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The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard
Whether it's the Protestant work ethic, or the capitalist need for productivity, most of us in the English-speaking world believe that in order to achieve anything worthwhile, we must first expend huge amounts of effort. In fact, just the opposite is true. In 'The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard', Ollivier Pourriol shows how the best results in life, love, work, art and even sports come not from working harder, but from letting go.
This is not a new idea in France: since Montaigne, philosophers have suggested that a certain je ne sais quoi is the key to a more creative, fulfilling and productive existence. We can see it in their laissez faire parenting, their chic style, their haute cuisine and enviable home cooking - the French barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world famous.
Drawing lessons from French legends like Descartes, Stendhal and Françoise Sagan, Rodin and Zidane, Cyrano de Bergerac and Coco Chanel, Ollivier Pourriol explores how to be efficient a la française, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards.
This is not a new idea in France: since Montaigne, philosophers have suggested that a certain je ne sais quoi is the key to a more creative, fulfilling and productive existence. We can see it in their laissez faire parenting, their chic style, their haute cuisine and enviable home cooking - the French barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world famous.
Drawing lessons from French legends like Descartes, Stendhal and Françoise Sagan, Rodin and Zidane, Cyrano de Bergerac and Coco Chanel, Ollivier Pourriol explores how to be efficient a la française, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published June 25, 2020
248 people are currently reading
3671 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
March 31, 2021
Don't be fooled by the title into thinking this is light reading. It's a philosophy book that uses some unexpected examples.
April 4, 2023
i can conclude this book for you: “the key to action is getting down to it” that’s also one of the phrases the author uses in their conclusion and that’s literally all it says throughout using different words like okay i wouldn’t t know exactly cause i started skimming during chapter 2/3 but that’s what i believe through my expertise in skimming
im so fucking disappointed cause the pinterest picture that showed me this book was so pretty, the title is intriguing and so ironical cause it’s really like the author is in fact trying too hard to write the book, it started off good but after reading the prologue i was like why is this book so lengthy for what it’s talking about then i read the first chapter and was like okay yea this looks good so i hope the rest delivers but then it’s just repetitive after a while
it’s extremely wordy like the author uses too many words to talk about one single thing and it’s not needed cause it’s like they were trying to reach the word count you know? so many words used in a book like it was unnecessary to use so many words it’s really wordy and stretched out it’s like the author keeps repeating themselves with so many extra words like do you get? it’s very wordy and repetitive
im so fucking disappointed cause the pinterest picture that showed me this book was so pretty, the title is intriguing and so ironical cause it’s really like the author is in fact trying too hard to write the book, it started off good but after reading the prologue i was like why is this book so lengthy for what it’s talking about then i read the first chapter and was like okay yea this looks good so i hope the rest delivers but then it’s just repetitive after a while
it’s extremely wordy like the author uses too many words to talk about one single thing and it’s not needed cause it’s like they were trying to reach the word count you know? so many words used in a book like it was unnecessary to use so many words it’s really wordy and stretched out it’s like the author keeps repeating themselves with so many extra words like do you get? it’s very wordy and repetitive
September 2, 2025
I loved this book more than I thought I would. I mean I did not read this expecting to hate it of course, but all the same it was a happy surprise that I connected with it this much. Maybe because my own country is right next door so I recognized a lot of things.
Regardless, even if your country does not directly neighbour France it is still well worth a read. It explains so much about the French that may seem strange if you do not know the culture well.
Regardless, even if your country does not directly neighbour France it is still well worth a read. It explains so much about the French that may seem strange if you do not know the culture well.
February 18, 2021
3.5? I thoroughly enjoyed chapter 8 and most parts of chapter 9. The lessons/ideas from other chapters were not as impactful or relatable (imo) but maybe that's because I'm not a French tightrope walker or freediver or maybe it's the "French Art" that je ne comprends pas...yet
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August 2, 20217 ½ Learnings
Yes, indeed, that’s the title of the book. The author had my attention with the questions on the back cover: Sick of striving? Giving up on grit? Had enough of hustle culture? Daunted by the 10,000-hour rule? The fact that the book draws inspiration from French legends was yet another reason to not miss it.
