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Paris Letters: A Travel Memoir about Art, Writing, and Finding Love in Paris
“How much money does it take to change your life?”
Unfulfilled at her job and unsuccessful in the dating department, Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. Then she decided to make it a challenge.
Over the next few months, with a little math and a lot of determination, she saved up enough to buy two years of freedom in Europe.
But she had only been in Paris for a few days when she met a handsome butcher (with a striking resemblance to Daniel Craig)—and never went home again.
A love story in the vein of Almost French and Lunch in Paris, Paris Letters (February 4) is a joyful romp through the City of Light, and an inspiring look at what can happen when we dare to create the life we want.
Realizing that her Parisian love affair would be forever, MacLeod began her own business on Etsy, creating beautifully-illustrated letters from Paris inspired by artists like Percy Kelly and Beatrix Potter. She now paints and writes full-time, bringing beautiful things to subscribers around the world and reviving the lost art of letter-writing.
Unfulfilled at her job and unsuccessful in the dating department, Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. Then she decided to make it a challenge.
Over the next few months, with a little math and a lot of determination, she saved up enough to buy two years of freedom in Europe.
But she had only been in Paris for a few days when she met a handsome butcher (with a striking resemblance to Daniel Craig)—and never went home again.
A love story in the vein of Almost French and Lunch in Paris, Paris Letters (February 4) is a joyful romp through the City of Light, and an inspiring look at what can happen when we dare to create the life we want.
Realizing that her Parisian love affair would be forever, MacLeod began her own business on Etsy, creating beautifully-illustrated letters from Paris inspired by artists like Percy Kelly and Beatrix Potter. She now paints and writes full-time, bringing beautiful things to subscribers around the world and reviving the lost art of letter-writing.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
389 people are currently reading
9874 people want to read
About the author
Janice MacLeod
12 books207 followersJanice MacLeod is best known as a Paris author and artist. She is the best selling author of Paris Letters, her memoir of how she became an artist in Paris. She created a letter subscription service called Paris Letters, which are illustrated letters sent through the mail.
Her next book, A Paris Year, is an illustrated journal detailing the life of an artist in Paris. It is hailed as One of the Most Beautiful Books by USA Today.
The third Paris-based book is Dear Paris, an anthology of all the Paris Letters created by MacLeod over 10 years. This was hailed by Forbes as One of the Most Romantic Gift Books.
She lives with her family in Canada and Paris.
Her next book, A Paris Year, is an illustrated journal detailing the life of an artist in Paris. It is hailed as One of the Most Beautiful Books by USA Today.
The third Paris-based book is Dear Paris, an anthology of all the Paris Letters created by MacLeod over 10 years. This was hailed by Forbes as One of the Most Romantic Gift Books.
She lives with her family in Canada and Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 884 reviews
March 25, 2014
There is a certain type of story which I love love love (love love). It involves a woman, usually a journalist or a writer, moving to Paris and falling in love, both with the city and with the man of her dreams. These stories always involve lots of cheese and bread, amusing descriptions of adapting to French life (the kitchens are so small! Women are so good at wearing scarves!) and, always, at the end there is a moment when the journalist/writer realises she is perfectly, truly happy. My favourite of these stories is Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French. The year it came out I got three copies of it for Christmas (and I kept all three, I loved it that much). Paris Letters sits in that same literary subgenre, with one key difference: rather than being a journalist or novelist, the Janice Mcleod is a blogger. As I shall show you, that has a huge effect on the final product.
Janice Mcleod works in advertising in Los Angeles. She has a good job and a nice house, but she’s just not happy. One day, sitting at her office, she starts to think – how much money would it take to quit her job and live in Paris for a year? She randomly picks the figure of $100 a day and she saves up $65,000, quits her job and moves to Paris.
I like the idea of everything Mcleod writes about, but I found myself increasingly irritated by its execution. For example, she picks a figure of $100 a day as the necessary amount she needs to have to live overseas. It would have taken like 10 minutes to google the average costs of living in Europe, but instead she just picks a number that feels right to her. What’s more, after seeing how she went about saving this money, it felt to me like she was constructing her story so it would read well, rather than telling the truth. She says that she saved money by cutting back on expenses and selling her stuff, in the process decluttering her apartment. But then, in one paragraph at the very end of the chapter, she reveals that in fact she made a bit of money on the stock market with help from some friends. So, how much of the giant amount she was able to save – US $65,000 – came from actually saving and being frugal and how much from playing on the stock market?
She gets to Paris and meets a butcher and falls in love. She was a vegan in California, but once she gets to Paris she is just…not a vegan anymore. No explanation, but I was left with the strong impression that if a bunch of Mcleod’s friends started jumping off a cliff, she wouldn’t hesitate in joining them. At this stage, I realised that there was something a bit strange about how this memoir was written and, when Mcloed mentions she was blogging her experience, I realised what it was – the book is written like a series of really long blog posts. It has the overuse of the word “I” and the telescope-like focus on the self that is typical of much personal blog writing. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing – this writing style can be hugely popular, as the success of blogs such as Mcleod’s illustrate – but it’s not just one I enjoy very much. I realised I had incorrectly placed Paris Letters in the “foreign woman moves to Paris” subgenre instead of the “adapted from a popular personal blog” subgenre. Once I realised that, I enjoyed the book a lot more because, instead of questioning motivation and causality (like unsurprisingly, $100 a day wasn’t enough to live on) I just rolled with it. It would have been a better book if the secondary characters had been fleshed out more or if Mcleod had at any stage acknowledge the privilege that allowed her to do the things she did, but it was a as a book-from-blog memoir, it’s fine.
Janice Mcleod works in advertising in Los Angeles. She has a good job and a nice house, but she’s just not happy. One day, sitting at her office, she starts to think – how much money would it take to quit her job and live in Paris for a year? She randomly picks the figure of $100 a day and she saves up $65,000, quits her job and moves to Paris.
I like the idea of everything Mcleod writes about, but I found myself increasingly irritated by its execution. For example, she picks a figure of $100 a day as the necessary amount she needs to have to live overseas. It would have taken like 10 minutes to google the average costs of living in Europe, but instead she just picks a number that feels right to her. What’s more, after seeing how she went about saving this money, it felt to me like she was constructing her story so it would read well, rather than telling the truth. She says that she saved money by cutting back on expenses and selling her stuff, in the process decluttering her apartment. But then, in one paragraph at the very end of the chapter, she reveals that in fact she made a bit of money on the stock market with help from some friends. So, how much of the giant amount she was able to save – US $65,000 – came from actually saving and being frugal and how much from playing on the stock market?
