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Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl
Provocative and practical, lively and intelligent, Entre Nous unlocks the mystery of the French girl and the secrets of her self-possession. Why do French women always look inimitably stylish? How do they manage to sit in a café for a three-course lunch and a glass of wine...by themselves? What gives them the certainty that allows them to refuse anything-whether a man, a job, or a little black dress-that doesn't suit them perfectly?
More than just a book on fashion, Entre Nous is about the essence of French living-its observations about French women and their ways will help you take the best of all pages from the French girl's book: the page that reveals how to really enjoy life.
"Ollivier spent a decade in France and learned a thing or two about how French women cultivate that sense of being easy in one's skin...(she) helps us bridge the cultural gap."
- Seattle Times
More than just a book on fashion, Entre Nous is about the essence of French living-its observations about French women and their ways will help you take the best of all pages from the French girl's book: the page that reveals how to really enjoy life.
"Ollivier spent a decade in France and learned a thing or two about how French women cultivate that sense of being easy in one's skin...(she) helps us bridge the cultural gap."
- Seattle Times
242 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
80 people are currently reading
2658 people want to read
About the author
Debra Ollivier
4 books37 followersOllivier lived in France for over ten years, had her two children there, and became a dual citizen. She currently divides her time between Paris and Los Angeles, where she lives with her family, and is at work on a historical novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
June 2, 2017
My intellectual pride doesn't want me to list this on my bookshelf (could that be why I just remembered to review Jorge Luis Borges?), but I actually found this more interesting and thought-provoking than expected (and an exceedingly quick read). I checked it out from the library after seeing it somewhere, and I was expecting to chuckle all the way through at the stereotypes before throwing it down in self-righteous disgust.
Of course this is lightweight chick nonfiction, and best stayed away from by those irritated by that kind of thing. But since I have some tolerance for lightweight chick nonfiction, I enjoyed it. I rolled my eyes a few times at what seemed an exaggerated insistence on the effortlessness with which French women supposedly throw dinner parties and get dressed in the morning.
Some exaggeration aside, I was surprised to realize that a lot of her unlikelier-sounding assertions were backed up by my limited experience*. The "French girl" of my acquaintance actually did have a large family house in the country (on the French riviera, no less). And they really did have cheese for dessert on a regular basis--so maybe her claims of effortlessness had some truth to them too, who knows?
I think what I liked most about this were the reminders of things that I found more life-friendly about French culture (more vacation time, time to go home and cook and eat lunch (like my employer, who cooked a rabbit for a workday lunch), the revolutionary idea that women over 35 can still be attractive, etc. I think I found it particularly interesting because I read it on a break from Judith Warner's Perfect Madness, which is so far a pretty bleak read. Obviously the French Girl of the book is solidly middle- or upper-class, but I wouldn't expect a book like this to veer into social critique (and she isn't strictly sycophantic, either; she's gently critical of some French quirks and gently defensive of some American ones, pointing out that there are aspects of American culture that the French admire).
Tidbit: I only remember one mention of the abominably overplayed "they work magic with scarves!" trope.
*Nannying for a family, which, although a small sample size, is still a pretty random sample.
Of course this is lightweight chick nonfiction, and best stayed away from by those irritated by that kind of thing. But since I have some tolerance for lightweight chick nonfiction, I enjoyed it. I rolled my eyes a few times at what seemed an exaggerated insistence on the effortlessness with which French women supposedly throw dinner parties and get dressed in the morning.
Some exaggeration aside, I was surprised to realize that a lot of her unlikelier-sounding assertions were backed up by my limited experience*. The "French girl" of my acquaintance actually did have a large family house in the country (on the French riviera, no less). And they really did have cheese for dessert on a regular basis--so maybe her claims of effortlessness had some truth to them too, who knows?
I think what I liked most about this were the reminders of things that I found more life-friendly about French culture (more vacation time, time to go home and cook and eat lunch (like my employer, who cooked a rabbit for a workday lunch), the revolutionary idea that women over 35 can still be attractive, etc. I think I found it particularly interesting because I read it on a break from Judith Warner's Perfect Madness, which is so far a pretty bleak read. Obviously the French Girl of the book is solidly middle- or upper-class, but I wouldn't expect a book like this to veer into social critique (and she isn't strictly sycophantic, either; she's gently critical of some French quirks and gently defensive of some American ones, pointing out that there are aspects of American culture that the French admire).