Since moving to Paris, I started feeling that I am not trying hard enough to achieve my goals – learning the French language and helping French companies communicate better with their audiences in India. After reading this book, I do believe that I have already taken the first step – without thinking and without hesitating (you will know what that means after you read the book).
1. Where do we start? That’s always been the big question. More often than not, we keep planning and eventually stagnate. “If you don’t know how to get out of this kind of stagnation, do what Stendhal did: borrow your first sentence or your first action from someone else, and continue it.” Like drafting or slipstreaming in cycling or learning a language by imitating others, don't start, continue
2. We’ve always been told to think before we speak. But thinking too much and trying to get the right words to describe our thoughts often leaves us paralysed. When I read Alain’s example – “I discover what I want to say when I open my mouth”, I was overjoyed. That is me written all over it
3. Despite the flaws of the 10,000 hours rule well documented, we are still bombarded with variations of the same. Through the example of a failed experiment and other references, the author drives home the point that working hard is not enough
4. My favourite part of the book, Stop Thinking, walks through hypnosis, yoga, non-thinking, archery and modern rationalism to distinguish between thought and action - “Take a path you don’t know, to reach an unknown place, to do something you’re incapable of doing”
5. If you thought the book’s title was confusing then the chapter on “Hit the target without aiming” will throw you off. But there is a difference between trying too hard to hit a target and preparing well enough, physically and mentally, to hit
6. “Attention is a wave on which we must learn to surf.” The most powerful and thriving industry today is the one that has our attention at the heart of it. If I want to achieve my goals then I need to ride the wave not get drowned in it
7. “Ideas do not come because we pursue them, but because we are open to them” – not just a statement but a narrative woven by the author to unlock the secret laws of attention
As for the half….
I took a culinary class at Le Cordon Bleu Paris the day I finished reading the book. What a coincidence!!! The French culinary experience is sublime but to get to that level...
Yes, indeed, that’s the title of the book. The author had my attention with the questions on the back cover: Sick of striving? Giving up on grit? Had enough of hustle culture? Daunted by the 10,000-hour rule? The fact that the book draws inspiration from French legends was yet another reason to not miss it.
Since moving to Paris, I started feeling that I am not trying hard enough to achieve my goals – learning the French language and helping French companies communicate better with their audiences in India. After reading this book, I do believe that I have already taken the first step – without thinking and without hesitating (you will know what that means after you read the book).
1. Where do we start? That’s always been the big question. More often than not, we keep planning and eventually stagnate. “If you don’t know how to get out of this kind of stagnation, do what Stendhal did: borrow your first sentence or your first action from someone else, and continue it.” Like drafting or slipstreaming in cycling or learning a language by imitating others, don't start, continue
2. We’ve always been told to think before we speak. But thinking too much and trying to get the right words to describe our thoughts often leaves us paralysed. When I read Alain’s example – “I discover what I want to say when I open my mouth”, I was overjoyed. That is me written all over it
3. Despite the flaws of the 10,000 hours rule well documented, we are still bombarded with variations of the same. Through the example of a failed experiment and other references, the author drives home the point that working hard is not enough
4. My favourite part of the book, Stop Thinking, walks through hypnosis, yoga, non-thinking, archery and modern rationalism to distinguish between thought and action - “Take a path you don’t know, to reach an unknown place, to do something you’re incapable of doing”
5. If you thought the book’s title was confusing then the chapter on “Hit the target without aiming” will throw you off. But there is a difference between trying too hard to hit a target and preparing well enough, physically and mentally, to hit
6. “Attention is a wave on which we must learn to surf.” The most powerful and thriving industry today is the one that has our attention at the heart of it. If I want to achieve my goals then I need to ride the wave not get drowned in it
7. “Ideas do not come because we pursue them, but because we are open to them” – not just a statement but a narrative woven by the author to unlock the secret laws of attention
As for the half….
