French Affair, A: The Paris Beat 1965-1998

by Mary Blume, Ronald Searle (Illustrator)

An American columnist for The Independent Herald Tribune who lived in Paris for three decades offers her trenchant observations of France and its people, from cafe culture to the political scene, and everything in-between. Reprint.

Genres: France, Travel, Nonfiction, History, Essays

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Gary Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Blume’s columns from the International Herald Tribune are crisp, wry observations delivered in an elegant tone. Each column focuses on a specific aspect of French or Parisian culture—for example, a trendy fascination with a particular variety of potato or a meeting of the Friends of the Mona Lisa. Specifics tend to reveal the general or universal, and that is the case here as these Blume columns illuminate France from 1965-1998. By compiling details and examples, a picture of France emerges that is more complex and evocative than if the characterization had been stated more baldly. The book has three sections. The first two sections dealing with Parisian life and French rules were more satisfying to me than the third section which focuses on criticism of painters, writers, photographers, and filmmakers. I am not familiar enough with many of these artists to be able to appreciate Blume’s insights on their work.

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Mary Blume's articles in the International Herald Tribune in the 1970s. I bought this book mainly for the pleasure of re-reading her funny article on the Citroen 2CV, but with this volume of collected essays, I discovered and enjoyed her pieces from the mid to late 1980s, which I had missed in the paper because I was in the US by then. The last third of the book collects portraits of French film-makers and other kinds of artists.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

With anthologies of short essays like this one, I tend to find the lack of a denouement to be the literary equivalent of blue balls; the narrative is steady and flat all the way through, and I find myself wishing for some escalating drama and payoff. Even still, Blume is a delightful writer and her essays were interesting, intimate portraits of famous Frenchies. Picked this up for $3 at a book sale at my Alliance Française which added to the charm.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the columns about French life, especially the early ones as they described a world during which I was not alive or was too young to comprehend. I enjoyed the columns on cultural figures a bit less, partly because they were crammed together, rather than being spread out between other topics.

[DocNora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been nostalgic for the period these articles were written around, so I loved these snap shots of Parisian life and lives. It was an effort to remember it is 2023 and all these lovely people who sound so alive have been long ago called to their fathers. I'm now going to watch the iconic French movies from the 30's to the 40's that she writes about.

[Mary Brace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little, short story, well written columns for the International Herald. Full of short, obscure tidbits about France. Interesting commentaries about famous film directors and their movies. Makes me want to watch a couple of them......

[Maribeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming set of vignettes taking place over the course of the 60's to the 90's in Paris, France. Buy me a ticket pour demain, merci!

[Dvora Treisman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing on mostly interesting people and topics. It was worth reading, but even so, with one exception, nothing in it moved me.

[Jehree Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting columns regarding French life and political figures, was crammed together at times and hard to hold my full attention.

[Shippseattle]

Even the most dedicated expat rarely manages to completely fit into an adopted foreign culture. It's precisely this quality that allows American Mary ...more [close] Even the most dedicated expat rarely manages to completely fit into an adopted foreign culture. It's precisely this quality that allows American Mary Blume to so thoughtfully observe and record Paris, the city that's served as her home for over three decades, though its ways may still mystify her. In A French Affair--a collection of essays published in the International Herald Tribune--the columnist deftly captures the quirks and changes that are visible only to those who live in France, though they may be most interesting to those who don't.
In these commentaries--ranging from the opening of invention conventions to the mire of bureaucracy that accompanies the naming of a street (which may only be named after dead people, preferably deceased for at least 15 years)--Blume unveils the French quest for perfection in a world that's perfectly imperfect because of French design, and how the logic of Descartes's descendents--regarding such points as grammar--is sometimes extreme to the point of being irrational. She captures trends, from the fashionable la ratte potato to the metric system. She records notable moments---the death of a designer, the opening of a charm school for men--and notable people, such as Renoir's jet-setting son and Simone de Beauvoir. Of course, this being a book about France, Blume occasionally delves into food, be it the inner workings of a soup kitchen or the launching of cooking classes taught by royalty. With these witty and insightful short snippets, Blume provides small, crystal-clear windows into true French life--a rare accomplishment from an expatriate or a native. --Melissa Rossi [close]

date added 03-23-07 edit book

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[S]

I will not rate this as I only read 1 or 2 chapters in this book. It is not really my type of book and I am not interested in:
- 1960/70s French life. I prefer to read more contemporary stuff like set in 2000s because so much has changed in the past few years.
- It is more like Newspaper articles talking about things and people of that time many of whom I have no idea about.
- Too much heavy reading for me, I was expecting a much lighter insightful read not a commentary on some issues that happened back then.

[Bap · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of pieces written by Mary Blume which first appeared in the Inernational Herald Tribune. They are dated and insubstantial covering the period 1965-1998. There are some nuggets like a piece about a bearded lady but you have to read too many mediocre pieces for every good one.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Blume's essays capture the Paris of the 60's through 90's in a warm and witty way - very enjoyable, a book to be taken out and savored in bits & pieces now and again.

[Taylor P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the cultural articles in this book, especially about the street names in Paris... but the biographies were a bit hard to get through.

[Deborah J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and charming. Very well written compared with most British journalism.