She gets to Paris and meets a butcher and falls in love. She was a vegan in California, but once she gets to Paris she is just…not a vegan anymore. No explanation, but I was left with the strong impression that if a bunch of Mcleod’s friends started jumping off a cliff, she wouldn’t hesitate in joining them. At this stage, I realised that there was something a bit strange about how this memoir was written and, when Mcloed mentions she was blogging her experience, I realised what it was – the book is written like a series of really long blog posts. It has the overuse of the word “I” and the telescope-like focus on the self that is typical of much personal blog writing. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing – this writing style can be hugely popular, as the success of blogs such as Mcleod’s illustrate – but it’s not just one I enjoy very much. I realised I had incorrectly placed Paris Letters in the “foreign woman moves to Paris” subgenre instead of the “adapted from a popular personal blog” subgenre. Once I realised that, I enjoyed the book a lot more because, instead of questioning motivation and causality (like unsurprisingly, $100 a day wasn’t enough to live on) I just rolled with it. It would have been a better book if the secondary characters had been fleshed out more or if Mcleod had at any stage acknowledge the privilege that allowed her to do the things she did, but it was a as a book-from-blog memoir, it’s fine.
April 21, 2014
I didn't really know what to expect when I opened this book (I never read the synopsis). The title is what drew me to it. I read it in 1.5 days. Paris Letters made me feel happiness and hope, it gave me inspiration, encouragement and advice. I found it enjoyable because I can really relate to Janice, I love art, painting, letter writing and adventure. I could actually see myself doing what Janice has done. It really inspired me. At the moment I'm stuck completing my degree, not earning much money and waiting to graduate. Janice's story made realising my dream of being a world traveller and being free, so much more attainable. Just figure out how much money you will need and do whatever you can to make it. And you will make it as long as you follow through. Her relationship advice was also spot on. Be yourself. Be happy. C'est la vie. Thank you Janice. Much love. Jx
August 2, 2016
Unhappy because she only gets two weeks off work per year from her once-a-dream-job-no-longer-is-job, a 30-something decides to sell all her things, quit her job and move to Europe a la Eat, Pray, Love. It sounds like the makings of a good story, but the difference here is that Janice Macleod isn't the tortured, heartbroken soul that Elizabeth Gilbert was. There was no colossal break-up or some other tragic event that spurred her into action. No, Macleod is just incensed because she only gets two weeks off work per year from her assistant director copywriting job. And her beach side adjacent apartment in Santa Monica and California-dreaming life in general just isn't cutting it anymore. If she sounds entitled, spoiled, and a bit bratty, it's because she is. And if I sound annoyed and a little peeved it's because I am. I just didn't get this chick's story. Mainly because there was no story. She's the type of person who was a vegan in LA because Alicia Silverstone convinced her to be, but as soon as she spied a cute butcher in Paris, all views on veganism were gone. I'm not a vegan, but in the words of Abe Lincoln, "Whatever you are, be a good one." She also constantly has conversations with Mr. Miyagi. At first this didn't bother me. But by the 8th or 9th time of her gleaning wisdom from revelations and conversations that she was having with the fictional karate master from The Karate Kid, I began to wonder if perhaps she shouldn't check herself into a psych unit instead of traipsing around Europe. Apparently she's a blogger (I have no idea what the url is and I don't plan to find out) which probably explains why I just didn't get or like this book (I refuse to call it a memoir). Don't get me wrong, I read plenty of blogs but this book was written very self indulgently as if it were a blog post. Works on a blog in real time, not in audiobook form.
Also, I listened to this on audio. It was narrated by Tavia Gilbert which probably didn't help my feelings toward the book. As any avid listener of audiobooks knows, some narrators work for you and some don't. Tavia Gilbert is firmly filed under my do-not-listen-read-instead list of narrators.
Also, I listened to this on audio. It was narrated by Tavia Gilbert which probably didn't help my feelings toward the book. As any avid listener of audiobooks knows, some narrators work for you and some don't. Tavia Gilbert is firmly filed under my do-not-listen-read-instead list of narrators.
March 2, 2015
Maybe it was because I read most of Paris Letters while on a quick jaunt (48 hrs!) to Paris. Or, maybe it is because I'm between jobs and dream of running away and doing something entirely different. But, I really enjoyed this book, which read like a fantasy, but was in fact the author's reality. I will use some of what I learned as a future Paris travel guide and some as a guide for life.
Read
March 26, 2025I have written letters to friends and family, in war times, written postcards from my travels, written stories in my notebooks that no one has ever read, written lists of things I need to do but rarely finish, and written down thoughts just to make sense of them.
I have written when I was happy, written when I was sad, written when I was unsure of what to feel, and written when the words felt like they might heal something inside me. I have written about people I have loved and those I have lost, written about places I have seen, and those I can only imagine. Now, as I sit here , writing, I think about all the things I have written, and I wonder what I will write tomorrow, what will be writen in the days to come, and what will remain unwritten in the end.
Writing in Paris feels almost inevitable, as if the city itself is a collaborator. From the lively bustle of Montmartre, to the serene gardens of the Luxembourg, Paris seems to unfold itself with every word I write. Each café I sit in becomes a sanctuary of a page. Even if I imagine
myself years from now, still writing, still scribbling ideas, and still crafting stories, I know that much of what has been written will be forgotten by others, but to me every line of writing carries a little bit of my self, a little pièce of who I am. Writing, endlessly, for the joy of the act itself, it's perhaps its own reward. Writing - much like life itself, is never truly finished. It is simply a series of pauses between what has been written and what waits to be written.
I have written when I was happy, written when I was sad, written when I was unsure of what to feel, and written when the words felt like they might heal something inside me. I have written about people I have loved and those I have lost, written about places I have seen, and those I can only imagine. Now, as I sit here , writing, I think about all the things I have written, and I wonder what I will write tomorrow, what will be writen in the days to come, and what will remain unwritten in the end.
Writing in Paris feels almost inevitable, as if the city itself is a collaborator. From the lively bustle of Montmartre, to the serene gardens of the Luxembourg, Paris seems to unfold itself with every word I write. Each café I sit in becomes a sanctuary of a page. Even if I imagine
myself years from now, still writing, still scribbling ideas, and still crafting stories, I know that much of what has been written will be forgotten by others, but to me every line of writing carries a little bit of my self, a little pièce of who I am. Writing, endlessly, for the joy of the act itself, it's perhaps its own reward. Writing - much like life itself, is never truly finished. It is simply a series of pauses between what has been written and what waits to be written.