I took a culinary class at Le Cordon Bleu Paris the day I finished reading the book. What a coincidence!!! The French culinary experience is sublime but to get to that level...
June 16, 2022
At best, as the author himself says, it is an airport book to glance through whilst away. - the premise is good, and quite true in some aspects (that some of the best things happen without trying and that as soon as you try too hard, as with love, it doesn’t quite work) and this is really conveyed in the first 2 chapters but after that it’s as if he ran out of things to say. It seemed as if the French art of not trying doesn’t quite work when trying to write a full book. As if the premise was great and indeed the first chapter or two did just flow out of him but the rest feels forced, as if he thought ‘ah, I now need to fill a book’. Over used examples of the same people mixed with contradictory messages make for an effort to read and general confusion. I must say however, the final chapter was good. About dreams, it spoke true and felt right, so with that it had a very satisfying ending and conclusion. Just a shame about the bulk of the book.
October 4, 2020
It is a bit repetitive. I also found that the author indulges too often and for too long in platitudes that most everyone knows. I would just read the first couple of paragraphs in each chapter.
November 8, 2021
Loved this book. It is insanely thought provoking and far more philosophical than I first thought. Some of the stories sort of go on too long, but there is incredible depth and coherence in the chapters themselves and throughout the chapters.
The most profound aspect of the book is how it starts, with the famous quote and ultimate take away of the work: "The whole doctrine of action can be expressed in two chapters, each of which contains a single word. Chapter one, continue. Chapter two, start. The other which people find surprising, espresso almost the whole idea" (Alain).
You just have to continue, rather than start.
Other focuses of the book include:
Temptation of 10,000 hours
It is true that one must put in the work and "pay their dues" so to speak, and there is support of the 10,000 hours theory as a general construct, although some skills require more and others require less. However, this compounds when you add the idea that no matter how many hours you put into learning something, those hours will be essentially wasted if it is a skill to which you are not suited. One example provided is a man who dedicated himself to mastering golf, and after a few years and repeated injuries, gave up, as it was not feasible given his level of physical skill. Often, we suffer by committing ourselves to goals and things to which we are not suited, and finding out own path and the things we want to become experts in often provide far more satisfaction. Strive to be, rather than to do, and the doing (action) will become the natural consequence of flow.
The experience of grace
Grace is also a state of flow. It is a complete merge of the self with action, without the interference of intellect or other factors. The body is barely embodied by knowing and not by thinking. There is no self correction, judgement, or anything else. There is just pure action and the fluid movements of the body doing what it was meant to do. It is effortless and the result of not thinking or trying to escape from the physical state of being into a mental or emotional state of judgement or control.
Finding the right position
To escape difficulty, you must stop resisting. Ease will come once you give it a chance. Being in a natural state, such as that of many greek statues, puts us in a natural state of ease, which enables us to stop resisting. Proper posture is important for a variety of reasons, as it helps to enable grace (or flow). Your imagination is at the heart of your life. If you can image something, you can create it; such is what is proven by the arts.
The art of gliding
Everything comes down to attitude imagination and prepositions. You can struggle or you can relax, accept, and give in. Fluency is fluid, and to be fluent in a language means to be fluid. Pretending is a precondition for success. Do not resist, do not fight; simply be, allow, adopt, and absorb.
Stop thinking
Life can be explored, but not explained. "No thinking. No thinking." is an apt quote for this chapter. So much of life we spend within ourselves, intellectualizing, constructing, judging, planning, orienting ourselves. Self hypnosis is discussed in the chapter, as there are ways with breath and a lack of conscious effort to go deep inside oneself, stop thinking, and be. The ability to be present and unattached to the unfolding of events is a great skill. The removal of thinking and judgment gives the ability to relate to the world in a more human way. We often suffer and fall ill as the result of other things, such as rumination, which stands in the way of action. Excess interpretation stops from experiencing. In the world, we have a crisis and lack of curiosity, which puts an end to the lightness of being. Do not insist. Let your problems solve themselves. Do not force anything, allow yourself to gaze without tension. "The solutions to a human problem will never be fond in a response to the question of 'why?" To stop thinking, find the right position in a chair and be. Obstacles and opportunities often go hand in hand. Actions arise from oral renunciation. "If you stay calm, many things do happen."Allow life to take the orders, rest the disorder, and do not be frightened of chaos.