Tidbit: I only remember one mention of the abominably overplayed "they work magic with scarves!" trope.
*Nannying for a family, which, although a small sample size, is still a pretty random sample.
January 15, 2009
Okay, I knew this book would be silly, but I have to say, it's pretty dumb. If all French girls are white, heterosexual and rich then maybe the author has a point about how to live like a French girl. For example, she says things like "Every French girl has a country home..." uh, really? She does dispense some good advice, like be self-possessed, think before you speak, edit your wardrobe, enjoy life and don't count calories, but are those trains particularly French? I'm not sure. The best part of this book was the book and movie suggestions. I see it as research for my novel on the American attitude about and image of France.
April 26, 2009
Well, it started off strong, but then it started to feel like Ollivier was the geeky chick in the lunch room who wants so badly to be liked by the popular girls that she fails to realize they are making fun of her. By the end of the book I no longer wanted to find my inner French girl, I really wanted to have her exorcised. The author is impressed by the French and their connection to family - maybe she needs to examine her own lack of family ties because it didn't seem that odd to me. And yet it doesn't seem odd to her when, in the midst of this strong family unit, the husband gathers a mistress.
This is not a book to be read for sentimental reasons, but for the good bits on fashion and eating. Perhaps these are the topics we Americans are willing to accept in our inner French girl.
This is not a book to be read for sentimental reasons, but for the good bits on fashion and eating. Perhaps these are the topics we Americans are willing to accept in our inner French girl.
August 17, 2011
I'm a hardcore francophile but this book disgusts me. It's snide and stuck-up and overly generalistic. I've lived in France and I could count on one hand the number of women I met who fall into the author's stereotype. There is NOTHING original about her grand statements either. "The French girl is always fashionable. The French girl loves food. The French girl doesn't live to work." Blah, blah, blah. The worst thing about this book though is how hypocritical it is. The whole "point" of the book is to tell non-French women how to be more French, and yet the number one thing that makes a French woman so French is that she's comfortable with who she is and doesn't try to pretend to be something she's not. Alas, the minute you start trying to be French when you're not is the very minute you cease to be anything like the French. Crap book. Go read "French Women for All Seasons" or "French Women Don't Get Fat" instead. At least Mireille Guiliano is actually French so she has the right to be snide.
August 17, 2007
Okay, I read the first half of this book with relish (wine and chocolate with every dinner? nights in with Proust? Oui-oui!) and then sort of lost steam. That French women think baby showers are bad luck and like bed ruffles is not as interesting to me as their coquettishness and rampant nude-bathing, on which I wish Ollivier had further expounded.
The book is worth reading if just for the film recommendations and "French Girls We Love" profiles.
The book is worth reading if just for the film recommendations and "French Girls We Love" profiles.
March 29, 2008
I bought this at Anthropologie. I love that store. I can't fit the clothing there, so I buy all the books. This book is great. I read it once a year at least. It's very silly. It tells you how to awaken the inner-french girl in you. Purrrrr. I like that each section gives you suggestions on books, movies, and has great little French quotes. Oooh la laaaah.
January 16, 2013
While it is a fun read at times, it is filled with ridiculous generalizations of both French women and Americans. I was constantly offended by the American stereotype and I end up yelling things like, "I can cook!" "I'm not fat!" "I'm not vain, shallow, or fake!" "I don't wear pajamas out of the house!" Also, every quote coming from the author's French friends was offensive and did not help the snooty French stereotype. It was so infuriating! I also found offensivee the idea that Americans don't value time with family and that holidays and Christmas dinners are only about exchanging gifts.
I am open to new ideas and learning about other ways of life, but this was so biased. Maybe I'm just too analytical for this kind of fluff.
I enjoyed the chapter on food and the lists of great french novels to read and movies to watch. That's about it.
I am open to new ideas and learning about other ways of life, but this was so biased. Maybe I'm just too analytical for this kind of fluff.
I enjoyed the chapter on food and the lists of great french novels to read and movies to watch. That's about it.
February 9, 2018
This was delightful.
I loved everything in this. Especially the little movie and book recs.
I loved everything in this. Especially the little movie and book recs.