January 5, 2016
I definitely have the travel bug and because of that I did enjoy parts of this book. It was fun to read about Janice's adventures in Paris and during her other travels. This book reminded me of many other fictional and non-fictional accounts of people who escape their jobs, move to another country and find love, how is it that that always seems to happen? I suppose people probably wouldn't want to read a book about someone who tries to restart their life and struggles or fails… but to me that seems more realistic. I wish more time had been spent on the difficulties Janice faced - being in a relationship with someone she couldn't communicate with well, how she navigated moving away from her family and friends, any struggles she faced financially. Instead, many of these details are glossed over in favor of a more fairy tale-esque story where the author doesn't mind the language barriers, or at least doesn't find them to be too much of a difficulty. She seemingly leaves her family and friends without a second thought - writing to them occasionally, but otherwise not really mentioning them. Even the financial difficulties Macleod faced are painted in a creative, but easily solved light as she realizes she could paint letters to people on Etsy, starts doing it and is almost instantly successful. I imagine many people will enjoy this read for escapism, but to me it all came off as a bit too easy and unrealistic. A quick, light read that admittedly did make me want to up and move to Europe, but also made me think about all the difficulties that would come with that decision too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2017
This was a lovely adventure, and totally inspiring to the artist lurking inside. Maybe someday I will quit my job, but probably only visit Paris.
Re-read May 2016 - I enjoyed this just as much upon a second read. I love everything about this book; her journey into minimalism and being frugal to get out of debt, travelling to Paris, learning French, embracing her artist-self, and falling in love. I really hope that Janice MacLeod will write another book soon, I want to know more of her story!
Re-read May 2016 - I enjoyed this just as much upon a second read. I love everything about this book; her journey into minimalism and being frugal to get out of debt, travelling to Paris, learning French, embracing her artist-self, and falling in love. I really hope that Janice MacLeod will write another book soon, I want to know more of her story!
October 1, 2014
Its a Parisian sex and the city. Bit delusional. Its a good view into the head of the type of woman I dislike. "Why did you change the floor of MY apartment after I told you not to?, Her answer: because it makes me happy and I want to be happy"
The book starts of well, I think it falls apart once she meets the guy and it becomes a chick flick.
The book starts of well, I think it falls apart once she meets the guy and it becomes a chick flick.
March 23, 2014
With a single suitcase in hand, former Californian copywriter Janice Macleod abandons her stultifying career and heads off to Europe sharing her journey in this memoir, Paris Letters.
Thirty four and single Macleod realised that despite her successful career as middle management in an advertising agency affording her a (more than) comfortable lifestyle, she was dissatisfied with her life. In 2010 inspired by The Artist's Way written by Julie Cameron and a comment from a colleague, Janice began making plans to reinvent her life. She began by journaling (and blogging) every day and devising ways to save $100 a day to fund a years travel. A year later she quit her job and took off to explore Europe.
Paris Letters is a record of Janice Macleod's journey which includes brief treks through Scotland and Italy before she decides to settle in France, having met a French-speaking Polish butcher on the streets of Paris and fallen in love. Having found happiness but needing a way to fund her prolonged stay in Paris, she takes inspiration from artist Percy Kelly and his illustrated letters to his penpal. Utilising an Etsy store front begins creating and selling letters adorned with her watercolour paintings of Paris scenery quickly amassing over 1,000 subscribers. By the end of 2012, Janice is engaged to Christophe, has a book deal and is living her dream.
In many ways this is an inspirational memoir of a woman who has changed her life for the better, in others I feel that Paris Letters is somewhat disingenuous. It could be that I'm jealous. Macleod manages to save in a year (nearly US$65,000), more than my husband earns to support our family of six, while still paying for rent, utilities, car payments, a housekeeper(!) and general living expenses, despite her pared down lifestyle. While I do admire Macleod's commitment to her goal, which was achieved with some sacrifice and hard work, few would have the opportunity to emulate her success and the author fails to acknowledge her privileged position. It's also clear that Macleod always intended to write a book about her experience (she has previously co-authored two books) but it would be mean spirited to begrudge the author her success, and happiness.
Paris Letters is a charming memoir, an inspiration for office drones everywhere and ideal for Francophiles who dream of escaping the daily grind to live in City of Light.
February 9, 2014
Have you ever wanted to leave your crappy job and just get away? That's the dream for many of us and Janice MacLeod's "Paris Letters" is not only a way to escape from the daily drudgery of office life, it's a kick in the pants to actually do it yourself.
MacLeod's story starts off with her time working a job she doesn't like, failing in the dating department and wishing for a life somewhere else. By cutting costs and following her dream we see that not only is it possible to live the dream, it's magically unpredictable once you get there. Once in Paris life, and love, intervene and change everything she thought she knew.
Sure, the premise seems like something out of the next romantic comedy, but once you read it you realize how human she is. She's swept up into a romance that she openly admits seems like a horrible idea, but she goes with it. Admitting her concerns and showing that the relationship, though extremely adorable at times, isn't perfect creates a kind of bond between reader and author. By seeing her faults, the essential humanity of her story, we see that pursuing a dream can be rewarding, but that it also comes with a heaping helping of reality.
Throughout the book we get to read her Paris Letters, the ones that she created for her Etsy followers to help fund her travels. The detail in the painted letters makes the book feel like an adult picture book at times. You know an illustration will be there at the end of the chapter, and you eagerly await turning the next page to see what masterpiece it will be.
I think I'm particularly drawn to this story because I can relate to the author so much; I don't like my office jobs, I don't want to live where I'm living, I'm not dating a man resembling the latest James Bond.... Reading this book when I was feeling particularly low about all of this actually gave me the boost I needed. I immediately took her money-saving advice and give myself daily reminders about the goals I have. Following a dream isn't easy, or perfect, as MacLeod can attest to, but it's an adventure we all deserve.
MacLeod's story starts off with her time working a job she doesn't like, failing in the dating department and wishing for a life somewhere else. By cutting costs and following her dream we see that not only is it possible to live the dream, it's magically unpredictable once you get there. Once in Paris life, and love, intervene and change everything she thought she knew.
Sure, the premise seems like something out of the next romantic comedy, but once you read it you realize how human she is. She's swept up into a romance that she openly admits seems like a horrible idea, but she goes with it. Admitting her concerns and showing that the relationship, though extremely adorable at times, isn't perfect creates a kind of bond between reader and author. By seeing her faults, the essential humanity of her story, we see that pursuing a dream can be rewarding, but that it also comes with a heaping helping of reality.