Hitting the target without aiming
Do without thinking. Do not focus on the goal, on the aim, simply release the arrow, as it knows where to go. Be satisfied with being, and allow the work to come. The more you focus on something, the more you can cause yourself to make mistakes. When you think, you are focusing, you are judging, and therefore are thinking and not acting. When thinking, you are the antithesis of acting, and therefore, when firing an arrow can never hit a target. Express your pride through your posture, Pretend to be proud. Start by miming. "Man is formed through struggle, his true pleasures must be won, must be served. He must give before he receives. That is the law." (alain). Certain goals can only be achieved if we do not aim at them.
The secret laws of attention
Attention is a wave we must learn to surf. If you hold too tight, you'll hold badly. Know when to relax during the game. Give in. Completely surrender. Trust your body to act. Decartes method: evident ; dividing up the difficulties ; order ; enumeration.
Evident - to see. What happens when you see something with the minds eye, to understand it. Attention should focus on only one point at a time. Consider a torch, with a narrow beam of light and limited 'illuminated' focus.
Divide up the difficulties - Think go 1 thing at a time. Don't try to grasp everything all at once. Don't rush. One step at a time. Once everything is cut up into digestible pieces, it must be put into:
Order - an intellectual order, the right order. Go from simple toward complex, Make sure you have not forgotten anything, and process an:
Enumeration - An overview. A naming of parts. A panorama. Regularly widen your gaze so that you do not miss the big picture, the grand scheme. Keep a macro and micro view all at once. Make sure that everything is included.
Understanding can't be focused. Distraction can make the work easier, it builds momentum. Distraction helps you to not think about what you are doing, so you are content with doing it. There are two ways to clean a burnt pan: taking considerable time and effort to scrub it, or to simply let it soak and return to it later. The first is based on effort, and the second on ease. Postponing action and letting things look after themselves is a win-win. When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Hyper specialization can cause a sort of blindness to the broader picture of what is, based on the view we have of the world and how we operate within it. Don't think about solutions, think about the problem as if the problem were a person, let it speak for itself. Do not confuse preparation with practice. Excessive practice makes you stale.
The power of dreams
Pursue the dreams that come to you and allow them to consume you. Do not seek reason within those dreams, pursue them, allow them, become them. Manifest the dreams within the world, with creativity and focus. "Gold, as alchemists knew, is the fruit of effort". TO make gold, you must go deep and exact from the earth, "Pleasure is effortless and easy, but you must learnt o be happy. Walk the road you are currently on and stick to the journey you have charter to make your own gold.
Dreaming also brings counsel. Good dreams lead to good decisions.
*
Now you know what you have to do.
The most profound aspect of the book is how it starts, with the famous quote and ultimate take away of the work: "The whole doctrine of action can be expressed in two chapters, each of which contains a single word. Chapter one, continue. Chapter two, start. The other which people find surprising, espresso almost the whole idea" (Alain).
You just have to continue, rather than start.
Other focuses of the book include:
Temptation of 10,000 hours
It is true that one must put in the work and "pay their dues" so to speak, and there is support of the 10,000 hours theory as a general construct, although some skills require more and others require less. However, this compounds when you add the idea that no matter how many hours you put into learning something, those hours will be essentially wasted if it is a skill to which you are not suited. One example provided is a man who dedicated himself to mastering golf, and after a few years and repeated injuries, gave up, as it was not feasible given his level of physical skill. Often, we suffer by committing ourselves to goals and things to which we are not suited, and finding out own path and the things we want to become experts in often provide far more satisfaction. Strive to be, rather than to do, and the doing (action) will become the natural consequence of flow.
