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(Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living
WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER Every year upon arriving in Plobien, the small Breton town where he spends his summers, American writer Mark Greenside picks back up where he left off with his faux-pas–filled Francophile life. Mellowed and humbled, but not daunted (OK, slightly daunted), he faces imminent What does he cook for a French person? Who has the right-of-way when entering or exiting a roundabout? Where does he pay for a parking ticket? And most dauntingly of all, when can he touch the tomatoes? Despite the two decades that have passed since Greenside’s snap decision to buy a house in Brittany and begin a bi-continental life, the quirks of French living still manage to confound him. Continuing the journey begun in his 2009 memoir about beginning life in France, (Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living details Greenside’s daily adventures in his adopted French home, where the simplest tasks are never straightforward but always end in a great story. Through some hits and lots of misses, he learns the rules of engagement, how he gets what he needs—which is not necessarily what he thinks he wants—and how to be grateful and thankful when (especially when) he fails, which is more often than he can believe. Introducing the English-speaking world to the region of Brittany in the tradition of Peter Mayle’s homage to Provence, Mark Greenside’s first book, I’ll Never Be French, continues to be among the bestselling books about the region today. Experienced Francophiles and armchair travelers alike will delight in this new chapter exploring the practical and philosophical questions of French life, vividly brought to life by Greenside’s humor and affection for his community.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2018
355 people are currently reading
1035 people want to read
About the author
Mark Greenside
6 books36 followersMark Greenside holds B.S. and M.A. degrees from the University of Wisconsin. He has been a civil rights activist, Vietnam War protestor, anti-draft counselor, Vista Volunteer, union leader, and college professor. His stories have appeared in The Sun, The Literary Review, Cimarron Review, The Nebraska Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, The New Laurel Review, Crosscurrents, Five Fingers Review, and The Long Story, as well as other journals and magazines, and he is the author of the short story collection, I Saw a Man Hit His Wife.
He presently lives in Alameda, California, where he continues to teach and be politically active, and Brittany, France, where he still can't do anything without asking for help.
He presently lives in Alameda, California, where he continues to teach and be politically active, and Brittany, France, where he still can't do anything without asking for help.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
April 30, 2018
An American buys a house in Brittany (it really doesn't matter, it could have been Provence,Dordogne,Auvergne...)and is confronted with the inhabitants and their very local habits. Fair enough,but what I don't get is that the author has spent 2 months every year in Brittany for 25 years and his vocabulary still doesn't reach beyond bonjour and bonsoir. A copy of French for Dummies would be very appropriate. The result is that both the author and the French sound like complete idiots. Not very respectful towards your adoptive country,is it? And there are some grammatical errors (not the author's)for instance : probléme instead of problème. Apparently the editor also needed a copy of French for Dummies ). Still,there are some passages in this book that definitely made me smile,always a good thing...but it has been done before and so much better...
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July 15, 2019
Sometimes introspection on your own awkwardness and faux-pas can be charming, but only if there is some evidence that you've learned from your mistakes and tried to do better. Reading this litany of embarrassing, and completely avoidable, situations, delivered with a pride in being stubbornly awkward and being shocked when the world does not bend backwards to make you comfortable, made me distinctly uncomfortable, and I gave up reading.
April 24, 2020
3.5...I have read several books like this; an American buys a home somewhere in France and writes about his or her adventures with the language, food, people and culture. My French major from long ago still draws me to them somehow. This was entertaining AND educational, IF I had ever entertained the notion!
November 18, 2024
Loved!! Hilarious memoir!!! Entertaining and enjoyable. I loved his first one. This one is even better. He has a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. I love his insights into his comparison between himself in the US and in France and then the comparison between the countries and how things are done, customs, and traditions.
June 17, 2018
Hilarious memoir about life as an American in Brittany, (Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living, reminds me of Stephen Clarke's books with its astute observations, wit, and affection for France.
October 29, 2016
http://krytyk.com.pl/literatura/recen...
(...)
Obraz Francji w relacji Greenside’a wciąż jest nieco idylliczny. Zwłaszcza w fragmentach opisujących system opieki zdrowotnej można odnieść wrażenie, że Amerykanin wychował się w gąszczach amazońskiej puszczy (tudzież w jakiejś odległej od większego miasta polskiej wsi) – tak dalece dziwi go dostępność do usług medycznych i dbałość o stan pacjenta. Zadziwia także (zarówno autora książki, jak i czytelnika) gościnność i pomocność przypadkowo napotykanych Francuzów – od sprzedawców, przez mechaników, aż do lekarzy i policjantów. Może to kwestia pochodzenia? Jeżeli wierzyć słowom Greenside’a Amerykanów we Francji tratuje się nawet z większą wyrozumiałością i pobłażliwością niż wariatów i osoby niepełnosprawne umysłowo. Ciekawe, skąd podobne podejście…
(...)
(...)
Obraz Francji w relacji Greenside’a wciąż jest nieco idylliczny. Zwłaszcza w fragmentach opisujących system opieki zdrowotnej można odnieść wrażenie, że Amerykanin wychował się w gąszczach amazońskiej puszczy (tudzież w jakiejś odległej od większego miasta polskiej wsi) – tak dalece dziwi go dostępność do usług medycznych i dbałość o stan pacjenta. Zadziwia także (zarówno autora książki, jak i czytelnika) gościnność i pomocność przypadkowo napotykanych Francuzów – od sprzedawców, przez mechaników, aż do lekarzy i policjantów. Może to kwestia pochodzenia? Jeżeli wierzyć słowom Greenside’a Amerykanów we Francji tratuje się nawet z większą wyrozumiałością i pobłażliwością niż wariatów i osoby niepełnosprawne umysłowo. Ciekawe, skąd podobne podejście…
(...)
March 7, 2020
miejscami zabawne, miejscami niekoniecznie
po 3 latach we Francji niektóre moje spostrzeżenia są podobne do tych opisanych w książce
ale jednak zdecydowana większość to rozwleczone w opisie kontrasty pomiędzy Europą a Stanami, czyli mało Francji we Francji (w tym rozdział o wózkach sklepowych na monety, serio??)
po 3 latach we Francji niektóre moje spostrzeżenia są podobne do tych opisanych w książce
ale jednak zdecydowana większość to rozwleczone w opisie kontrasty pomiędzy Europą a Stanami, czyli mało Francji we Francji (w tym rozdział o wózkach sklepowych na monety, serio??)
July 22, 2025
3.5
My Interest
This is another book found while looking for an audio book on the library’s e-audio app. It jogged my memory of Paris in July! I always enjoy a good Ex-Pat-trying-to-be-local memoir so grabbed it. Later I discovered it is the author’s second book about his part-time life in France.