June 13, 2011
Debra Ollivier is a California girl who’s lived in France for 10 years. There she married her husband, had two children and discovered what being a French girl is all about, beyond the stereotype of thin and stylish. And let me tell you, it's not all about wine and cheese and fancy lingerie.
I’ve always had a soft spot for all things French. Some of my favorite authors are Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas Pere, Anne Golon and I dream of being able to read their books without translation. The little black dress is an absolute must have and French onion soup and a piece of baguette make a perfect lunch. The little cafes seem beyond enchanting and La Vie En Rose makes me have goose bumps every time I hear it. And last but not least when I look at pictures of Marion Cotillard, Audrey Tatou and Juliette Binoche I admire their ability to look so effortlessly chic. It is no wonder then that I’ve been picking up books about French women and what gives them that mysterious and self-assured presence and the ability to look so put together no matter how casually they dress. My most recent find is this book and I’m glad to have stumbled upon it. At first glance it’s like All You Need To Be Impossibly French but that’s only at first glance.
This book talks about who the French girl is on the inside, as much as on the outside and it truly is a fun and thought-provoking read. Here Debora Ollivier talks about all the different aspects of a French girl’s life. She discusses the way she dresses, the way she takes care of herself and her family, the way she cooks and entertains, the way she works and spends her leisure time, but that’s not all. She also talks about the way the French girl raises her children, nourishes her mind and focuses on nurturing her true self, not changing her personality according to the latest fad self-help book. According to Mme. Ollivier the true French girl is discreet, selective, private and self-contained and her shape and size have little to do with her level of confidence because she knows who she is and she owns it completely and flaunts it without reservation. I don’t know about you, but taking a few pages out of a French girl’s book seemed like a good idea to me when I finished this volume.
Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is that in addition to the author’s insights into the French life we also got little fun tidbits like book and movie recommendations, interesting quotes, recipes and comparisons of life in the States and in France. I laughed out loud reading about Pere Noel and Santa Claus, Halloween in Paris and a block party to which the Parisians brought their fine china. The only thing about these tidbits that I didn’t like is that they appeared in the middle of a chapter, in the middle of a sentence even, and until I figured out to skip them until the chapter’s end and then go back to enjoy them separately I kept feeling interrupted all the time, which as any reader knows is rather annoying.
I would highly recommend this book to any Francophile girl out there for a look at the French girl through the eyes of a girl who’s become French in a way. You can tell she loves her homes on both sides of the Atlantic and that gives the whole thing the air of authenticity the real French girl cherishes so much.
Read more of my reviews at Bibliophile's Corner
I’ve always had a soft spot for all things French. Some of my favorite authors are Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas Pere, Anne Golon and I dream of being able to read their books without translation. The little black dress is an absolute must have and French onion soup and a piece of baguette make a perfect lunch. The little cafes seem beyond enchanting and La Vie En Rose makes me have goose bumps every time I hear it. And last but not least when I look at pictures of Marion Cotillard, Audrey Tatou and Juliette Binoche I admire their ability to look so effortlessly chic. It is no wonder then that I’ve been picking up books about French women and what gives them that mysterious and self-assured presence and the ability to look so put together no matter how casually they dress. My most recent find is this book and I’m glad to have stumbled upon it. At first glance it’s like All You Need To Be Impossibly French but that’s only at first glance.
This book talks about who the French girl is on the inside, as much as on the outside and it truly is a fun and thought-provoking read. Here Debora Ollivier talks about all the different aspects of a French girl’s life. She discusses the way she dresses, the way she takes care of herself and her family, the way she cooks and entertains, the way she works and spends her leisure time, but that’s not all. She also talks about the way the French girl raises her children, nourishes her mind and focuses on nurturing her true self, not changing her personality according to the latest fad self-help book. According to Mme. Ollivier the true French girl is discreet, selective, private and self-contained and her shape and size have little to do with her level of confidence because she knows who she is and she owns it completely and flaunts it without reservation. I don’t know about you, but taking a few pages out of a French girl’s book seemed like a good idea to me when I finished this volume.
Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is that in addition to the author’s insights into the French life we also got little fun tidbits like book and movie recommendations, interesting quotes, recipes and comparisons of life in the States and in France. I laughed out loud reading about Pere Noel and Santa Claus, Halloween in Paris and a block party to which the Parisians brought their fine china. The only thing about these tidbits that I didn’t like is that they appeared in the middle of a chapter, in the middle of a sentence even, and until I figured out to skip them until the chapter’s end and then go back to enjoy them separately I kept feeling interrupted all the time, which as any reader knows is rather annoying.
I would highly recommend this book to any Francophile girl out there for a look at the French girl through the eyes of a girl who’s become French in a way. You can tell she loves her homes on both sides of the Atlantic and that gives the whole thing the air of authenticity the real French girl cherishes so much.
Read more of my reviews at Bibliophile's Corner
February 27, 2012
It's fine, a quick read. I like it because I love lists--it had lists of "things every house should have" (e.g. "lavatory paper" and "eggs" ... I don't know, I love the mundane... and something called "Spontex"...), lists of clothes, etc.--this is why it's 3 star instead of 2 star. But I don't really recommend it for anyone else for any other reason. It's sort of only skin deep, but if you're looking for a light read, it fits the bill.
If you really want some deeper insight into French culture, history, and everyday life, I'd recommend Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France, But Not the French. That book is a little more dry, with chapters describing the French system of government, history, etc. and how that relates to French culture, but it's thoroughly researched, whereas Ollivier's book is just half-formed anecdotes from when she lived in France. Also, there's really nothing in Ollivier's Entre Nous that's you wouldn't have already found out in Sixty Million Frenchmen.
If you really want some deeper insight into French culture, history, and everyday life, I'd recommend Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France, But Not the French. That book is a little more dry, with chapters describing the French system of government, history, etc. and how that relates to French culture, but it's thoroughly researched, whereas Ollivier's book is just half-formed anecdotes from when she lived in France. Also, there's really nothing in Ollivier's Entre Nous that's you wouldn't have already found out in Sixty Million Frenchmen.
March 28, 2019
I actually found this to be quite disappointing, the author is an American who lived in France for a time and this is her observations. However, the random boxes of info on french movies or icons gave the book a disjointed feel as they would have nothing to do with what was being discussed on the page. I won't read this again and think it's off to the charity shop for someone else to read
September 18, 2017
To me this was a great light, fun and even inspiring read. There were definitely some ideals in this book that I would like to implement into my own life, such as the French girl's love of REAL food, the time she devotes to herself, and how self contained she is. However there are definitely a few things that made no sense to me, like the French girl's love of family but her acceptance of (and almost expectation of) adultery in her marriage. But then again, this book almost makes it seem as if the French girl is perfect in every way, (which of course, no one is) so I'm glad the author decided to add in those glimpses into a reality of the French girl's life that I definitely don't envy. Because let's face it, the French girl's instinctive chicness, her ability to eat four course dinners constantly and never get fat, her knowledge of food and how to cook it, of clothes and how to wear them, and the fact that she gets to sip coffees at corner cafes whenever she feels like it....yeah, enviable.
August 26, 2018
There are little gems in here about learning to be more serene, self-assured. But mostly this book made me want to get far away from French women. In trying to portray a unique, charming woman the author instead paints a picture of a conceited, culturally ignorant person. It doesn't help that she and the women she talks about can't seem to stop putting American women down.
February 27, 2025
Cute read as a prepare for my trip to Paris!
A bit dated at times, as this book is from the early 2000s, but the French Girl is of course classy and timeless. Fun and informative, and unreal enjoyed the author’s personal stories she interwove effortlessly.
3.5 stars rounded up.
A bit dated at times, as this book is from the early 2000s, but the French Girl is of course classy and timeless. Fun and informative, and unreal enjoyed the author’s personal stories she interwove effortlessly.
3.5 stars rounded up.
May 19, 2009
I have always been astounded at the sheer number of books of this ilk that describe how the French have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that the rest of us philistine Americans can and should emulate. And it's always the French who seem to hold our fascination and inspire our desire to imitate. For example, you never see this kind of a book urging us to find our inner German, Italian, Japanese, Swedish, Russian, Mexican or any other kind of a girl. We just all seem to want to be more French. (Well, I certainly do!)
Debra Ollivier is an American who lives in France, and she has so many fun tidbits that describe French women that all I can really do is share a few of my favorite quotes, then highly recommend the rest of the book.