Throughout the book we get to read her Paris Letters, the ones that she created for her Etsy followers to help fund her travels. The detail in the painted letters makes the book feel like an adult picture book at times. You know an illustration will be there at the end of the chapter, and you eagerly await turning the next page to see what masterpiece it will be.
I think I'm particularly drawn to this story because I can relate to the author so much; I don't like my office jobs, I don't want to live where I'm living, I'm not dating a man resembling the latest James Bond.... Reading this book when I was feeling particularly low about all of this actually gave me the boost I needed. I immediately took her money-saving advice and give myself daily reminders about the goals I have. Following a dream isn't easy, or perfect, as MacLeod can attest to, but it's an adventure we all deserve.
March 16, 2016
There are lots of reasons that you shouldn’t bother reading this review of Paris Letters if you really want to read an honest review. I can’t write honest reviews of books that are set in Paris. I can’t write honest reviews of books that have illustrations. And this book has both. I love wholeheartedly books about Paris. Even awful ones. I love wholeheartedly books with illustrations. Even awful ones. Paris Letters is set in Paris and Paris Letters has illustrations.
I loved Paris Letters.
So you’ve ignored my warning and now you’ve wasted your time reading this review of Paris Letters.
I apologize.
August 28, 2015
I love memoirs, and I love France, so this book was right up my alley. I didn't know when I started the book that there would also be a sizeable section at the beginning of the book on uncluttering, which is also something I love. The author starts paring down her possessions in preparation for quitting her day job and having an adventure. Happily, reading that section coincided with my husband being out of town, so I was free to let the inspiration of the book spur me to pull everything out of our closets and start organizing. This delayed my reading the rest of the book for a couple of days, but was nevertheless a good thing.
After getting our little house in better shape, I could read the rest of the Parisian story and enjoy the author's adventures in getting to know the city of Paris and her new Polish/French boyfriend. Loved hearing about her visits to some of my favorite places (like Shakespeare and Co) and the good food she finds. I can tell that I'll enjoy looking at MacLeod's blog online, and hearing more about her as time goes on...
After getting our little house in better shape, I could read the rest of the Parisian story and enjoy the author's adventures in getting to know the city of Paris and her new Polish/French boyfriend. Loved hearing about her visits to some of my favorite places (like Shakespeare and Co) and the good food she finds. I can tell that I'll enjoy looking at MacLeod's blog online, and hearing more about her as time goes on...
June 15, 2017
sebuah catatan: dilarang membaca ini bila kamu sedang mengalami kebosanan dalam pekerjaanmu karena dijamin kamu pasti bakal pengen ikutan resign juga T_T
bagus.
saya mengira tadinya akan dikecewakan sama buku ini. tapi ternyata enggak. saya suka cerita di tiap bab-nya. semacam membaca diary dan berdialog dengan diri sendiri gitu. dan ah, di buku ini pun membahas seni beberes juga ya. marie kondo lofers memang ada dimana-mana.
seperti yang sudah saya jabarkan di catatan pertama, setelah membaca ini-(tepatnya subuh tadi), saya juga langsung mberesin semua tumpukan tak penting di rumah saya. kayaknya sih saya mau ngurangi jumlah buku yang saya simpan deh (padahal udah sedikit).
ingin mengerem keinginan jajan jilbab juga hh, saya paling lemah sama jilbab dan kaus kaki.
kalau tokoh di buku ini saja bisa, maka saya pasti juga bisa kan ya?
kutipan kesukaan yang nendang banget mungkin ini,
ada semacam kebebasan saat pilihan kita terbatas.
sebuah catatan dan teguran untuk saya karena saya suka bingung karena banyak pilihan. hhh
rekumen!
bagus.
saya mengira tadinya akan dikecewakan sama buku ini. tapi ternyata enggak. saya suka cerita di tiap bab-nya. semacam membaca diary dan berdialog dengan diri sendiri gitu. dan ah, di buku ini pun membahas seni beberes juga ya. marie kondo lofers memang ada dimana-mana.
seperti yang sudah saya jabarkan di catatan pertama, setelah membaca ini-(tepatnya subuh tadi), saya juga langsung mberesin semua tumpukan tak penting di rumah saya. kayaknya sih saya mau ngurangi jumlah buku yang saya simpan deh (padahal udah sedikit).
ingin mengerem keinginan jajan jilbab juga hh, saya paling lemah sama jilbab dan kaus kaki.
kalau tokoh di buku ini saja bisa, maka saya pasti juga bisa kan ya?
kutipan kesukaan yang nendang banget mungkin ini,
ada semacam kebebasan saat pilihan kita terbatas.
sebuah catatan dan teguran untuk saya karena saya suka bingung karena banyak pilihan. hhh
rekumen!
January 24, 2021
Интересна идея, сериозно приключение, а историята е приятно описана.
Кой не мечтае да промени нещо в живота си?
Лично мен също ме вълнуват минимализмът, независимостта от работата и пътуванията, и ми беше интересно да разбера как някой е успял да ги сбъдне.
Кой не мечтае да промени нещо в живота си?
Лично мен също ме вълнуват минимализмът, независимостта от работата и пътуванията, и ми беше интересно да разбера как някой е успял да ги сбъдне.
March 4, 2015
I loved this. What a sweet read. And funny. And simply wonderful. Ms. MacLeod-Lik has a special voice to her prose that's charming and inviting. I'd love to read the next installment about where her life takes her from here. I'm recommending this to my Canadian mom who is also from Ontario. Wonderful positivity.
January 13, 2022
This was an engaging look at Ms Macleod’s move to Paris. In many respects it’s similar to others of its type, but what drew me in was having seen the tangible result of her determination to create a new life. I’ve seen the author’s art products for sale online over the years. For many years she offered subscribers a monthly letter from Paris, accompanied by her own very talented illustrations - she’s moved on again to new horizons so a book containing these is available, which I’ve ordered. The letters look lovely: beautiful artwork, combined with varied and interesting snippets on Parisien life and culture.
There’s plenty of that in this book, too, plus we see the author’s relationship develop with the lovely, gentle, supportive Christophe, who she tells us looks like Daniel Craig. It’s interesting to watch the relationship dynamic without a shared language. Some lovely moments, and an enjoyable read.
There’s plenty of that in this book, too, plus we see the author’s relationship develop with the lovely, gentle, supportive Christophe, who she tells us looks like Daniel Craig. It’s interesting to watch the relationship dynamic without a shared language. Some lovely moments, and an enjoyable read.