Last year the Olympics were in Paris so I was eagerly looking for things to read from Paris. This year–I nearly forgot #ParisinJuly2025, but ended up reading two books set in France. [It just occurred to me as I was writing this post that The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C, Morais was also set in France. I’ll update my post which is linked in the book’s title).
Paris in July is a fun reading and cultural event hosted by blogger Words and Peace and her sister blog France Book Tours. In addition to the French themed books, food, etc. If you’d like to see last year’s starting post, click here. To read my one book review, The Awakening of Miss Prim: A Novel by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera, translated by Sonia Soto click the linked title.
The Book
“In France cooking and eating are not about taste and nurtrition. They’re a combo of religion and sex. It’s tantric. Merging pleasure and spirit–but only if done right. Right ingredients, preparation, presentation and flavors.”
Writer Mark Greenside has bought a house in small Breton village. He spends his summers there and is trying to live a more French life. But, he’s a bit of an American Bull in a French China Shop. He’s a very American man–but not in a way that tells the world his politics. He is a cautious eater, but not a picky eater, but does draw the line at certain French favorites–like guts. He likes what he likes–his honey oak Arts & Crafts interior in his California home and milk in his coffee all day long. He wants to get it right. He wants to fit in with his French neighbors. But somethings are just too French!
If the languauge, the bureacracy, the set-in-stone food rules [salad is lettuce and vinegrette–nothing else] don’t trip him up then the unwritten rules of the road for drives does. Happily, in spite of the pharmacist taking a very public peek down his shorts to diagnose a problem, the medical part of France goes smoothly. And, he has a great bunch of neighbors and friends. His “better half,” Donna arrives, speaks French and makes life better.
My Thoughts
Mark’s experiences are fun and self-depricating. He does not complain that the McDonald’s doesn’t serve “real” McDonald’s or anything like that. He loves France, loves his neighbors and fully understands that he is the one who must adapt.
Mark is a man born in the last year of World War II. His age shows in a few chapters–not in any obnoxious way! No, no. He speaks of matches being ubiquitous in American bathrooms for smells. I can recall that in my grandmother’s home in the ’60s, but once the price of Lysol came down she was fully on board. He also says that we cannot take food into patients in American hospitals. My Mom brought me my favorite baked fish in 1967 and at the same time took in nearly every meal my dying grandmother ate! When my son was in the hospital for much of a year having his heart valve replaced and recovering we were encouraged to bring him familiar food. Those are two examples. The did nothing at all to ruin the fun of the book though.
In the shopping chapter he did pretty much work the joke all the way into dead horse territory though. SPOILER!! Admittedly, there are likely millions of Americans who are not served by Aldi stores and have never seen the chained shopping carts. But unlike Mark, most have the brains to either ask someone in the parking lot or just shut up and watch. That chapter was the only one I was disappointed in, but then I’m an Aldi regular and have been for decades. And, here in the U.S. it’s just a quarter [25 cents] to get a cart. At my two regular Aldi stores, people hand you carts in the parking lot or they put their cart back but left the quarter. No one cares.
This was a fun look at life through the eyes of a well-educated American man of a certain age who was never boorish. Happily, he has another book coming out this year, I’m Finally French: My Accidental Life in Brittany, due out in October. I’m looking forward to it.
My Verdict
4 full, freshly-baked bagettes
(not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living by Mark Greenside
My Interest
This is another book found while looking for an audio book on the library’s e-audio app. It jogged my memory of Paris in July! I always enjoy a good Ex-Pat-trying-to-be-local memoir so grabbed it. Later I discovered it is the author’s second book about his part-time life in France.
Last year the Olympics were in Paris so I was eagerly looking for things to read from Paris. This year–I nearly forgot #ParisinJuly2025, but ended up reading two books set in France. [It just occurred to me as I was writing this post that The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C, Morais was also set in France. I’ll update my post which is linked in the book’s title).
Paris in July is a fun reading and cultural event hosted by blogger Words and Peace and her sister blog France Book Tours. In addition to the French themed books, food, etc. If you’d like to see last year’s starting post, click here. To read my one book review, The Awakening of Miss Prim: A Novel by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera, translated by Sonia Soto click the linked title.
The Book
“In France cooking and eating are not about taste and nurtrition. They’re a combo of religion and sex. It’s tantric. Merging pleasure and spirit–but only if done right. Right ingredients, preparation, presentation and flavors.”
Writer Mark Greenside has bought a house in small Breton village. He spends his summers there and is trying to live a more French life. But, he’s a bit of an American Bull in a French China Shop. He’s a very American man–but not in a way that tells the world his politics. He is a cautious eater, but not a picky eater, but does draw the line at certain French favorites–like guts. He likes what he likes–his honey oak Arts & Crafts interior in his California home and milk in his coffee all day long. He wants to get it right. He wants to fit in with his French neighbors. But somethings are just too French!
If the languauge, the bureacracy, the set-in-stone food rules [salad is lettuce and vinegrette–nothing else] don’t trip him up then the unwritten rules of the road for drives does. Happily, in spite of the pharmacist taking a very public peek down his shorts to diagnose a problem, the medical part of France goes smoothly. And, he has a great bunch of neighbors and friends. His “better half,” Donna arrives, speaks French and makes life better.
My Thoughts
Mark’s experiences are fun and self-depricating. He does not complain that the McDonald’s doesn’t serve “real” McDonald’s or anything like that. He loves France, loves his neighbors and fully understands that he is the one who must adapt.
Mark is a man born in the last year of World War II. His age shows in a few chapters–not in any obnoxious way! No, no. He speaks of matches being ubiquitous in American bathrooms for smells. I can recall that in my grandmother’s home in the ’60s, but once the price of Lysol came down she was fully on board. He also says that we cannot take food into patients in American hospitals. My Mom brought me my favorite baked fish in 1967 and at the same time took in nearly every meal my dying grandmother ate! When my son was in the hospital for much of a year having his heart valve replaced and recovering we were encouraged to bring him familiar food. Those are two examples. The did nothing at all to ruin the fun of the book though.
In the shopping chapter he did pretty much work the joke all the way into dead horse territory though. SPOILER!! Admittedly, there are likely millions of Americans who are not served by Aldi stores and have never seen the chained shopping carts. But unlike Mark, most have the brains to either ask someone in the parking lot or just shut up and watch. That chapter was the only one I was disappointed in, but then I’m an Aldi regular and have been for decades. And, here in the U.S. it’s just a quarter [25 cents] to get a cart. At my two regular Aldi stores, people hand you carts in the parking lot or they put their cart back but left the quarter. No one cares.
