Kissing Adrien
by Siri Mitchell
"Kissing Adrien" has many elements that I avoid in a book. Tacky cover. Chick-litty summary. Published by an inspirational fiction publishing house. BUT...
My friend Jeanne recommended it, and she has impeccable taste. Books, movies, music, art, fashion, food...if Jeanne says it's good, it is.
My friend Jeanne recommended it, and she has impeccable taste. Books, movies, music, art, fashion, food...if Jeanne says it's good, it is.
ABOUT
The summary from Goodreads, in all its chick-litty horror:
"In this fresh and humorous tale, 29-year-old Claire agrees to supervise the renovation of the Paris apartment her parents have inherited. Ignoring her romantic surroundings, Claire is all-business and in a hurry to return to her job, home, and an "almost dating" relationship with Brian, an associate pastor.
When Adrien, a handsome and flirtatious friend of the family, agrees to help Claire, his spontaneity and joie de vie drives her crazy. But in time, even Claire cannot resist the City of Lights’ offerings, including the Rodin museum where the sculpture The Kiss raises the questions…who will be the love of her life? And will she ever learn to enjoy the life God has placed right in front of her."
"In this fresh and humorous tale, 29-year-old Claire agrees to supervise the renovation of the Paris apartment her parents have inherited. Ignoring her romantic surroundings, Claire is all-business and in a hurry to return to her job, home, and an "almost dating" relationship with Brian, an associate pastor.
When Adrien, a handsome and flirtatious friend of the family, agrees to help Claire, his spontaneity and joie de vie drives her crazy. But in time, even Claire cannot resist the City of Lights’ offerings, including the Rodin museum where the sculpture The Kiss raises the questions…who will be the love of her life? And will she ever learn to enjoy the life God has placed right in front of her."
MY THOUGHTS
Was Jeanne right? Bah oui! Certainment! She was, she is, she always will be. :)
"Kissing Adrien" is simply delightful. It's a masterful blend of cute storytelling and thought-provoking existentialism. Though not "literature," the quality of writing is most certainly superior to the usual "inspirational fiction." The character development and the plot structure are both well done.
I loved Claire - her insecure awkwardness, her snarkiness, her American misconceptions about life. I loved all the descriptions of food and dining and fashion and shopping. I loved how Claire interacted with art, and allowed it to speak to her and teach her. I loved the insights into the Parisian lifestyle - their work ethics, their views on politics and religion, their basic life philosophy.
And just as "Entre Nous" did, "Kissing Adrien" made me question my beliefs and my ideals. I was very impressed with the author's ability to include Christianity in the story without being didactic or conventional.
Claire's religion is about doing what's "right" and avoiding people who do what's "wrong." It's inclusive and judgmental. Adrien's religion is about joie de vivre and beauty and love. It's expansive and curious.
Is what Claire believes the Americanized version, while Adrien's beliefs are the French interpretation? Are they both just influenced by their culture, rather than the Bible? Can religion be influenced by a culture? Should it be?
Though the discussions on religion intrigued me, it was really a small portion of the book. It was just a part of what was involved in Claire's transformation into a woman who was willing to dare to fall in love and pursue her dreams and believe in her own beauty.
RATING
I have to give it a 4 simply because it is so much better than what is typical for this genre.
I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.
Phew. I've still got book cred. :-)
ReplyDeleteI had the same reservations as you did about reading it, but I was really glad I did. It's thoughtful while still being fun, fun, fun.
When the book came out Siri Mitchell spoke at the church I was going to, and she had some interesting (and challenging) things to say. I'll have to dig through my old journals and see if I can find quotes from her to share.
Oh, I would love to hear more about that! I look forward to it. :)
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