September 14, 2019
Много истински истории прочетох през последните години. Кои добри, кои не толкова. Явно това е новата мода.
Въпреки , че историята на Джанис Маклауд не е заредена със силен емоционален заряд или поне не е разказана емоционално, е доста интересна.
Харесаха ми нейните идеи. Даже много.
Но тя явно има и талант.
Да рисува, да пише, да спестява, да рискува. В нея живее поне един авантюрист.
Това , което ще си запазя от нейната книга е следната мисъл: " Трябва да се научим как да сътворяваме живота си.Всички сме творци и всеки ден е платно."
Въпреки , че историята на Джанис Маклауд не е заредена със силен емоционален заряд или поне не е разказана емоционално, е доста интересна.
Харесаха ми нейните идеи. Даже много.
Но тя явно има и талант.
Да рисува, да пише, да спестява, да рискува. В нея живее поне един авантюрист.
Това , което ще си запазя от нейната книга е следната мисъл: " Трябва да се научим как да сътворяваме живота си.Всички сме творци и всеки ден е платно."
June 19, 2016
3.5 stars
*** Review rewritten ***
I saw this book on sale and picked it up just because I found the blurb and cover interesting. I was not disappointed with my choice. I wish I could relocate to a different country and start my life all over again, make new friends and find a new profession (I have already done it once :) ). If you love to travel, you should definitely read this book. The author talks about her trips to Paris and also about her UK and Italy trip. I felt like packing my bag and catching the first flight available to Europe after reading this book. She talks about the yummy food she had in Paris, about famous personalities and writers who spent their days in Paris, about French people, language and I found it all really fascinating to read.
The writing was good and it kept me interested. I did not get bored nor did I feel like keeping the book aside while reading. It had me engrossed and I enjoyed reading and learning more about France. I have only read Dan Brown’s book on France so far. I loved the idea of painted letters a lot and this book had many such letters. I loved reading these letters, one letter at the end of each chapter. The author got inspired from some paintings by Percy Kelly that she saw in UK. I had no idea about this painter. I want to get hold of a book which has a collection of his painted letters, if and when I visit Europe. I want to try it out myself someday too as I love to paint.
I ordered a Paris letter from the author’s Etsy shop and received a lovely painted letter from her in my mail. I am now planning to frame this letter and hang it on the wall. The painting is too beautiful! Janice is really talented and I am not surprised that she was able to switch her career easily to become an artist once she moved to Paris. I showed this letter to my husband and even he loved it. She has a pretty handwriting.
My Paris letter from Janice -
The author maintained a journal that helped her plan her travels and also life. I am now considering having a journal of my own. I want to start writing in a journal daily or at least weekly. Let’s see how that goes. She also had a blog where she wrote all about her plan, so she was a blogger before she became an author. I also liked the part about her uncluttering and simplifying her life before she moved from California. She gave a lot of tips on how to save money for your travels. I found that section informative.
There are many lovely quotes in the book –
“We must know how to design our lives. We are all artists, and each day is a canvas.”
“Along the way, I replaced a bad habit of being upset with a good habit of being happy. Could it really be that simple?”
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”
“Travelers live by this rule: collect as many experiences as you can without getting yourself killed or worse.”
“If you only accomplish one thing in a year, let it be paying something off. A student loan, a car, a credit card, a bookie, whatever.”
The only reason for liking and not loving this book is that it sounded unrealistic. The author only talks about the good stuff happening to her and never about the difficulties and challenges she faced. So it sounds almost like a fairy tale where she just happens to meet a perfect man in a new country, she never had any trouble with her finances, in settling in an unknown country all alone, or in staying away from family so far. I mean, it is a wonder that some random guy in a random country did not turn out to be a psychopath or a robber or a rapist. I hope other women don’t get inspired and try what she did – I would call it luck or fluke that everything worked out so well for her. I would have preferred it if it was more realistic and had less of the author praising her perfect man for pages together. I wish she had concentrated more on her Paris experience than her romance.
But still it is a good one time read and anyone who is interested in travel or France should read this book. I enjoyed reading it.
*** Review rewritten ***
I saw this book on sale and picked it up just because I found the blurb and cover interesting. I was not disappointed with my choice. I wish I could relocate to a different country and start my life all over again, make new friends and find a new profession (I have already done it once :) ). If you love to travel, you should definitely read this book. The author talks about her trips to Paris and also about her UK and Italy trip. I felt like packing my bag and catching the first flight available to Europe after reading this book. She talks about the yummy food she had in Paris, about famous personalities and writers who spent their days in Paris, about French people, language and I found it all really fascinating to read.
The writing was good and it kept me interested. I did not get bored nor did I feel like keeping the book aside while reading. It had me engrossed and I enjoyed reading and learning more about France. I have only read Dan Brown’s book on France so far. I loved the idea of painted letters a lot and this book had many such letters. I loved reading these letters, one letter at the end of each chapter. The author got inspired from some paintings by Percy Kelly that she saw in UK. I had no idea about this painter. I want to get hold of a book which has a collection of his painted letters, if and when I visit Europe. I want to try it out myself someday too as I love to paint.
I ordered a Paris letter from the author’s Etsy shop and received a lovely painted letter from her in my mail. I am now planning to frame this letter and hang it on the wall. The painting is too beautiful! Janice is really talented and I am not surprised that she was able to switch her career easily to become an artist once she moved to Paris. I showed this letter to my husband and even he loved it. She has a pretty handwriting.
My Paris letter from Janice -
The author maintained a journal that helped her plan her travels and also life. I am now considering having a journal of my own. I want to start writing in a journal daily or at least weekly. Let’s see how that goes. She also had a blog where she wrote all about her plan, so she was a blogger before she became an author. I also liked the part about her uncluttering and simplifying her life before she moved from California. She gave a lot of tips on how to save money for your travels. I found that section informative.
There are many lovely quotes in the book –
“We must know how to design our lives. We are all artists, and each day is a canvas.”
“Along the way, I replaced a bad habit of being upset with a good habit of being happy. Could it really be that simple?”
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”
“Travelers live by this rule: collect as many experiences as you can without getting yourself killed or worse.”
“If you only accomplish one thing in a year, let it be paying something off. A student loan, a car, a credit card, a bookie, whatever.”