This was a fun look at life through the eyes of a well-educated American man of a certain age who was never boorish. Happily, he has another book coming out this year, I’m Finally French: My Accidental Life in Brittany, due out in October. I’m looking forward to it.
My Verdict
4 full, freshly-baked bagettes
(not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living by Mark Greenside
January 20, 2018
I love books like this! Ex-pat moves to a foreign country... I have collected, and read, quite a few and this one is every bit as entertaining as the others! Only instead of Italy or Spain- it's France. Mr. Greenside is a very brave man! I am very sure I could never move to a foreign country. Seriously, My family moved to the US two years before I was born;. I returned "home" for a visit, and was counting down the days to leave! And I LOVED Germany! I miss my family there, too. But never enough to move there! It was just too difficult to want to tackle as a permanent move and I speak the language, too! I read these stories and am astonished that the ex-pats stay. I'd be running home! But still I do enjoy the tales they tell and I am sure they inspire many to try it out. I finds the one week trips are plenty enough, with a tour group! Fun read!
Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy which has no way influenced my opinion.
Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy which has no way influenced my opinion.
April 20, 2023
Greenside does a great job portraying how goofy and dense his experience living in France has been, but the book never reaches a point of culminating understanding. No milestone in his series of faux pas and embarrassments where he can say “finally, that went smooth.” It’s just story after story of mix-ups and social suicides: saying the wrong thing, serving the wrong dish, driving the wrong way. Every woman he sees is “pretty” and every interaction he has, he’s a dork.
None of it amounts to a point where he can stick a period at the end of it.
In the end it’s an enjoyable book, a nice, occasionally funny look at culture shock and the clashing of social contracts. Greenside has made what he could out of a wild life decision (purchasing a French house) and has given us all, us travel enthusiasts and esoteric readers, something to chew on. Bon appétit.
None of it amounts to a point where he can stick a period at the end of it.
In the end it’s an enjoyable book, a nice, occasionally funny look at culture shock and the clashing of social contracts. Greenside has made what he could out of a wild life decision (purchasing a French house) and has given us all, us travel enthusiasts and esoteric readers, something to chew on. Bon appétit.
July 6, 2018
An American visits France and buys a house there and spends some time there each year. This book humorously describes the differences between America and France. At first I wasn't quite sure if it was suppose to be humorous or if he was just complaining. I wouldn't say this is laugh out loud funny but it does have some cute moments. Not sure if I would want to visit after reading this book. It seems a little too complicated for me.
January 21, 2020
The author made this such an entertaining read and I kept laughing throughout of the funny moments he had. His descriptions of events that happened to him were so genuine and he also did a great job explaining his understanding of French culture that a foreigner would not know. He answered many questions and misunderstandings foreigners have of French culture and interesting differences between France and US. Reading it makes me more comfortable for my own visit to France.
October 11, 2022
A few funny moments but I’m over the misogynistic crap. A woman working in an eye glass store is merely defined by her stilettos and “gravity defying bra.” Sad attempts at being funny describing waiting like a pathetic dog for lovely female pharmacists to run cream on his groin. Please. Je n’ai pas la patience (de patience? What ever).
July 10, 2023
Quite an entertaining book. I only wish they’d decided on some way of writing the mangled French the author attempts. Because I speak French, I found the spelling mistakes irritating - and now I come to think of it, perhaps those were proofreading errors.
I was surprised too, that the author’s spoken French didn’t improve over twenty years. Oh, well. Tant pis…
I was surprised too, that the author’s spoken French didn’t improve over twenty years. Oh, well. Tant pis…
August 31, 2018
Another trip to Brittany is this follow-up to "I'll Never Be French (No Matter What I do)", and it is as delightful as its predecessor.
Seriously yearning to at least visit northern France now, thanks to Greenside.
Also seriously hungry...
Seriously yearning to at least visit northern France now, thanks to Greenside.
Also seriously hungry...
September 16, 2019
If you’ve spent time in France you will probably enjoy this. There are some laugh out loud moments. This was just the ticket for me.
May 25, 2018
What a lot of fun! Mark Greenside has painted us the perfect picture of adjusting to the many mysteries of French life. Although I have to admit that it didn’t take us quite as long to discover the Secret of the French Shopping Cart, some of his other accounts reminded us of our own experiences. As a bonus, he reflects on the differences in approach of the French and Americans to the challenges of daily life, and what they reveal of our two cultures. And it is pure pleasure to hear about old friends from his first volume, I’ll Never Be French (No matter What I Do). There is not a false note in this charming, and often laugh-out-loud, story.
If you have never had the luxury of an extended stay in rural France, and even if you have, this is a warm, thoroughly engaging portrait of French village life. I’m already impatient for the next installment!
If you have never had the luxury of an extended stay in rural France, and even if you have, this is a warm, thoroughly engaging portrait of French village life. I’m already impatient for the next installment!
January 25, 2018
Greenside presents a familiar tale of visiting France, falling in love with it, and purchasing a home there. You know the type, the American who buys a 100+ year old house, and then shortly thereafter writes a book about his experiences. The difference in this book is that he has continued spending his summers there for around twenty five years. The book draws on much deeper details than one of someone who has only been there a year or two.
Greenside has spent enough time there that you think he should practically be a native, but, as he very capably describes, that hasn't happened. He admits the terrible time he has with the French language. The adventures in driving. The surprises he finds when needing medical attention, or dealing with banking. And the best part of all, the food. It seems the author is willing to eat anything! His descriptions make the book worth it by themselves.
Through the years, he has found a core group of friends in France who are willing to help the American. With their help, he survives, maybe even thrives. He is unflinching in his descriptions of his mistakes, as well as the successes.
In what I think makes a book a sucess, is the fact that I really think the author is someone who I could be friends with, who I can relate to, and who I would enjoy exploring with. To me, that is what I really want in a book.
Greenside has spent enough time there that you think he should practically be a native, but, as he very capably describes, that hasn't happened. He admits the terrible time he has with the French language. The adventures in driving. The surprises he finds when needing medical attention, or dealing with banking. And the best part of all, the food. It seems the author is willing to eat anything! His descriptions make the book worth it by themselves.
Through the years, he has found a core group of friends in France who are willing to help the American. With their help, he survives, maybe even thrives. He is unflinching in his descriptions of his mistakes, as well as the successes.
In what I think makes a book a sucess, is the fact that I really think the author is someone who I could be friends with, who I can relate to, and who I would enjoy exploring with. To me, that is what I really want in a book.