First, she discusses "French discretion vs. American tendency to let it all hang out." (7)
"The French girl is a natural free spirit. [She:] is brought up to be polite, but she is not necessarily brought up to be a good girl. Lucky her—that Anglo-Saxon imperative to be liked (and be like everyone else) is not high on her list. Her culture exalts the iconoclast, the nonconformist, the article and original thinker . . . [but she has:] natural discretion" (10).
"French women are more comfortable being naked than American women” (30).
"A French woman of a certain age knows how to be beautiful without trying to be younger" (33).
"The French girl knows that sensuality is her birthright, and to flaunt what she’s got—rather than endlessly reinvent herself—is the key to enduring feminine power The French girl unequivocally owns her own life and her own body. And she takes care of both. She strikes her own pose. Rows her own boat. Lives her own life" (53-54).
"It is a cliché of almost monumental proportions to associate the French with food, and yet it is inevitable: Nowhere is respect for ritual more striking in French life than when it comes to food . . . Food is culture. It is history. It is identity. It is pleasure. And it is savored with the same singular enjoyment as sex" (100).
"Food or drink “to go” is still not a French concept" (102).
"At meals, food and time are to be savored" (103).
"Euro Disney concession stands went under—the French don’t snack like we do" (106).
“Every day, a bit of chocolate and port wine. The French girl knows that it might be the champagne, foie gras, and chocolate –eaten with discretion, moderation and enthusiasm—that actually keep her alive."
"The French girl rejects the supplements and vitamin craze, and the reasoning goes something like this: “If you eat fresh foods, why would you need vitamins? . . . . (Particularly troubling to vegetarians, who until recently were considered extraterrestrials in France)" (115).
"Eat modest portions of excellent food, never giant portions of anything. Eat well or not at all. Indulge in simple pleasures" (117).
"The café is iconic in the French girl’s life. . . . There is not Styrofoam here. No multiple sub-species of coffees. Nothing to go. There is espresso in a real cup and saucer" (119).
"So, what do you do for a living?” That kind of American ice-breaker is a hapless faux pas in France" (146).
Debra Ollivier is an American who lives in France, and she has so many fun tidbits that describe French women that all I can really do is share a few of my favorite quotes, then highly recommend the rest of the book.
First, she discusses "French discretion vs. American tendency to let it all hang out." (7)
"The French girl is a natural free spirit. [She:] is brought up to be polite, but she is not necessarily brought up to be a good girl. Lucky her—that Anglo-Saxon imperative to be liked (and be like everyone else) is not high on her list. Her culture exalts the iconoclast, the nonconformist, the article and original thinker . . . [but she has:] natural discretion" (10).
"French women are more comfortable being naked than American women” (30).
"A French woman of a certain age knows how to be beautiful without trying to be younger" (33).
"The French girl knows that sensuality is her birthright, and to flaunt what she’s got—rather than endlessly reinvent herself—is the key to enduring feminine power The French girl unequivocally owns her own life and her own body. And she takes care of both. She strikes her own pose. Rows her own boat. Lives her own life" (53-54).
"It is a cliché of almost monumental proportions to associate the French with food, and yet it is inevitable: Nowhere is respect for ritual more striking in French life than when it comes to food . . . Food is culture. It is history. It is identity. It is pleasure. And it is savored with the same singular enjoyment as sex" (100).
"Food or drink “to go” is still not a French concept" (102).
"At meals, food and time are to be savored" (103).
"Euro Disney concession stands went under—the French don’t snack like we do" (106).
“Every day, a bit of chocolate and port wine. The French girl knows that it might be the champagne, foie gras, and chocolate –eaten with discretion, moderation and enthusiasm—that actually keep her alive."
"The French girl rejects the supplements and vitamin craze, and the reasoning goes something like this: “If you eat fresh foods, why would you need vitamins? . . . . (Particularly troubling to vegetarians, who until recently were considered extraterrestrials in France)" (115).
"Eat modest portions of excellent food, never giant portions of anything. Eat well or not at all. Indulge in simple pleasures" (117).
"The café is iconic in the French girl’s life. . . . There is not Styrofoam here. No multiple sub-species of coffees. Nothing to go. There is espresso in a real cup and saucer" (119).
"So, what do you do for a living?” That kind of American ice-breaker is a hapless faux pas in France" (146).
December 22, 2019
This book is not about finding one's inner French girl.