The only reason for liking and not loving this book is that it sounded unrealistic. The author only talks about the good stuff happening to her and never about the difficulties and challenges she faced. So it sounds almost like a fairy tale where she just happens to meet a perfect man in a new country, she never had any trouble with her finances, in settling in an unknown country all alone, or in staying away from family so far. I mean, it is a wonder that some random guy in a random country did not turn out to be a psychopath or a robber or a rapist. I hope other women don’t get inspired and try what she did – I would call it luck or fluke that everything worked out so well for her. I would have preferred it if it was more realistic and had less of the author praising her perfect man for pages together. I wish she had concentrated more on her Paris experience than her romance.
But still it is a good one time read and anyone who is interested in travel or France should read this book. I enjoyed reading it.
May 2, 2014
“How much money does it take to change your life?”
That’s the question that prompted Canadian copywriter Janice to completely overhaul her life, make a plan and work at her dream to pay for her own European sabbatical. Working in a corporate firm, Janice is fed up with her job and dreams of packing up her home, submitting her resignation and jumping on a flight to Europe for an adventure. She realises there’s a lot of hard work ahead of her to get to that point but she admirably commits to her goal and methodically and purposefully implements a plan to make her dream a reality.
She de-clutters her home, her mind and (some of) her emotional baggage; saves up a lot of cash to allow for 2 years of travel and is finally able to buy her tickets and depart. Her first stop is Paris and despite her battle with the language and the customs she slowly begins to fall in love with the city… and the handsome butcher on Rue Mouffetard.
Oh how I loved this book. It was just the perfect mix of humour, wonder and an engaging voice that made Janice’s memoir so interesting. With my (2013) European honeymoon still fresh in my mind, it was a joy to envision the places that Janice peruses during her time in Paris. I was also excited to recognise Rue Mouffetard where Janice meets Christophe. My husband and I stopped at one of those chicken stands and purchased a bag of those yummy baked potatoes dripping with chicken juice (I know it sounds pretty gross… but it was delicious!).
I could completely relate with her about the struggle to learn a foreign language. After taking a one-week Italian language class with my husband in Rome last year I felt completely overwhelmed by even attempting a conversation with a native speaker. Like Janice I could speak it and read it but as soon as someone spoke to me I was completely baffled as to what they were saying! It’s so hard to decipher the words spoken in a foreign language and then to actually make sense of those words! Unlike me however, Janice perseveres and her extended break in Paris allows her to practice and learn and develop her confidence in the French language.
The love story between Janice and her handsome, Daniel-Craig look-alike butcher was so lovely to see unfold. How on earth do two people who speak different languages fall in love? Well, Janice and Christophe manage to do just that and they get along perfectly fine! What I also found really interesting was the letter-writing business that Janice founds to fund her stay in Paris. She combines her love of art; writing and Paris into a job that she loves that can be shared with subscribers around the world. What a great idea!
I think this book was just good timing for me… while I sat at home on the back patio, listening to the rain patter on the tin roof and eating vegemite toast I could be transported into charming Paris. I could reminisce on my time in Europe while living vicariously through Janice’s adventures- without even leaving the comfort of my home.
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good travel memoir and this one was right up my alley. Janice has a great writing voice; she’s open, insightful and honest. I think I’ll even subscribe to her blog!
That’s the question that prompted Canadian copywriter Janice to completely overhaul her life, make a plan and work at her dream to pay for her own European sabbatical. Working in a corporate firm, Janice is fed up with her job and dreams of packing up her home, submitting her resignation and jumping on a flight to Europe for an adventure. She realises there’s a lot of hard work ahead of her to get to that point but she admirably commits to her goal and methodically and purposefully implements a plan to make her dream a reality.
She de-clutters her home, her mind and (some of) her emotional baggage; saves up a lot of cash to allow for 2 years of travel and is finally able to buy her tickets and depart. Her first stop is Paris and despite her battle with the language and the customs she slowly begins to fall in love with the city… and the handsome butcher on Rue Mouffetard.
Oh how I loved this book. It was just the perfect mix of humour, wonder and an engaging voice that made Janice’s memoir so interesting. With my (2013) European honeymoon still fresh in my mind, it was a joy to envision the places that Janice peruses during her time in Paris. I was also excited to recognise Rue Mouffetard where Janice meets Christophe. My husband and I stopped at one of those chicken stands and purchased a bag of those yummy baked potatoes dripping with chicken juice (I know it sounds pretty gross… but it was delicious!).
I could completely relate with her about the struggle to learn a foreign language. After taking a one-week Italian language class with my husband in Rome last year I felt completely overwhelmed by even attempting a conversation with a native speaker. Like Janice I could speak it and read it but as soon as someone spoke to me I was completely baffled as to what they were saying! It’s so hard to decipher the words spoken in a foreign language and then to actually make sense of those words! Unlike me however, Janice perseveres and her extended break in Paris allows her to practice and learn and develop her confidence in the French language.
The love story between Janice and her handsome, Daniel-Craig look-alike butcher was so lovely to see unfold. How on earth do two people who speak different languages fall in love? Well, Janice and Christophe manage to do just that and they get along perfectly fine! What I also found really interesting was the letter-writing business that Janice founds to fund her stay in Paris. She combines her love of art; writing and Paris into a job that she loves that can be shared with subscribers around the world. What a great idea!
I think this book was just good timing for me… while I sat at home on the back patio, listening to the rain patter on the tin roof and eating vegemite toast I could be transported into charming Paris. I could reminisce on my time in Europe while living vicariously through Janice’s adventures- without even leaving the comfort of my home.
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good travel memoir and this one was right up my alley. Janice has a great writing voice; she’s open, insightful and honest. I think I’ll even subscribe to her blog!
July 8, 2019
I should preface this by saying I didn't finish the book. I got about halfway and realized reading it was a chore, which defeats the purpose of reading, in my opinion. Now on to the review of the first half.
First of all, I don’t like the writing style. I’ve noticed that a lot of white women (No hate. I’m also a white woman) have a specific memoir-writing style. It’s over-the-top relatable with quips that are meant to be witty and cute, but just don’t work for me. For example, in this book, she calls her friend “Chugalug Chad” because he drinks a lot. There are bits like that all throughout the book. Little things like that make me roll my eyes. It’s too colloquial. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to read a book where it feels like I’m gossiping with my girlfriends. I hate the whole girlfriend-gossiping culture. When I’m reading, I want something that feels a little more thought out.
The rest of the book isn’t much better. There’s nothing unique about this story. It’s a corporate worker who left her job to be an artist. I also left a corporate job, so I support that decision. But if you’re going to write a book about it, at least do something interesting.