January 19, 2022
Dnf
It was pleasant enough, and mildly funny, but I had other books lined up and this one couldn’t compare
It was pleasant enough, and mildly funny, but I had other books lined up and this one couldn’t compare
June 27, 2018
(not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living is superb, enchanting, and very, very funny—a must for lovers of France and for all who love to laugh. Author Mark Greenside, owner of a house in a small town in Brittany for over twenty years, recounts hilarious, insightful tales of his efforts to understand and negotiate cultural differences between the U. S. and France. He’s a good-hearted innocent, akin to Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati, bumbling and charming his way through numerous obstacles France presents him.
The heart of the book are chapters on his experiences with basic French living: driving, shopping, money, eating, cooking & entertaining, health care, and speaking French. Each chapter recounts often-highly-amusing stories of apparently-simple transactions becoming complicated and baffling. For example, In Paris he goes to his bank, Crédit Agricole, ”a national bank—international, one of the largest in the world,” to get 1000s euros. He is told he can only take out 800 euros. The banker “gives me a long explanation, which I take to mean, ‘That’s how it is.’” So he accepts the 800. But wait—the banker leaves and comes back with an older colleague, who tells Mark he can only have 400 euros. Why? Because he lives in Brittany. If he lived in Nice or Paris, he could get a larger amount. As Mark writes, “Surprise is my new routine.”
The writing is excellent—fluid, witty, and perceptive. Some examples:
* “In France, a nation whose people lack the chromosome for line-formation.” So True—the French never form lines. They make wedges. “Wedges of people everywhere: movie theaters, supermarkets, post office, banks, bathrooms.” Why this aversion to lines? Mark doesn’t waste time speculating. His book presents French realities, not theories about them.
* “Every French man I know is more capable than I am with things mechanical, electrical, and physical. Something breaks, they fix it.” How do French men learn that?
* “A pudding cake that would be banned by the American Heart Association if it knew it existed.” Ah, French desserts.
* “In the U. S. People say, ‘What do you do for a living?’ meaning ‘what’s your job.’ In France people talk about life and living the good life and never once does it refer to work.” Another appealing aspect of French culture.
* “Any more alcohol and I’ll be anti-freeze.” After many drinks during a seven course dinner.
* “Cheese is a basic food group in France.” True.
Mark’s love of Brittany and les gens de Bretagne (the Bretons) shines through. From his first days there, he fell under its spell: “its shimmering light, white cotton candy clouds, and blue-green sea…” His neighbor, Madame P is “the knower of everything I needed to know, my first friend and future Aladdin and guardian angel.” Even quirks of Brittany culture are endearing. How to pay people for work done on Mark’s house? “Ask for a bill too soon and the transaction becomes commercial.” But “wait too long and there’s an unspoken fear I might forget. The timing has to be just right.” Learning that “just right” is a sophisticated art that Mark describes In exquisite detail.
Mark’s struggles speaking French are funny and illuminating. Slip just a bit and he’s said something silly. Entering a hotel, Mark says, “Je voudrais une chambre pour un noir avec un lait.” Literally, “I’d like a room for a black with milk.” He should have said “nuit’ for “night” and “lit” for “bed.” Even familiar words can be deceiving. “In American English, mercantile means commercial. In French it means money-grabbing.” Then there’s the puzzle of the two forms of “you” —the formal “vous” and the familiar ”tu.” No French speaker can tell Mark rules for when to use either. You just sorta gotta know.
Every page of (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living offers
delights—it’s a rich plum-pudding of a book. Mark is a whimsical, spirited, and appreciative participant in daily French life, including its oddities. One last example: ¬shower curtains. Mark writes, “For some reason I will never understand, until very recently, most French homes, hotels, B & Bs, gites and chambres d’hotes had no shower curtain or doors.” To this francophile reviewer, no-shower-curtains remains one of the most puzzling aspects of France. a mystery Mark doesn’t try to fathom.
Among the many joys of (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living is the unexpected, gracious help Mark often receives from French people, both friends and strangers. He returns their empathy, often leading to genuine connection. His humor never sinks to put-downs. His book left me thinking how wonderful it would be to have a life in France as rich as his is.
The heart of the book are chapters on his experiences with basic French living: driving, shopping, money, eating, cooking & entertaining, health care, and speaking French. Each chapter recounts often-highly-amusing stories of apparently-simple transactions becoming complicated and baffling. For example, In Paris he goes to his bank, Crédit Agricole, ”a national bank—international, one of the largest in the world,” to get 1000s euros. He is told he can only take out 800 euros. The banker “gives me a long explanation, which I take to mean, ‘That’s how it is.’” So he accepts the 800. But wait—the banker leaves and comes back with an older colleague, who tells Mark he can only have 400 euros. Why? Because he lives in Brittany. If he lived in Nice or Paris, he could get a larger amount. As Mark writes, “Surprise is my new routine.”
The writing is excellent—fluid, witty, and perceptive. Some examples:
* “In France, a nation whose people lack the chromosome for line-formation.” So True—the French never form lines. They make wedges. “Wedges of people everywhere: movie theaters, supermarkets, post office, banks, bathrooms.” Why this aversion to lines? Mark doesn’t waste time speculating. His book presents French realities, not theories about them.
* “Every French man I know is more capable than I am with things mechanical, electrical, and physical. Something breaks, they fix it.” How do French men learn that?
* “A pudding cake that would be banned by the American Heart Association if it knew it existed.” Ah, French desserts.
* “In the U. S. People say, ‘What do you do for a living?’ meaning ‘what’s your job.’ In France people talk about life and living the good life and never once does it refer to work.” Another appealing aspect of French culture.
* “Any more alcohol and I’ll be anti-freeze.” After many drinks during a seven course dinner.
* “Cheese is a basic food group in France.” True.
Mark’s love of Brittany and les gens de Bretagne (the Bretons) shines through. From his first days there, he fell under its spell: “its shimmering light, white cotton candy clouds, and blue-green sea…” His neighbor, Madame P is “the knower of everything I needed to know, my first friend and future Aladdin and guardian angel.” Even quirks of Brittany culture are endearing. How to pay people for work done on Mark’s house? “Ask for a bill too soon and the transaction becomes commercial.” But “wait too long and there’s an unspoken fear I might forget. The timing has to be just right.” Learning that “just right” is a sophisticated art that Mark describes In exquisite detail.
