A Light Look...

Make no mistake. Olliver has lived in France and has enjoyed (what some would call) an affluent lifestyle. Her comparisons of French women to their American counterpart is probably not diverse enough for some tastes. She does a lot of generalizing. That said, I mostly enjoyed the book. I was also dealing with the aftermath of the flu at the time of reading, and appreciated a light, kind of silly book to read. If you are looking for a bit of girly French culture, snuggle up with this book, you'll enjoy it. Don't expect a totally fair, balanced peek of the French. Olliver covers fashion/style, relationships, family life, eating out, social gatherings, even a few tidbits on dating.

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I have some mixed feelings

This book can be fun, yes, but it also is a bit irritating. It is one in a long line of books that tells us repeatedly that the worst European is inherently superior than the best American; that all Americans are shallow, unsophisticated, uneducated, and completely incapable of being even the slightest bit introspective.
Her French friends mostly come off as obnoxious and smug (oh how stereotypically French smugness is though, isn't it?) and frankly I don't know why an American would be friends with people who so obviously loathe America and Americans.
Granted there are parts with which I do agree. I really hate the way dieting and self-torture are exalted in our culture. I also hate that many people cannot separate between who someone is and what they do for a living. I also know I am not the only American who would much rather discuss literature or politics than whatever diet is so popular these days. Yes there is a wee little segment (about one page) in which she lists what the French girl admires about the American girl, it hardly makes up for page after page of how we are just simply inferior by birth into this culture.

At least we don't sell arms to our enemies.

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I gobbled this up (how un-French of me!)

What a fabulous and fun little book! I find myself thinking now "How would a French woman do/handle/eat/wear this?" Anything that gives me pause and reminds me that I could be a little more contemplative and refined certainly helps more that hurts, considering the normal chaos of my life.

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