit to France.

[Elsa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author, an American, went to Paris and never left. Why you might ask, she met a man and they married. This book discusses what she’s learned over thirty years. Her perspectives on food, fashion, and social behaviors clarified many of my misconceptions I had about the French. For example, restaurants don’t have takeaway bags because they expect you to order only what you can eat and stay a while to enjoy your meal with your companions. Private dinner parties may not start until eight in the evening and go on until at least midnight. The Parisians have a firm grasp on ‘the joy of life’ even though many people think they can be somewhat combative and unfriendly. They are actually quite the opposite and love to stir up things to make life more interesting. I understand Harriet has several other books and I look forward to reading them in the future. I think this is a non-fiction book worth checking out.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNFed it on 6/24/2023.
I probably bought this book ten years ago! And as I am focusing on my TBRs, it was high time to take the dust off this one.
Alas, the France she describes sounds so different from the one I knew, and it's probably even way more different now. But the author has been living in France for a long time, we just didn't live in the same social milieux for sure.
Really full of so many tourist stereotypes.
With so many French people struggling from paycheck to paycheck, it's really hard to reconcile the "romancing" with real life.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fair, I did not actually finish this book- i like her writing style & her narration but the subject matter was just a little-too- detailed. She does detail absolutely everything about her life in France, but I think I like to live a bit more to the imagination. In this way, it was less like a memoir than an encyclopedia of anecdotes.

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I actually quite enjoyed this ( better, for sure, than a previously read book by this author in which she was more condescending to her native country, the u.s.) even though it was consistently repetitive. A nice way to dream away some afternoons.

[Collette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another installment of Harriet Welty Rochefort's French books (her first being 'French Toast'). It's been a few years since I've read her other book, but I really felt like there was not much that was new. And since I recently read 'French Kids Eat Everything', this book tended to pale in comparison writing-wise, although their focuses are different.

Rochefort wants to look at what makes the French so...French. Whether it's what they wear or how they interact with one another or how they eat, there is something mysterious about them that she tries to unwrap. Many things that might seem absurd or weird to people in say the US (as the author is a US citizen) are perfectly normal for the French. Whether it's no such thing as doggie bags or feeding children "exotic" foods or taking long leisurely lunches at work, Rochefort tries to show why the French do what they do.

Some of it is understandable (doggie bags and leftovers are excessive, especially considering what France went through post-World War II), but things like how many times you kiss someone's cheeks when you meet are inexplicable and seem to be deemed by a set of unspoken rules. Still, I don't think Rochefort did a very good job in explaining. We see everything through the eyes of a non-French person, a viewpoint that is somewhat emphasized by her style of writing (not to mention the fact that she mentions it occasionally). There's nothing wrong at all with admitting she's not French and is married to a Frenchman. But it makes it seem like what the French do is STRANGE, not that it's just cultural differences.

Initially I enjoyed the book but as I got towards the end I was bored. The end focuses a bit on food, and as I had already read "French Kids..." recently, this was really boring for me. Bought it as a bargain book and would recommend anyone who is interested in France do the same, or borrow from the library.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, entertaining book that discusses the differences between the French and Americans. The author is a UM alum from Iowa, who moved to France after college, married a Frenchman, and has lived there for over four decades.

The only reason I wouldn't give this five stars is because the author uses a substantial amount of French in the book, and rarely translates it. I tended to skip over it if I couldn't determine what it was from the context, since I didn't want to bother constantly translating it. I would have appreciated the book more if she had provided the English translations. I will still read her other two books though...

[Anna Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read once I moved to Paris, and it could not have been a better book to get me in the mood for living in the City of Lights. Even if I hadn't moved to Paris, this book has so many great insights to the French culture and wants makes so much of it so alluring to us outsiders. If you want to simply think about how you live your life and little ways to make it a little more "French" and a lot more "joie de vivre" I recommend this book!

[Kimberly Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a very easy read and the style of writing keeps you entertained and engaged, while really appreciating the French culture and all it has to offer.

Not going to lie, it makes me want to jump on a plane to France ASAP.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. I love the whole "what makes the french special" genre of books and went through a kick about a month or two ago on it. The author conversationally talks about her observations of french culture, her experiences, and her thoughts. Good beach read.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you've been to France for a week you don't need to read this book

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, fun comparison of life in the U.S. vs. life in France for those of us who are certain that some cosmic error took place and we should have been born in France...

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good look into the culture and lives of the French.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh to live like the French! They do have that Joie de Vivre!

[Vicki Luschek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute and somewhat informative by a woman who married a Frenchman and has lived in France for +40 years. At times Welty Rochefort is redundant, often quoting others in way too long introductions.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a light, fun read for any Francophile. It made me want to pack up and leave today.