This book is nothing more than page after page of an author complaining about France not being America and the French not being American. Perhaps if the author had not be obsessed with the notion that the French should live as Americans do, she may have been able to write about her French experience rather than spend chapter after chapter whining to the point of nausea. Someone needs to inform the author that the French do not aspire to be American or live as Americans do. The author seems rather mystified as to why the French do not want to be American and wastes most of the book not guiding the reader to find her inner French girl, but waxing on and on about how France isn't America.
A significant portion of this book includes sidebars on what appears to be the author's opinion on modern French culture. While I'm sure the French still adore Catherine Deneuve, it would be nice if the author made references to French culture (film, books, etc.) that was happened outside of the 1960's. And it goes without saying, Coco Chanel and Edith Wharton are not the only women who had something insightful to say about French women.
Another thing worth noting is the author's thinly veiled prejudices and racism. The author uses terms like "Latin" and "Anglo Saxon" and "Protestant" in a very distasteful manner.
In summary, the author is not looking to show you how to find your inner French girl. The author is merely looking to show you that she was an American living in France, looking to further her American way of living and her American narrative, in France and she was met with much resistance. Having lived in France for a brief period in one's life, having had French neighbours who, gasp, use fresh ingredients in their cooking, being able to spew the occasional French phrase and name French wine and cheese doesn't qualify the author to speak on finding one's inner French girl. The only thing we learn is the author was an American living in France for a short time in her life.
This book is nothing more than page after page of an author complaining about France not being America and the French not being American. Perhaps if the author had not be obsessed with the notion that the French should live as Americans do, she may have been able to write about her French experience rather than spend chapter after chapter whining to the point of nausea. Someone needs to inform the author that the French do not aspire to be American or live as Americans do. The author seems rather mystified as to why the French do not want to be American and wastes most of the book not guiding the reader to find her inner French girl, but waxing on and on about how France isn't America.
A significant portion of this book includes sidebars on what appears to be the author's opinion on modern French culture. While I'm sure the French still adore Catherine Deneuve, it would be nice if the author made references to French culture (film, books, etc.) that was happened outside of the 1960's. And it goes without saying, Coco Chanel and Edith Wharton are not the only women who had something insightful to say about French women.
Another thing worth noting is the author's thinly veiled prejudices and racism. The author uses terms like "Latin" and "Anglo Saxon" and "Protestant" in a very distasteful manner.
In summary, the author is not looking to show you how to find your inner French girl. The author is merely looking to show you that she was an American living in France, looking to further her American way of living and her American narrative, in France and she was met with much resistance. Having lived in France for a brief period in one's life, having had French neighbours who, gasp, use fresh ingredients in their cooking, being able to spew the occasional French phrase and name French wine and cheese doesn't qualify the author to speak on finding one's inner French girl. The only thing we learn is the author was an American living in France for a short time in her life.
August 19, 2008
I really liked some of this book and really hated other parts. First, the ugly--The author promotes the French amoral, socialistic, atheististic values, or lack thereof, and wonders why Americans aren't more liberal. Huh? Anyway, I prefer the old-fashioned American values, like open doors, honesty, and hard work.
This was an easy, fast read, and was fun to read about French history, authors, and other French things, which I love. I liked the promotion of the idea of "living a beautiful life." --not hurrying: "Don't take short-cuts. Don't multi-task. Do one thing at a time, completely, in the moment... Let go of the desire to fit everything into a day." That's not me at all. But I do need to try to be more like that.
Also, the idea of enjoying authentic things in life, like eating a relaxed dinner with the family every night on real plates, instead of the McDonald's in the car every night! yuck! Some things in the book reminded me of Arthur Henry King's idea about surrounding our children with authentic things, instead of fake, plastic representations of things.
I liked the views about children too--not overindulging them with presents, etc., but keeping life simple. Americans tend to put their children in the center of the universe, and then the kids meet the rest of the world and realize that they're not the center of the universe!
I would recommend this book--glean the good and leave the rest. There are a few suggestive parts, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers.
This was an easy, fast read, and was fun to read about French history, authors, and other French things, which I love. I liked the promotion of the idea of "living a beautiful life." --not hurrying: "Don't take short-cuts. Don't multi-task. Do one thing at a time, completely, in the moment... Let go of the desire to fit everything into a day." That's not me at all. But I do need to try to be more like that.