Mark’s struggles speaking French are funny and illuminating. Slip just a bit and he’s said something silly. Entering a hotel, Mark says, “Je voudrais une chambre pour un noir avec un lait.” Literally, “I’d like a room for a black with milk.” He should have said “nuit’ for “night” and “lit” for “bed.” Even familiar words can be deceiving. “In American English, mercantile means commercial. In French it means money-grabbing.” Then there’s the puzzle of the two forms of “you” —the formal “vous” and the familiar ”tu.” No French speaker can tell Mark rules for when to use either. You just sorta gotta know.
Every page of (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living offers
delights—it’s a rich plum-pudding of a book. Mark is a whimsical, spirited, and appreciative participant in daily French life, including its oddities. One last example: ¬shower curtains. Mark writes, “For some reason I will never understand, until very recently, most French homes, hotels, B & Bs, gites and chambres d’hotes had no shower curtain or doors.” To this francophile reviewer, no-shower-curtains remains one of the most puzzling aspects of France. a mystery Mark doesn’t try to fathom.
Among the many joys of (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living is the unexpected, gracious help Mark often receives from French people, both friends and strangers. He returns their empathy, often leading to genuine connection. His humor never sinks to put-downs. His book left me thinking how wonderful it would be to have a life in France as rich as his is.
May 13, 2018
In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child quantified and organized what had often been culturally traditional and instinctual ways of preparing food so that stay-at-home Americans could enjoy the culinary pleasures she had experienced when she first moved to France with her husband after World War II. With her title, Child reinforced the already acknowledged view that the French took cooking seriously enough to elevate it to an art. As many of her recipes showed, however, that elevation was not reached without a lot of time, knowledge, and study – it had to be mastered. There were unimagined pleasures to be had at table, but only for those who were willing to put in the necessary effort—or knew someone else who was.
Mark Greenside’s new book, (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living, definitely suggests that the French, or at least some of them, have applied the same approach to life. It can be good, rich, and healthy, but only for those who are willing to work at it. He doesn’t try to explain how Americans might accomplish the same thing here in the States. For him, you have to go to France to experience it.
Many of the anecdotes from his two decades of living in a small town in western France deal with cultural differences and how he learned to deal with them: the frustrations (for Americans) of figuring out French road signage, the complications and restrictions of French banking rules, the fact that efficiency and speed are not high priorities, etc. Sometimes Greenside triumphs on his own through sheer persistence, but often it’s thanks to the patient help of some French person who takes him literally by the hand to guide him on his way. And, sometimes, he fails, which he blames on himself and not the French.
Sometimes, too, the better he gets to know parts of French life, especially life in the provinces far from Paris, the more he comes to appreciate it. He has unabashed admiration for the French national healthcare system. He is continually surprised by the social cohesion he sees in his area of western Brittany: the residents often have the opportunity to take advantage of each other, but they just don’t. That same respect for social interaction also explains, however, why so many things take so much longer than they would here in the States.
There are a lot of very funny scenes in this book, many of them revolving around food. One of my favorites was his encounter with two busloads of retirees at a grilled pig banquet. There is also his first encounter with andouille (pig intestines), which smell of what they are. Not surprisingly, much of the book deals with Greenside’s encounters with food that most of us never see in the United States. Sometimes the idea of what it is repulses him. He learns to eat first and ask later.
My favorite parts of the book are those that recount his interactions with the French, because they are infallibly written with tolerance and appreciation. Yes, the French sometimes do things that make no sense to us. But so often, they are willing to go out of their way – sometimes considerably out of their way – to help this American with minimal French and often even less understanding of how things work in France. You’ll get a lot of laughs out of this book, but it’s never done with an attempt to degrade what is different just because that’s not how we do it here in the States.
Mark Greenside’s new book, (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living, definitely suggests that the French, or at least some of them, have applied the same approach to life. It can be good, rich, and healthy, but only for those who are willing to work at it. He doesn’t try to explain how Americans might accomplish the same thing here in the States. For him, you have to go to France to experience it.
Many of the anecdotes from his two decades of living in a small town in western France deal with cultural differences and how he learned to deal with them: the frustrations (for Americans) of figuring out French road signage, the complications and restrictions of French banking rules, the fact that efficiency and speed are not high priorities, etc. Sometimes Greenside triumphs on his own through sheer persistence, but often it’s thanks to the patient help of some French person who takes him literally by the hand to guide him on his way. And, sometimes, he fails, which he blames on himself and not the French.
Sometimes, too, the better he gets to know parts of French life, especially life in the provinces far from Paris, the more he comes to appreciate it. He has unabashed admiration for the French national healthcare system. He is continually surprised by the social cohesion he sees in his area of western Brittany: the residents often have the opportunity to take advantage of each other, but they just don’t. That same respect for social interaction also explains, however, why so many things take so much longer than they would here in the States.
There are a lot of very funny scenes in this book, many of them revolving around food. One of my favorites was his encounter with two busloads of retirees at a grilled pig banquet. There is also his first encounter with andouille (pig intestines), which smell of what they are. Not surprisingly, much of the book deals with Greenside’s encounters with food that most of us never see in the United States. Sometimes the idea of what it is repulses him. He learns to eat first and ask later.
My favorite parts of the book are those that recount his interactions with the French, because they are infallibly written with tolerance and appreciation. Yes, the French sometimes do things that make no sense to us. But so often, they are willing to go out of their way – sometimes considerably out of their way – to help this American with minimal French and often even less understanding of how things work in France. You’ll get a lot of laughs out of this book, but it’s never done with an attempt to degrade what is different just because that’s not how we do it here in the States.
February 21, 2019
After reading Mark Greenside’s first and extremely entertaining book, ‘I’ll Never Be French (No Matter What I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany, I couldn’t wait to start this one, and I was not disappointed!
The first book tells how in 1991 a reluctant Mark agrees to visit Brittany with a girlfriend, and how that visit sparked a love affair with France and in particular with a small village in Finistère, Brittany.
Now, over twenty years later American Mark spends his summers in France.
Although a story, right from the first page this book is jam packed with essential information for anyone visiting France or living there, in fact, I think it should be mandatory reading. The trials and tribulations of the autoroutes and the attitude of French drivers, queues anywhere, the sometimes unusual food are highlighted. Everyday life, and the myriad of other obstacles and situations that an unsuspecting expat discovers and has to overcome are reviewed.
What did I personally enjoy about the book? Well it is hard to choose, there were so many enjoyable scenarios portrayed throughout. For example, shopping is a real eye-opener here and one is wise to remember the immortal line in the wonderful film ‘A Good Life’ – “In France the customer is always wrong.”