The experience of grace
Grace is also a state of flow. It is a complete merge of the self with action, without the interference of intellect or other factors. The body is barely embodied by knowing and not by thinking. There is no self correction, judgement, or anything else. There is just pure action and the fluid movements of the body doing what it was meant to do. It is effortless and the result of not thinking or trying to escape from the physical state of being into a mental or emotional state of judgement or control.
Finding the right position
To escape difficulty, you must stop resisting. Ease will come once you give it a chance. Being in a natural state, such as that of many greek statues, puts us in a natural state of ease, which enables us to stop resisting. Proper posture is important for a variety of reasons, as it helps to enable grace (or flow). Your imagination is at the heart of your life. If you can image something, you can create it; such is what is proven by the arts.
The art of gliding
Everything comes down to attitude imagination and prepositions. You can struggle or you can relax, accept, and give in. Fluency is fluid, and to be fluent in a language means to be fluid. Pretending is a precondition for success. Do not resist, do not fight; simply be, allow, adopt, and absorb.
Stop thinking
Life can be explored, but not explained. "No thinking. No thinking." is an apt quote for this chapter. So much of life we spend within ourselves, intellectualizing, constructing, judging, planning, orienting ourselves. Self hypnosis is discussed in the chapter, as there are ways with breath and a lack of conscious effort to go deep inside oneself, stop thinking, and be. The ability to be present and unattached to the unfolding of events is a great skill. The removal of thinking and judgment gives the ability to relate to the world in a more human way. We often suffer and fall ill as the result of other things, such as rumination, which stands in the way of action. Excess interpretation stops from experiencing. In the world, we have a crisis and lack of curiosity, which puts an end to the lightness of being. Do not insist. Let your problems solve themselves. Do not force anything, allow yourself to gaze without tension. "The solutions to a human problem will never be fond in a response to the question of 'why?" To stop thinking, find the right position in a chair and be. Obstacles and opportunities often go hand in hand. Actions arise from oral renunciation. "If you stay calm, many things do happen."Allow life to take the orders, rest the disorder, and do not be frightened of chaos.
Hitting the target without aiming
Do without thinking. Do not focus on the goal, on the aim, simply release the arrow, as it knows where to go. Be satisfied with being, and allow the work to come. The more you focus on something, the more you can cause yourself to make mistakes. When you think, you are focusing, you are judging, and therefore are thinking and not acting. When thinking, you are the antithesis of acting, and therefore, when firing an arrow can never hit a target. Express your pride through your posture, Pretend to be proud. Start by miming. "Man is formed through struggle, his true pleasures must be won, must be served. He must give before he receives. That is the law." (alain). Certain goals can only be achieved if we do not aim at them.
The secret laws of attention
Attention is a wave we must learn to surf. If you hold too tight, you'll hold badly. Know when to relax during the game. Give in. Completely surrender. Trust your body to act. Decartes method: evident ; dividing up the difficulties ; order ; enumeration.
Evident - to see. What happens when you see something with the minds eye, to understand it. Attention should focus on only one point at a time. Consider a torch, with a narrow beam of light and limited 'illuminated' focus.
Divide up the difficulties - Think go 1 thing at a time. Don't try to grasp everything all at once. Don't rush. One step at a time. Once everything is cut up into digestible pieces, it must be put into:
Order - an intellectual order, the right order. Go from simple toward complex, Make sure you have not forgotten anything, and process an:
Enumeration - An overview. A naming of parts. A panorama. Regularly widen your gaze so that you do not miss the big picture, the grand scheme. Keep a macro and micro view all at once. Make sure that everything is included.
Understanding can't be focused. Distraction can make the work easier, it builds momentum. Distraction helps you to not think about what you are doing, so you are content with doing it. There are two ways to clean a burnt pan: taking considerable time and effort to scrub it, or to simply let it soak and return to it later. The first is based on effort, and the second on ease. Postponing action and letting things look after themselves is a win-win. When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Hyper specialization can cause a sort of blindness to the broader picture of what is, based on the view we have of the world and how we operate within it. Don't think about solutions, think about the problem as if the problem were a person, let it speak for itself. Do not confuse preparation with practice. Excessive practice makes you stale.