Also, the idea of enjoying authentic things in life, like eating a relaxed dinner with the family every night on real plates, instead of the McDonald's in the car every night! yuck! Some things in the book reminded me of Arthur Henry King's idea about surrounding our children with authentic things, instead of fake, plastic representations of things.
I liked the views about children too--not overindulging them with presents, etc., but keeping life simple. Americans tend to put their children in the center of the universe, and then the kids meet the rest of the world and realize that they're not the center of the universe!
I would recommend this book--glean the good and leave the rest. There are a few suggestive parts, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers.
September 3, 2013
I enjoyed the read and the ride through Paris via Debra Ollivier's eyes. I am so proud to be an American but have always loved France aussi. I hope American/French cultures continue our
friendship. I now want to return to Paris...but if not meant to be...I now have lots of les Films and Les Livers to explore...and I will. In fact, I ordered Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' from Amazon just last night when I finished reading this uplifting book on Paris. Oh , musique aussi,
I am playing 'Amelie' as I write my opinion...Carla Bruni music is my next interest in music from today's france.
ps...I am aware Woody Allen's le film came out after this book...but believe me Debra would have included his work in this delightful read.
friendship. I now want to return to Paris...but if not meant to be...I now have lots of les Films and Les Livers to explore...and I will. In fact, I ordered Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' from Amazon just last night when I finished reading this uplifting book on Paris. Oh , musique aussi,
I am playing 'Amelie' as I write my opinion...Carla Bruni music is my next interest in music from today's france.
ps...I am aware Woody Allen's le film came out after this book...but believe me Debra would have included his work in this delightful read.
June 23, 2007
I bought this book on my visit home to the USA, thinking it was a book about French culture.
It's totally a self-help book for someone who idealizes Paris ... but it's actually cute. There are some awesome film recommendations, cool advice about the use of bright colors, and lots of hints on some great books. The author uses a lot of Edith Wharton's personal quotes about France, which is interesting.
Anyway, haven't read it. It's good to poke through if you're bored. :)
It's totally a self-help book for someone who idealizes Paris ... but it's actually cute. There are some awesome film recommendations, cool advice about the use of bright colors, and lots of hints on some great books. The author uses a lot of Edith Wharton's personal quotes about France, which is interesting.
Anyway, haven't read it. It's good to poke through if you're bored. :)
August 28, 2007
I should be Clementine in my next life. I really just LOVE how Europeans, especially Latin women, live. Lovely ladies, read this book, and smile as you live as pleasantly, tastefully and yet humbly like these women.
FOR A FUN COMPARISON OF A PERFECTLY PARADOX AMERICAN LIFE, READ: The Joys of Much Too Much.
FOR A FUN COMPARISON OF A PERFECTLY PARADOX AMERICAN LIFE, READ: The Joys of Much Too Much.
September 5, 2007
I'll admit it. I'm a little embarrassed to be adding this to my list. But I can't help it - it's one of those books that I love going back to and re-reading chapters when I'm stuck in bed with a cold. Or if I just want a push to rent a movie. Unfortunately, the Blockbuster in Yardley never had Jules et Jim.
November 7, 2011
Most of the advice was kind of obnoxious and generic. French girls savor their food. French girls take care of their skin. French girls save up for a Birkin bag and wear it for the rest of their lives. French girls don't care if their husbands have mistresses.
The most useful part was the bit about how to shop for fruit at a farmer's market.
The most useful part was the bit about how to shop for fruit at a farmer's market.
February 6, 2013
Way too gushing and unrealistic. Pity, the book looked so nice and promising, which is why I actually bought it. But how can I take someone seriously who considers going topless the height of sophistication which she longs to achieve? Please!!! Chucked this one out, and good riddance.
April 4, 2018
What was meant to be a light read turned into a marathon due to it’s disjointed nature.
March 31, 2021
I agree with pretty much all these reviews, this book is cute and inspiring if you don’t take it too seriously, otherwise it can come off as kind of ridiculous. It definitely had some good reminders on how to just be happier and more content with yourself (slow down, focus on yourself not others, enjoy the little things, etc).