Many of the stories are very amusing, especially Mark’s shopping trolley incident, it brought back memories of our early days when I tried to take a shopping trolley off an elderly gentleman to save him walking it back. He looked at me as if I was mad, it must have seemed to him I was trying to steal the euro in the little slot which I didn’t know about as we didn’t have them where I came from. There is also no truer sentence written than ‘buy what you like when you see it and buy in bulk.’ It never fails to astound me that the shops finish a run on a popular product never to stock it again.
I just loved his take on life here, it is wonderful, but also quirky in many respects. I have been told countless times that it is like England 30 years ago, and it is, people take time to get to know you but then will do anything for you. Village life and neighbours are very important, as is supporting local businesses and products. However every day you are reminded you are not in your homeland when at 12 noon the world stops for lunch, and ten minutes before – the roads become race tracks.
At the beginning I said that this book should be essential reading and I really believe it should be. Notwithstanding the incredible volume of information it contains, perhaps the most important thing is the wonderful way the author has brought to life his experiences in the beautiful country of France and the generous nature of its inhabitants.
The first book tells how in 1991 a reluctant Mark agrees to visit Brittany with a girlfriend, and how that visit sparked a love affair with France and in particular with a small village in Finistère, Brittany.
Now, over twenty years later American Mark spends his summers in France.
Although a story, right from the first page this book is jam packed with essential information for anyone visiting France or living there, in fact, I think it should be mandatory reading. The trials and tribulations of the autoroutes and the attitude of French drivers, queues anywhere, the sometimes unusual food are highlighted. Everyday life, and the myriad of other obstacles and situations that an unsuspecting expat discovers and has to overcome are reviewed.
What did I personally enjoy about the book? Well it is hard to choose, there were so many enjoyable scenarios portrayed throughout. For example, shopping is a real eye-opener here and one is wise to remember the immortal line in the wonderful film ‘A Good Life’ – “In France the customer is always wrong.”
Many of the stories are very amusing, especially Mark’s shopping trolley incident, it brought back memories of our early days when I tried to take a shopping trolley off an elderly gentleman to save him walking it back. He looked at me as if I was mad, it must have seemed to him I was trying to steal the euro in the little slot which I didn’t know about as we didn’t have them where I came from. There is also no truer sentence written than ‘buy what you like when you see it and buy in bulk.’ It never fails to astound me that the shops finish a run on a popular product never to stock it again.
I just loved his take on life here, it is wonderful, but also quirky in many respects. I have been told countless times that it is like England 30 years ago, and it is, people take time to get to know you but then will do anything for you. Village life and neighbours are very important, as is supporting local businesses and products. However every day you are reminded you are not in your homeland when at 12 noon the world stops for lunch, and ten minutes before – the roads become race tracks.
At the beginning I said that this book should be essential reading and I really believe it should be. Notwithstanding the incredible volume of information it contains, perhaps the most important thing is the wonderful way the author has brought to life his experiences in the beautiful country of France and the generous nature of its inhabitants.
July 10, 2023
I enjoyed the confirmation that I am not the only one who recognizes that the French wish French culture and customs to be elusive. I especially appreciate the evidence that NOBODY other than a French-born person can speak correct French. And it explains a lot to hear that even though the French may speak English, they don't want to for fear of saying something incorrectly. I am reminded of the line from My Fair Lady when Prof. Higgins says, "The French don't care what they do so long as they pronounce it correctly.
I've been treated politely when using by Franglish in France and frequently had my needs met. But the warning about having an invitation to dinner taken as an invitation for the next day was very helpful in reminding me to be simple and clear and to confirm understandings carefully.
We had a super experience during a house swap in Tours. The friend of our swappers who picked us up at the railroad station had very little English and a confused look on his face as we connected and tried to communicate. Fortunately, he we had enchanged pictures of ourselves by phone. Near the end of our three-week stay, a member of his family contacted us to invite us for a farewell dinner. It was the 7-course dinner of which Greenside speaks. I'm still floored by the memory of that evening, especially the participation of their daughter and her boyfriend, who brought an old Armagnac brandy for afters from the distillery where his mother worked.
At first, I thought the author should have made a better effort to learn French, but I do understand that not everybody has the ear for another language. I give him credit for buying a home in Brittany and obviously enjoying it and telling us about it. He was funny without trying too hard, which made the book a pleasure to read. When I find myself reading passages to my husband, I know it was a good book!
I've been treated politely when using by Franglish in France and frequently had my needs met. But the warning about having an invitation to dinner taken as an invitation for the next day was very helpful in reminding me to be simple and clear and to confirm understandings carefully.
We had a super experience during a house swap in Tours. The friend of our swappers who picked us up at the railroad station had very little English and a confused look on his face as we connected and tried to communicate. Fortunately, he we had enchanged pictures of ourselves by phone. Near the end of our three-week stay, a member of his family contacted us to invite us for a farewell dinner. It was the 7-course dinner of which Greenside speaks. I'm still floored by the memory of that evening, especially the participation of their daughter and her boyfriend, who brought an old Armagnac brandy for afters from the distillery where his mother worked.
At first, I thought the author should have made a better effort to learn French, but I do understand that not everybody has the ear for another language. I give him credit for buying a home in Brittany and obviously enjoying it and telling us about it. He was funny without trying too hard, which made the book a pleasure to read. When I find myself reading passages to my husband, I know it was a good book!
November 20, 2019
What if you packed up all of your belongings and moved to a country that was completely alien to you? Living in a new country is a unique experience, but it is definitely an amazing experience that everyone should try. That is what Mark Greenside, a former teacher and a newcomer to the country of France, declares in his newest nonfiction memoir, (Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living. Greenside proves his assertion by describing his experience living in France. He supports his argument by comparing and contrasting life in France versus life in the United States to affirm that living in France is different, but it is very interesting. In a different country from your own, there are many different ways of doing ordinary things, and Greenside does an exceptional job of organizing his argument into mini-topics in order to compare and contrast life in France to life in the US (i.e. money, cars, shopping). This book used many examples to show that, and then proved the overall point that a new system of doing things may take a while to get used to, but it is a fascinating opportunity to add excitement to one’s life. At first, it’s like living in a parallel universe: everything that one would do inherently in their home country is so much different than that of a new country. While reading, I frequently thought to myself: “I never thought about it that way” and “Why don't we do that here?” Anyone who really wants to know what it’s like to reside in an unfamiliar place should read this book. It is very interesting, provides a plethora of information on what one may experience while living somewhere different, and it uses several examples to confirm the claim that living in a new country is an experience that everyone should try at least once.
