Almost French: A Life Of Fanfare And Faux Pas

by Louis Jansen van Vuuren

When the artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren first visited Paris he could never have imagined that he would end up owning a château in rural France. Almost French is the highly entertaining account of his induction over the past 21 years into all things French: snooty waiters, high-brow countesses, numerous faux pas with the French language and of course, several encounters with the infamous French bureaucracy.
Turning the dilapidated château into a boutique hotel with his life partner, Hardy Olivier, required patience and perseverance. Many lessons were learnt the hard way. Four heaters are not enough to heat an entire château and they will blow your power supply.

And practising your French is a must. On a visit to the butcher, Louis asked for “sheep socks” when he was after leg of lamb. Talk about butchering the lamb!

Louis interweaves the stories about his life in France with fascinating snippets of history, culture and tradition. A must for all Francophiles.

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2020

Reviews

[Julia Kerr Henkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Heart warming and entertaining read which induced big bouts of envy and long-to-return-to-France in me - I too want to be a Francophile living in a restored chateau! Wonderful to visit La creuzette’s website to see what a magnificent boutique hotel Louis and Hardy created.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed the hardcover edition of "Feestelike Frankryk" (Festive France) several years ago in South Africa, I was pleased to find the audiobook "Almost French" on my local library's digital shelf here in small-town America. I have laughed out loud several times and thoroughly enjoyed this unique South African expat experience. I was delighted to discover that I shared the same hometown as the author, Louis Jansen van Vuuren, and even attended the same high school.

[Thomas Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hardly serious or brilliant literature, but a fun little South African memoir of two decades spent cultivating the good life in France.

[Shishira · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enough read about an upscale life in the heart of France as a foreign couple.