I will say that something that did frustrate me was all of the extra text boxes. I think the idea of them was fun, but to me there were just way too many and I felt like I had to stop every three sentences into the main chapter’s narration to read a box that was completely unrelated. It made the book much less fluid of a read for me. I wonder if anyone else found that kind of annoying.
I will say that something that did frustrate me was all of the extra text boxes. I think the idea of them was fun, but to me there were just way too many and I felt like I had to stop every three sentences into the main chapter’s narration to read a box that was completely unrelated. It made the book much less fluid of a read for me. I wonder if anyone else found that kind of annoying.
August 28, 2021
The author did a wonderful job explaining French culture and attitude about life. The reason why I bumped it down from 5 stars to 4 stars is because of how it’s deemed a normal thing for the French to have mistresses and affairs, and the author seemed to roll with it. I don’t completely agree with every aspect of French culture and everything seems romanticized, including the negative aspects, but I loved other characteristics of French culture, including their healthy work-life balance, taking pleasure in the simple things, having a positive body image, enjoying food without worrying about calories, and more. Also appreciated the book and movie recommendations. This book makes me want to visit France!
May 27, 2022
Funny and adorable.
October 12, 2019
It gives you a vision far from the materialistic world.
September 9, 2018
I think this is one of the most pretentious books I have ever read! Yes, it has some interesting tidbits and vignettes of the "French girl," a mythical creature that cannot really exist in reality. Somehow all of these French girls, while employed, have a country home or a chic but small apartment, an endless capacity for cooking, shopping at the market, entertaining, socializing and participating in cultural events without any of the realities of life such as cleaning or apparently caring for anyone else but themselves. The author even admits, in her ridiculous description of the French girl's dinner party, how the (homemade, local, fresh and gourmet) food "magically" appears, NOT at a buffet but served by hand, while the French girl herself is absolutely enjoying herself, chatting with every guest, thin legs crossed like a pretzel, and "maybe" one hired helper...oh and of course it is incredibly faux pas for the guests to help, so how this dinner actually happens is truly magic/unbelieveable just like the rest of the book.
In every example of the French girl's culture except for maybe two, expect that whatever being described to be mythical, magical, beautiful wonderful and perfect, and the American counterpart to be crass, shallow and chaotic.
Yes, I am coming at this from my entirely American perspective, but the book is so idealized, condescending, pretentious and based in fantasy that I was rolling my eyes for the last 150 pages of the 200 page book.
In every example of the French girl's culture except for maybe two, expect that whatever being described to be mythical, magical, beautiful wonderful and perfect, and the American counterpart to be crass, shallow and chaotic.
Yes, I am coming at this from my entirely American perspective, but the book is so idealized, condescending, pretentious and based in fantasy that I was rolling my eyes for the last 150 pages of the 200 page book.
September 21, 2014
This is another one of those books that was given to me and I read just incase I miss anything amazing. It is not a book I would have picked out for myself, I have no desire to find my inner French girl but apparently I've already found her.
I have the French attitude to my looks, I like them. I wouldn't want to look like anyone else but me. Saying this out loud to fellow Brits and I guess American's makes me sound vain, like it's wrong to be happy about how I look. I guess I'd fit right in with the French girls. Except when it comes to queueing, I'm British, don't you know and we always queue correctly.
The rest of the book I didn't take seriously and although it was mildly entertaining, I'm not one for style. I'm sitting here in a Disney top from Primark.......
The food bit made me so hungry, as reading about food tends to do. Luckily I had a ready meal on hand. As much as I love food, I really can't be bothered to make it and that sets me miles apart from any inner French girl that might have been hiding inside me.
Only read if you are into fashion or French culture. Au revoir.
I have the French attitude to my looks, I like them. I wouldn't want to look like anyone else but me. Saying this out loud to fellow Brits and I guess American's makes me sound vain, like it's wrong to be happy about how I look. I guess I'd fit right in with the French girls. Except when it comes to queueing, I'm British, don't you know and we always queue correctly.
The rest of the book I didn't take seriously and although it was mildly entertaining, I'm not one for style. I'm sitting here in a Disney top from Primark.......
The food bit made me so hungry, as reading about food tends to do. Luckily I had a ready meal on hand. As much as I love food, I really can't be bothered to make it and that sets me miles apart from any inner French girl that might have been hiding inside me.
Only read if you are into fashion or French culture. Au revoir.
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