May 27, 2018
Anyone who’s ever driven, eaten, shopped, or has been ill in France will recognize the authenticity of this screamingly funny book about trying to fit it, and almost—but not quite—succeeding. Reading this book on the subway in New York City presented a real challenge for me, as it made me laugh uncontrollably for considerably long stretches. Unlike the French, who will try not to notice if you are making a fool of yourself in public, New Yorkers will stare at you while trying to determine your sanity. At least, that’s the reaction I got as I tried to bury myself in the book while riding to my destination. A few times I had to close the book because there was no other way to stifle the laughter.
This book is for anybody who is traveling to, has traveled to, or would like to travel to France. The book’s title is (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living, but it becomes evident soon enough that Greenside has indeed (nearly) mastered it. What shines through the humor is the reverence Greenside has for the French and their customs. He pokes fun at them, but usually the tables turn and he ends up poking fun at himself, as when he shopped in the supermarket, refusing to use a cart because he thought it cost one euro to rent one. After much indignation and several futile attempts to devise alternative methods, he discovered the truth: you get your money back when you return the cart to the proper place. Greenside’s book is filled with hilarious anecdotes and wacky stories, all pointing to one thing: his love of France and his gratitude towards his French friends. I’ll probably read it again, or at least excerpts, before any trips I take to France in the future.
This book is for anybody who is traveling to, has traveled to, or would like to travel to France. The book’s title is (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living, but it becomes evident soon enough that Greenside has indeed (nearly) mastered it. What shines through the humor is the reverence Greenside has for the French and their customs. He pokes fun at them, but usually the tables turn and he ends up poking fun at himself, as when he shopped in the supermarket, refusing to use a cart because he thought it cost one euro to rent one. After much indignation and several futile attempts to devise alternative methods, he discovered the truth: you get your money back when you return the cart to the proper place. Greenside’s book is filled with hilarious anecdotes and wacky stories, all pointing to one thing: his love of France and his gratitude towards his French friends. I’ll probably read it again, or at least excerpts, before any trips I take to France in the future.
June 18, 2018
On the "Funnyside" of the "Pond"
Having now read both “I’ll Never Be French No Matter How Hard I Try” and “(Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living,” I clearly realize that traveling in France as a tourist (my wife and I have done 5 trips on our own having stayed in 12 cities and visited well over 30 other towns/villages) and embracing a commitment to everyday living is comparable to snorkeling just under the ocean surface and scuba diving to far greater depths of risky adventures. Hey, wait a minute, buying a home and being “not quite French” might even be going down to the ocean floor in a bathysphere. But I’m ahead of myself. The context for reading (Not Quite) is definitely relevant to ordering this book as soon as possible. My wife and I just returned from our 14th visit to Santa Fe and we always like reading a book as we do a road trip. (Not Quite) was our choice for this adventure. Marks comparisons of French and American cultures are both acutely insightful and and yet affirming of each (no put-downs here), but best of all is that they are presented with such wit, imagery and references that we were constantly in a state of laughter…not just a chuckle but “therapeutic laughter” that kept us mentally alert for the drive. We even chose to read the book to each other in our hotel room rather than watch “nothingness” on cable TV. If you’re touched by the wonders of France and French culture, have fantasized putting down even shallow roots, or want to take a full 90 day blitz (given Euro-zone rules), (Not Quite) will either sober you up or motivate you to dig your toes in for a “breath-defying” challenge. C'est la vie!!
Having now read both “I’ll Never Be French No Matter How Hard I Try” and “(Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living,” I clearly realize that traveling in France as a tourist (my wife and I have done 5 trips on our own having stayed in 12 cities and visited well over 30 other towns/villages) and embracing a commitment to everyday living is comparable to snorkeling just under the ocean surface and scuba diving to far greater depths of risky adventures. Hey, wait a minute, buying a home and being “not quite French” might even be going down to the ocean floor in a bathysphere. But I’m ahead of myself. The context for reading (Not Quite) is definitely relevant to ordering this book as soon as possible. My wife and I just returned from our 14th visit to Santa Fe and we always like reading a book as we do a road trip. (Not Quite) was our choice for this adventure. Marks comparisons of French and American cultures are both acutely insightful and and yet affirming of each (no put-downs here), but best of all is that they are presented with such wit, imagery and references that we were constantly in a state of laughter…not just a chuckle but “therapeutic laughter” that kept us mentally alert for the drive. We even chose to read the book to each other in our hotel room rather than watch “nothingness” on cable TV. If you’re touched by the wonders of France and French culture, have fantasized putting down even shallow roots, or want to take a full 90 day blitz (given Euro-zone rules), (Not Quite) will either sober you up or motivate you to dig your toes in for a “breath-defying” challenge. C'est la vie!!
May 12, 2023
This book by Mark Greenside had me laughing out loud all the way through! Anyone who has studied the French language or taught French or is simply a Francophile who loves everything French will laugh and enjoy the story of a college professor who buys a house in Brittany and thereafter spends every summer living in a small Breton village called Plobien.
No, he does not speak French! His attempts to live a normal
French” life with his fluent French speaking wife every summer while learning to speak some of the language, but mostly giving up and becoming the quiet, unspoken American who cannot understand and cannot communicate what he needs to do or what he wants to buy, etc. This leads him into many hilarious( to this reader)episodes in his story. For instance, Driving in France, Money and Banking, Shopping for ordinary things (such as a new mattress cover) and even the “ rules” of grocery shopping in the supermarché and also in the small shops such as the boulangerie and patisserie.
There is also a hilarious story of his trying to order an ice cream cone and using the wrong word which turns out to be a word ( Not a bon mot) that is something definitely not to be said out loud!!!
In the very last section of the book, the author lists 10 Things I’ve Learned about Speaking French, some of which will be very funny and some of which will be familiar to any student of the French language! I gave this book 4 stars because it is written in such a clever way and was totally enjoyable, although it may have a limited readership of people whom I mentioned above. However, there may be many lovers of language who would enjoy it as much as I did. So, read and enjoy!
No, he does not speak French! His attempts to live a normal
French” life with his fluent French speaking wife every summer while learning to speak some of the language, but mostly giving up and becoming the quiet, unspoken American who cannot understand and cannot communicate what he needs to do or what he wants to buy, etc. This leads him into many hilarious( to this reader)episodes in his story. For instance, Driving in France, Money and Banking, Shopping for ordinary things (such as a new mattress cover) and even the “ rules” of grocery shopping in the supermarché and also in the small shops such as the boulangerie and patisserie.
There is also a hilarious story of his trying to order an ice cream cone and using the wrong word which turns out to be a word ( Not a bon mot) that is something definitely not to be said out loud!!!