It’s also irritating to read story after story of how she changed her personality for a man. To be fair, about halfway through the book, she admits that she used to become whatever the men in her life wanted her to become. The problem is that she doesn’t realize she’s still doing it. Like when she stopped being vegan because she made eye contact with a French butcher, even though the reason she became vegan was because she was horrified by the treatment of animals in factories. She gave up a perfectly valid set of morals for a man.
Or when she was still hung up over the guy in France, but was willing to sleep with a guy in Italy. Nothing wrong with that, but the only reason she didn’t is because the Italian guy had a girlfriend. She then said she felt relieved to hear that and admitted that she had someone too. Why? She could have just said she didn’t want to sleep with him instead of waiting for him to decide what they were going to do. Here's an actual line from the book: “Is there anything more glorious than new crushes on boys?” It just seems like she gives herself credit for growth that didn’t actually happen. It all seemed disingenuous.
It gets two stars instead of one because it's not the worst book I've read. It's not even the worst book I've read about Paris, so I guess that's worth an extra star.
First of all, I don’t like the writing style. I’ve noticed that a lot of white women (No hate. I’m also a white woman) have a specific memoir-writing style. It’s over-the-top relatable with quips that are meant to be witty and cute, but just don’t work for me. For example, in this book, she calls her friend “Chugalug Chad” because he drinks a lot. There are bits like that all throughout the book. Little things like that make me roll my eyes. It’s too colloquial. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to read a book where it feels like I’m gossiping with my girlfriends. I hate the whole girlfriend-gossiping culture. When I’m reading, I want something that feels a little more thought out.
The rest of the book isn’t much better. There’s nothing unique about this story. It’s a corporate worker who left her job to be an artist. I also left a corporate job, so I support that decision. But if you’re going to write a book about it, at least do something interesting.
It’s also irritating to read story after story of how she changed her personality for a man. To be fair, about halfway through the book, she admits that she used to become whatever the men in her life wanted her to become. The problem is that she doesn’t realize she’s still doing it. Like when she stopped being vegan because she made eye contact with a French butcher, even though the reason she became vegan was because she was horrified by the treatment of animals in factories. She gave up a perfectly valid set of morals for a man.
Or when she was still hung up over the guy in France, but was willing to sleep with a guy in Italy. Nothing wrong with that, but the only reason she didn’t is because the Italian guy had a girlfriend. She then said she felt relieved to hear that and admitted that she had someone too. Why? She could have just said she didn’t want to sleep with him instead of waiting for him to decide what they were going to do. Here's an actual line from the book: “Is there anything more glorious than new crushes on boys?” It just seems like she gives herself credit for growth that didn’t actually happen. It all seemed disingenuous.
It gets two stars instead of one because it's not the worst book I've read. It's not even the worst book I've read about Paris, so I guess that's worth an extra star.
September 27, 2016
A charming, well-written and well-illustrated memoir that reads as entertainingly as a novel. This book will make you stop and think about your own life and where it's headed. And quite possibly make you wish it were headed in the direction of Paris.
July 19, 2014
I've read a lot of memoirs set in Paris, and this one is now among my favorites. A delightful story of falling in love with a man, a city, and her true self.
March 20, 2019
This was an exceptional memoir about Paris, better than many out on the market. I appreciated the authors practical and relatable way that she saved to quit her job and travel through Europe while she decided what to do next. But in Paris, she found unexpected love, and what unfolded in that was charming and compelling. I can't wait to read her follow-up!
May 17, 2020
3.5 stars. I especially liked the included water colour letters.
June 27, 2020
"Janice, satu-satunya cara untuk bahagia adalah mencari orang untuk diajak makan, minum, dan tertawa bersama
Itu saja. Itu sudah segalanya."
Baca ini sebenarnya karena bas-bis-bus aja milih di antara sekian banyak judul yang sudah diunduh di GD (emang kebiasaan penimbun susah dihilangkan 😄), dan ternyata tidak salah pilih karena buku ini menyenangkan sekali dibaca.
Ini semacam memoar penulisnya, yang pada usia 34 tahun merasa muak dengan rutinitas hidup yang walaupun mapan (pekerjaan bergaji lumayan, mobil, rumah) tapi tidak membuatnya bersemangat bangun di pagi hari.
Kemudian dia memutuskan untuk berhemat habis-habisan, menyisihkan / menjual semua harta bendanya, lalu hanya dengan satu kopor barang yang tersisa, pergi berkelana ke Eropa.
Kaki dan hatinya akhirnya tertambat di Paris, terpikat mata biru Cristophe yang tampan dan baik hati. Dengan perbedaan bahasa (Cristophe tak bisa bahasa Inggris, Janice tak bisa bahasa Prancis) dan segala halangan lainnya, mereka menjalani hidup sederhana tapi penuh cinta di Paris.
Janice pun menikmati waktunya sebagai orang bebas dengan menyusuri sudut-sudut kota Paris, belajar bahasa, berkenalan dengan teman baru, juga memahami dirinya yang baru. Yang paling seru (dan menjadi tema buku ini), Janice mulai menulis surat-surat dari Paris yang dihiasi lukisan karyanya, lalu menjualnya di Etsy. Karena tidak mungkin terus-terusan hidup santai tanpa mencari uang, bukan?
Ternyata surat-suratnya banyak diminati, pelanggannya datang dari berbagai daerah (berbahasa Inggris), tua dan muda, yang setiap bulan menantikan surat cantik berisi kisah-kisah dari Paris. Contoh lukisan yang dibuat Janice ada di foto kedua.
Memang tidak semua orang bisa seberuntung Janice, meninggalkan kehidupan monoton demi mengejar passion atau renjana, sebab renjana tidak bisa buat bayar tagihan 😄 Tetapi bila memungkinkan dan ada jalannya, kenapa tidak? 😊
Itu saja. Itu sudah segalanya."
Baca ini sebenarnya karena bas-bis-bus aja milih di antara sekian banyak judul yang sudah diunduh di GD (emang kebiasaan penimbun susah dihilangkan 😄), dan ternyata tidak salah pilih karena buku ini menyenangkan sekali dibaca.
Ini semacam memoar penulisnya, yang pada usia 34 tahun merasa muak dengan rutinitas hidup yang walaupun mapan (pekerjaan bergaji lumayan, mobil, rumah) tapi tidak membuatnya bersemangat bangun di pagi hari.
Kemudian dia memutuskan untuk berhemat habis-habisan, menyisihkan / menjual semua harta bendanya, lalu hanya dengan satu kopor barang yang tersisa, pergi berkelana ke Eropa.