The power of dreams
Pursue the dreams that come to you and allow them to consume you. Do not seek reason within those dreams, pursue them, allow them, become them. Manifest the dreams within the world, with creativity and focus. "Gold, as alchemists knew, is the fruit of effort". TO make gold, you must go deep and exact from the earth, "Pleasure is effortless and easy, but you must learnt o be happy. Walk the road you are currently on and stick to the journey you have charter to make your own gold.
Dreaming also brings counsel. Good dreams lead to good decisions.
*
Now you know what you have to do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2024
I absolutely loved the message and it was incredibly well timed, but my god this could’ve been an article.
February 7, 2025
This is just a collaboration of stories of famous French people who became successful by trying really really hard for decades until it LOOKED like they were not trying hard.
So yeah, good luck to the rest of you peasants who came here to learn more about the easy going French lifestyle, because that’s not what this book is.
This is why I’m not an author. I can’t waste 300 pages just to write that success requires hard-work.
So yeah, good luck to the rest of you peasants who came here to learn more about the easy going French lifestyle, because that’s not what this book is.
This is why I’m not an author. I can’t waste 300 pages just to write that success requires hard-work.
April 8, 2024
Terrible, I didn’t even finish it completely. It started of Great in the intro but the point was lost so quickly, through so many unnecessary métaphores and was overall very uncaptivating and boring. So many sports analogies you could tell it was written my a man and honestly not very enlightening.
April 29, 2025
réflexion intéressante sur l'action, les rêves et comment les atteindre. toutefois les exemples employés et les inspirations du livre (depardieu par exemple) m'ont laissée perplexe. globalement, le livre dit : si tu veux, agis maintenant sans réfléchir. mais ce n'est pas tant sur la facilité...
June 25, 2021
إذا كنت ترى أى شئ فرنسى آخر سهلا، فهذا الكتاب أيضا سهل
بعض النصائح مفيدة عن التعامل بهدوء الخبير وسلاسة المحترفين مع الأهداف
بعض النصائح مفيدة عن التعامل بهدوء الخبير وسلاسة المحترفين مع الأهداف
January 15, 2024
Little repetitive at some points, but gained perspective
July 31, 2022
Had to wait weeks to receive this work, and was amazed by the philosophical ideas that the author had to expand on. The general idea of not trying too hard is indeed an eye-opening concept.
November 22, 2024
Would read it again. Definitely philosophical, with sometimes more examples as needed but definitely organized and coherent. Feels good reading a different, almost opposite, approach to “achieving”.
August 10, 2023
The title of this book truly makes no sense when paired with the content…as the author stretches what could be summed up in a paragraph or less…into a full book. Also really disliked how strictly masculine the ideas were, even just looking at the people the author mentions in the book….almost entirely male artists, athletic, and academics. One of the first feminine things mentioned was when the author compared him writing to…a woman making a baby while pregnant. Yes you heard that right.
June 25, 2022
As the author says do not try too hard to read this book. The ideas presented in the book will trigger some thinking and that can help change one's approach towards life. Some sections of the book contradict other sections of the book, but overall each chapter as an idea can have an impact on one's day to day activities.
March 31, 2023
the amount of contradictions jesu christu
also half of it just felt like sports commentary lol
also half of it just felt like sports commentary lol
February 20, 2023
not what i expected but got some good points
Read
March 20, 2023DNFed at 54 pages. Some really interesting stories and insights but too heavy and I just couldn’t get into it.
December 30, 2020
Economy of action, flow state, tempo in Chess, these are what immediately came to my mind when reading Pourriol's philosophy. I would say it isn't exactly a French art, but the book is rather like a Daoist handbook with French examples including Zidane and Napoleon.