In the very last section of the book, the author lists 10 Things I’ve Learned about Speaking French, some of which will be very funny and some of which will be familiar to any student of the French language! I gave this book 4 stars because it is written in such a clever way and was totally enjoyable, although it may have a limited readership of people whom I mentioned above. However, there may be many lovers of language who would enjoy it as much as I did. So, read and enjoy!
April 12, 2018
(Not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living is a book written by an American who spends his summers in Brittany, France and how he gets on there and the nuances between the cultures he has found.
It covers a number of topics from Money, Shopping, Driving, Food and needing Medical Assistance.
Each chapter gives an account of things that have happened to the author during his summer visits, and learning about the culture. There are also "10 things I've learnt" at the end of each chapter that are even more things he has picked up rather than a round up of the chapter.
This is a book that had me laughing from time to time as his use of French meant once he asked for a chocolate ice cream on female genitalia instead of a cone or that one of his french friends looked at his attempts of serving a salad, or balsamic vingear with disgust and like poo!
I've certainly learnt a lot about our French neighbours across the English channel that I was not aware of, such as seven courses are expected when inviting friends for dinner (how many!?) or after a car accident the vehicle will be repaired in three days (blimey thats quick) and after a hospital stay, rather than being sent home to recuperate, you are sent to a seaside hospital to recover (something we certainly would never do in the UK).
If you are looking for a book about what it means to live in or even visit France, then this is a great book to give you the flavour of what its like and how to make you look less of a fool during your stay.
I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.
It covers a number of topics from Money, Shopping, Driving, Food and needing Medical Assistance.
Each chapter gives an account of things that have happened to the author during his summer visits, and learning about the culture. There are also "10 things I've learnt" at the end of each chapter that are even more things he has picked up rather than a round up of the chapter.
This is a book that had me laughing from time to time as his use of French meant once he asked for a chocolate ice cream on female genitalia instead of a cone or that one of his french friends looked at his attempts of serving a salad, or balsamic vingear with disgust and like poo!
I've certainly learnt a lot about our French neighbours across the English channel that I was not aware of, such as seven courses are expected when inviting friends for dinner (how many!?) or after a car accident the vehicle will be repaired in three days (blimey thats quick) and after a hospital stay, rather than being sent home to recuperate, you are sent to a seaside hospital to recover (something we certainly would never do in the UK).
If you are looking for a book about what it means to live in or even visit France, then this is a great book to give you the flavour of what its like and how to make you look less of a fool during your stay.
I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.
July 11, 2018
This book is funny as heck. I like to read a book before going to sleep but my wife wouldn’t let me with this one because I kept laughing so hard I was shaking the bed.
Mark Greenside is an American who spends every summer in a house he bought in a tiny village in Brittany. Somehow, despite living part-time in France for decades, he has not managed to learn the language. This leads to inevitable mishaps, all of which he describes in a hilarious style. As he puts it, “If you’re lucky, some of the things that happened to me will happen to you. If you’re luckier, they won’t.”
We learn what happens when you accidentally end up in the middle of a combination pig roast / talent show with a busload of elderly French tourists. And what it is like to try and fail (yet again) to prepare a meal that satisfies your French neighbors. There are funny stories about shopping, banking, driving (including a car accident that turns out surprisingly well) and more. Mark has an engaging style that allows him to tell these and other stories with humor and humility.
As someone who lives part-time in France myself, I think that Mark has done an especially good job at describing the cultural differences between France and the United States. And I was touched when he talked about his French friends, people with whom he can barely have a conversation, yet who have become “people I care about and who care about me.”
If you are looking for a book about France that is thoughtful, heartfelt and really, really funny, this is one you won’t want to miss. Highly recommended.
Mark Greenside is an American who spends every summer in a house he bought in a tiny village in Brittany. Somehow, despite living part-time in France for decades, he has not managed to learn the language. This leads to inevitable mishaps, all of which he describes in a hilarious style. As he puts it, “If you’re lucky, some of the things that happened to me will happen to you. If you’re luckier, they won’t.”
We learn what happens when you accidentally end up in the middle of a combination pig roast / talent show with a busload of elderly French tourists. And what it is like to try and fail (yet again) to prepare a meal that satisfies your French neighbors. There are funny stories about shopping, banking, driving (including a car accident that turns out surprisingly well) and more. Mark has an engaging style that allows him to tell these and other stories with humor and humility.
As someone who lives part-time in France myself, I think that Mark has done an especially good job at describing the cultural differences between France and the United States. And I was touched when he talked about his French friends, people with whom he can barely have a conversation, yet who have become “people I care about and who care about me.”
If you are looking for a book about France that is thoughtful, heartfelt and really, really funny, this is one you won’t want to miss. Highly recommended.
March 13, 2018
I was kindly given an ARC of this book by Edelweiss for an honest review in return.
When I looked at the cover of this book, I was immediately drawn in. Yes, I know, don't judge the book by its cover. In this case, however, both the cover and the book were fantastic and worthy of being judged.
Gosh, what can I say about this book? From the very beginning, it sets a lively, humorous tone. I loved the way the author wrote his experiences in France, with the way he wasn't quite there with the language, the culture itself. How he messed up his interactions multiple times in various horrifying yet hilarious ways. His approach towards the whole thing made it a really enjoyable read. I must say that I wasn't expecting to laugh quite so many times but I did. Genuine laugh out loud moments.
He's very honest about his failures in his language, and how much he's become adventurous when it comes to food because of the French people. The way he is constantly surprised by the different and sometimes better ways of doing things in France. I am so glad he has friends who are French and help him out because otherwise, oh boy.
I have to admit that I hadn't really read anything like this before but I guess I started with a bang in this genre because boy, this book is fun! It's a delightful read and seriously, I feel like everybody should give this one a chance, there would be no regrets.
When I looked at the cover of this book, I was immediately drawn in. Yes, I know, don't judge the book by its cover. In this case, however, both the cover and the book were fantastic and worthy of being judged.
Gosh, what can I say about this book? From the very beginning, it sets a lively, humorous tone. I loved the way the author wrote his experiences in France, with the way he wasn't quite there with the language, the culture itself. How he messed up his interactions multiple times in various horrifying yet hilarious ways. His approach towards the whole thing made it a really enjoyable read. I must say that I wasn't expecting to laugh quite so many times but I did. Genuine laugh out loud moments.
He's very honest about his failures in his language, and how much he's become adventurous when it comes to food because of the French people. The way he is constantly surprised by the different and sometimes better ways of doing things in France. I am so glad he has friends who are French and help him out because otherwise, oh boy.
I have to admit that I hadn't really read anything like this before but I guess I started with a bang in this genre because boy, this book is fun! It's a delightful read and seriously, I feel like everybody should give this one a chance, there would be no regrets.
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