Kaki dan hatinya akhirnya tertambat di Paris, terpikat mata biru Cristophe yang tampan dan baik hati. Dengan perbedaan bahasa (Cristophe tak bisa bahasa Inggris, Janice tak bisa bahasa Prancis) dan segala halangan lainnya, mereka menjalani hidup sederhana tapi penuh cinta di Paris.
Janice pun menikmati waktunya sebagai orang bebas dengan menyusuri sudut-sudut kota Paris, belajar bahasa, berkenalan dengan teman baru, juga memahami dirinya yang baru. Yang paling seru (dan menjadi tema buku ini), Janice mulai menulis surat-surat dari Paris yang dihiasi lukisan karyanya, lalu menjualnya di Etsy. Karena tidak mungkin terus-terusan hidup santai tanpa mencari uang, bukan?
Ternyata surat-suratnya banyak diminati, pelanggannya datang dari berbagai daerah (berbahasa Inggris), tua dan muda, yang setiap bulan menantikan surat cantik berisi kisah-kisah dari Paris. Contoh lukisan yang dibuat Janice ada di foto kedua.
Memang tidak semua orang bisa seberuntung Janice, meninggalkan kehidupan monoton demi mengejar passion atau renjana, sebab renjana tidak bisa buat bayar tagihan 😄 Tetapi bila memungkinkan dan ada jalannya, kenapa tidak? 😊
February 10, 2014
Read the full article complete of photos and photo contest details on MINA'S BOOKSHELF http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2014/0...
What a delightful read! A memoir, a travel log, a romance, a self-help guide, all rolled into one exquisite and delicate confection. I breezed my way through Janice MacLeod's graceful, intimate, and humorous writing, almost oblivious to the fact that what I was reading was a piece of non-fiction. Paris Letters, in fact, hardly reads as a biography as it features all the alluring traits of a modern fairy-tale: a heroine on the run to escape the 'ogre' (her dreary every-day life routine), a false hero (her ex boyfriend), a quest in foreign lands (her journey to self-discovery through France, Scotland, and Italy), a Prince Charming, and a 'happily ever after'. Occasionally fashioned in epistolary form and light-hearted in its essence, Paris Letters is the perfect Valentine's Day read, a great fit for armchair travellers and lovers of Euro glam and all things French.
***ARC review copy graciously offered by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and honest opinion.
What a delightful read! A memoir, a travel log, a romance, a self-help guide, all rolled into one exquisite and delicate confection. I breezed my way through Janice MacLeod's graceful, intimate, and humorous writing, almost oblivious to the fact that what I was reading was a piece of non-fiction. Paris Letters, in fact, hardly reads as a biography as it features all the alluring traits of a modern fairy-tale: a heroine on the run to escape the 'ogre' (her dreary every-day life routine), a false hero (her ex boyfriend), a quest in foreign lands (her journey to self-discovery through France, Scotland, and Italy), a Prince Charming, and a 'happily ever after'. Occasionally fashioned in epistolary form and light-hearted in its essence, Paris Letters is the perfect Valentine's Day read, a great fit for armchair travellers and lovers of Euro glam and all things French.
***ARC review copy graciously offered by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and honest opinion.
September 18, 2014
Read my entire review here: http://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2...
What a dreamy story. Who wouldn't love to take a two year sabbatical to Paris? *sigh* The love story is sweetly awkward and there is just enough divulged to be funny and romantic but not over-the-top fiascos like Bridget Jones. The most swoon-worthy parts were the descriptions of the parks, people, and the pastries. The title Paris Letters had me thinking that there would be a long distance love story of some kind at the beginning, but the author actually started a small business. Her artistic abilities allow her to make an income sending hand-drawn or hand-painted letters telling subscribers about Parisian life.
I loved this story. It is hard to believe it is non-fiction because it was so transportive. It was really like a mini vacation!
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
What a dreamy story. Who wouldn't love to take a two year sabbatical to Paris? *sigh* The love story is sweetly awkward and there is just enough divulged to be funny and romantic but not over-the-top fiascos like Bridget Jones. The most swoon-worthy parts were the descriptions of the parks, people, and the pastries. The title Paris Letters had me thinking that there would be a long distance love story of some kind at the beginning, but the author actually started a small business. Her artistic abilities allow her to make an income sending hand-drawn or hand-painted letters telling subscribers about Parisian life.
I loved this story. It is hard to believe it is non-fiction because it was so transportive. It was really like a mini vacation!
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
September 12, 2018
Maybe spoilers ahead?
I find it too difficult to imagine this memoir to be entirely truthful because no real-life obstacles where really mentioned after she managed to move away... Life is a balance; you need the bad to recognize the good. The way she wrote her journey, it felt like there was a direct cut off, Day Zero, that split 2 worlds - Before Paris and In Paris. Before Paris was all negative and In Paris all positive. I understand the point of the story is that if you don't like something, change it. But I've never met anyone so lucky as to save up so efficiently, ditch the job, meet the love of their lives in Paris, actually manage to fall in lasting love without communication, continue travelling, and to live in bliss away from close family without any kind of real hardships. Life is just not that black and white. It ebbs and flows too much for this to feel real and relatable. Though they do say reality is crazier than fiction, so what do I know!
I find it too difficult to imagine this memoir to be entirely truthful because no real-life obstacles where really mentioned after she managed to move away... Life is a balance; you need the bad to recognize the good. The way she wrote her journey, it felt like there was a direct cut off, Day Zero, that split 2 worlds - Before Paris and In Paris. Before Paris was all negative and In Paris all positive. I understand the point of the story is that if you don't like something, change it. But I've never met anyone so lucky as to save up so efficiently, ditch the job, meet the love of their lives in Paris, actually manage to fall in lasting love without communication, continue travelling, and to live in bliss away from close family without any kind of real hardships. Life is just not that black and white. It ebbs and flows too much for this to feel real and relatable. Though they do say reality is crazier than fiction, so what do I know!
October 28, 2020
As the stars indicate, I was decidedly underwhelmed by this book. The art was great, the idea of writing painted letters was inspired. Maybe if I was in my 20s or 30s and desperate to find love, I’d have been better able to identify with the author. But I’m not and I couldn’t. Personally, I quickly tired of being told that men everywhere were falling at her feet. The writing about Paris was interesting. The writing about Ms. Macleod’s love life, not so much.
April 2, 2014
A beautiful and inspiring tale. Beautifully written and full of the same passion and vibrancy for life that one would expect to find on the streets of Paris. Can't recommend it enough. It truly uplifted my spirit and made me want to get out there and make some positive changes in my life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 884 reviews