March 21, 2021
The author himself refers to this book in the conclusion as an airport book. That sums it up well: it's interesting, but not revolutionary or important, full of food for thought and easy to both put down and pick back up.
The ideas on the book are all quite interesting. I didn't always agree with or fully follow the author's arguments. It also felt a bit disjointed to me, and I sometimes felt like I was reading meandering thoughts that weren't really trying to take me anywhere. Sometimes I didn't mind, like when he discussed diving for several pages, and other times I was sure I'd missed a key detail a paragraph or two back.
I feel like this book is vaguely marketed in the same category as all the other ones that romanticize french culture. This is not a book that teaches you to be more french or argues that the french do things better than us anglo-saxons. It's more of a meditation on the french tendency to put in the effort to look effortless. The author cites french artists, athletes, philosophers, etc to build a case study. He offers advice based on the case study. He theorizes on the philosophy behind it all.
I would rate this book a three. It was mostly pleasant, but it was hard to read parts for me. French has a tendency to be less direct than English, and the translation felt like it retained a French style to the prose, which was hard for me to read at times (2020 did not bless my attention span). I would recommend this book specifically to those who like exploring philosophy and french culture, or maybe someone looking for a light read that's heavy on philosophy.
The ideas on the book are all quite interesting. I didn't always agree with or fully follow the author's arguments. It also felt a bit disjointed to me, and I sometimes felt like I was reading meandering thoughts that weren't really trying to take me anywhere. Sometimes I didn't mind, like when he discussed diving for several pages, and other times I was sure I'd missed a key detail a paragraph or two back.
I feel like this book is vaguely marketed in the same category as all the other ones that romanticize french culture. This is not a book that teaches you to be more french or argues that the french do things better than us anglo-saxons. It's more of a meditation on the french tendency to put in the effort to look effortless. The author cites french artists, athletes, philosophers, etc to build a case study. He offers advice based on the case study. He theorizes on the philosophy behind it all.
I would rate this book a three. It was mostly pleasant, but it was hard to read parts for me. French has a tendency to be less direct than English, and the translation felt like it retained a French style to the prose, which was hard for me to read at times (2020 did not bless my attention span). I would recommend this book specifically to those who like exploring philosophy and french culture, or maybe someone looking for a light read that's heavy on philosophy.
April 6, 2021
Read the first two chapters and then save yourself! This book could have been a great 3000 word essay. But as it stands as a whole is shit. It is wordy and repetitive, the same point being made in each chapter with different sporting analogies. Also there are some misogynistic undertones. I know nothing of the sports men talked about in this novel, so can't offer an opinion there, however, I can speak on the two artists that we're mentioned. Ollivier (who claimes to be well versed) idolises the lifestyles of both Rodin and Picasso who are known to have actively abused women and children in their lifetimes. It is one thing to talk about their art and talent, it is another to uphold them as great men whose way of life and philosophies are what we should strive to achieve in our own lives, completely ignoring the harm their actions and lifestyles had on those around them. There is no excuse for this. Ollivier later goes on to spend a whole chapter diminishing a teen girl he tutored to make himself look intelligent. It has the exact same vibe of those Tumblr stories that end with 'everybody clapped'. This chapter may be based on a real interaction but the dialogue definitely is not real, I feel so bad for the girl he was writing about, she was reduced to a 'sexy lampshade'.
This whole books feels like an essay you write in highschool when you can't reach the word count. On one page I counted the same point made six times consecutively with slightly different analogies. I'm angry and disappointed, the introduction and first chapter held such promise
This whole books feels like an essay you write in highschool when you can't reach the word count. On one page I counted the same point made six times consecutively with slightly different analogies. I'm angry and disappointed, the introduction and first chapter held such promise
March 23, 2024
This book could have been 50 pages shorter and just as effective. I dont know why the writer insisted on superfluously elaborating on a single idea with 5 iterations over 15 pages at a time. Turning what at first was a mildly enlightening or even sometimes good idea into a repetitive soliloquy.
