The plane has touched down at Charles de Gaulle!
It is at last time to begin a bookish tour of France via the Paris in July blog event. What better way to begin than with a glimpse into French culture?
Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding
Her Inner French Girl by Debra Ollivier
I happened upon this book while randomly browsing to see if there were any great French books that weren't yet on my list for Paris In July. I was intrigued by this book, but my expectation was that it would be a cute fluffy quick read. Au contrair, mon ami!
My idea that this would be a silly book derived from the belief that the very concept of the book was impossible. To say that all French women are a certain way is to objectify a stereotype. But the author addresses this misconception immediately, when in the preface she states that the book is about archetypes, not stereotypes.
"The archetypal French girl is...a distillation of of her culture's complex and enduring predilections: She is an essense, a way of being, a mindset - and she exists in us all. She is that part of us that is free and not bound by the joyless strings of Puritan morality or guilt. She is that part of us that does not want to live according to what others think she should be. She is her own woman. Entirely.""Entre Nous" covers every facet of life - body image, fashion & makeup, shopping & cuisine, home decor, relationships, traditions, holidays, employment. The author describes a woman who is reserved but passionate, frugal but tasteful, tempered but extravagant. The author presents a woman who creates art with food, who is fiercely loyal to family, who is comfortable in her own skin.
It is a lifestyle and mindset that is the antithesis of its American counterpart. The book made me ponder why we (Americans) so mindlessly accept what has been presented to us as the ideal. "The French are preoccupied with food and sex, and Anglo-Saxons with work and money," the author says. The American lifestyle is a pursuit of bigger-better-faster-more. The French, on the other hand, glorify aesthetics. They appreciate the sensual beauty of things. They honor their history and their traditions. They cultivate their relationships.
Perhaps this is a sweeping generalization but it is one that the author presents with convincing evidence. (Incidentally, she married a Frenchman and lived in France for 10 years.)
The author led me to wonder if I am who I am only because of the country I was born in. And I also wonder if I would be a little more comfortable and a whole lot happier if I embraced the author's concept of the French lifestyle?
"In many ways, the archetypal French girl is a counterpoint to our world. To unleash her, we don't have to act French or (God forbid) pretend to be French. But we might want to rethink our values. Reject certain aspects of the status quo. Reposition ourselves against the currents that pull us away from our own center."In addition, almost every page features a highlighted box with brief bios of famous French women, book summaries, movie synopses, quotes, historical trivia, recipes, menus, and additional musings by the author.
"Entre Nous" is a book to get lost in. I could spend weeks mulling over the author's philosophy, lingering over the evocative descriptions, and perusing all the information in the highlighted boxes. I borrowed the book from the library, but I certainly plan to purchase my own copy so I can spend more time with it.
AND it was the perfect book to prepare me to be immersed in all things French for the next month!
RATING
Hurrah! I have to admit, we felt much more like we belonged when we lived in Paris. Their values in life just gel with my own. Although England will always be my home we're just far too uptight and place far too much value, like you said, on work and...money....
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great book to take with me to the beach! I'm really interested to see what the author discusses. I agree that we do "generalize" French women as a whole, but there is a reason for those generalizations. I have a dear friend in France who is, to me, your typical French woman, always looking lovely with makeup and a heels when she goes out :) Thanks for bringing this book to my attention!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think I'd like to be French without really being French... but I think I'd enjoy this book a lot!
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend the book. Hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds very interesting. I'll definitely put this on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading this book and posting about it. I admit that I had previously dismissed it as too fluffy, but now I must read it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. A fun book that deals with this topic in novel form is Kissing Adrian by Siri L Mitchell. The story also addresses cultural attitudes toward spirituality, which were interesting. Something to consider Madame Orangery!
You know I'm going to have to follow that recommendation, Ms. L!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds delightful - what a wonderful way to start the month!
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