Some of those good ideas were to allow yourself to follow the paths that you have a natural proclivity for. The path of least resistance. Because if you follow what you have a natural tendency for, you will do these activities with an ease that others would struggle to replicate. His thoughts on the 10,000 hour rule were also enlightening. He mentions that it was discovered in a study of violinists that 10,000 hours for 1 person is not the same as for another. 10,000 hours and a natural talent for the violin goes much further than just 10,000 hours.
i don't like giving books 1 star because to me, it seems excessive. So 2 stars it is.
Some of those good ideas were to allow yourself to follow the paths that you have a natural proclivity for. The path of least resistance. Because if you follow what you have a natural tendency for, you will do these activities with an ease that others would struggle to replicate. His thoughts on the 10,000 hour rule were also enlightening. He mentions that it was discovered in a study of violinists that 10,000 hours for 1 person is not the same as for another. 10,000 hours and a natural talent for the violin goes much further than just 10,000 hours.
i don't like giving books 1 star because to me, it seems excessive. So 2 stars it is.
September 22, 2022
This book taught me everything and nothing all at once. It was a book that I read over the course of six months, unable to put it down once I’d picked it up but then needing to take lengthy breaks to digest. If there are two things I got out of the book it was, the art of not trying too hard, involves trying too hard and the French are slightly mad. However on a more serious note, there were philosophical moments that provided clarity and practical tips that I’ll be taking into my day to day life. The book left me wanting to commend my mum for doing a philosophy degree, because I would simply go mad.
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November 3, 2024This book was published in 2018 with the English translation published in 2020. I purchased this new for Elisa, my francophile. Of course I love reading these books too, so I read it while I was at her house this past week. It differs from the usual French style books in that it is written by an academic philosopher who admits that it is an airport book and not an academic one. It basically describes doing and accomplishing things effortlessly by feeling and not thinking through things one is attempting to do. He uses several examples of accomplished people to illustrate this approach to living and doing. An enjoyable read.
December 19, 2021
Unoriginal, repetitive, misguiding, confusing, a bore. Gave up after about 55 pages in.
July 7, 2022
Did not finished. Got halfway through and called it. It just rambles on and on every chapter. Despite the title, it’s trying too hard to talk about not trying too hard. 😂
July 15, 2024
I just stopped reading The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard by Ollivier Pourriol, and unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. Despite an intriguing premise, the book fell short in several key areas.
Firstly, I found the book exceedingly boring. The writing style did not engage me, and I struggled to maintain interest throughout the chapters. What promised to be a refreshing exploration of French philosophy and culture turned into a tedious read.
Moreover, the book felt overly long. It seemed to drag on, with each chapter blending into the next without a clear progression or development of ideas. The pacing was slow, making it difficult to stay focused and motivated to continue.
Another significant issue was the repetitive information. Pourriol often reiterated the same points without offering new insights or perspectives. This redundancy made the book feel stagnant, as if it was circling around the same concepts without moving forward.
Overall, The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard did not resonate with me. While the idea behind the book had potential, the execution left much to be desired. The lack of engagement, excessive length, and repetitive content made it a challenging and unfulfilling read. If you are looking for a captivating and insightful book on French philosophy or culture, I would suggest exploring other options.
Firstly, I found the book exceedingly boring. The writing style did not engage me, and I struggled to maintain interest throughout the chapters. What promised to be a refreshing exploration of French philosophy and culture turned into a tedious read.
Moreover, the book felt overly long. It seemed to drag on, with each chapter blending into the next without a clear progression or development of ideas. The pacing was slow, making it difficult to stay focused and motivated to continue.
Another significant issue was the repetitive information. Pourriol often reiterated the same points without offering new insights or perspectives. This redundancy made the book feel stagnant, as if it was circling around the same concepts without moving forward.
Overall, The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard did not resonate with me. While the idea behind the book had potential, the execution left much to be desired. The lack of engagement, excessive length, and repetitive content made it a challenging and unfulfilling read. If you are looking for a captivating and insightful book on French philosophy or culture, I would suggest exploring other options.
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