Just ok.

I have never been to Paris or anywhere in France for that matter. This book took me there!!! I also enjoyed the journey with the two main characters of Isabel and Roxy. Isabel was naive and a bit self absorbed. Roxy was timid and depressed but evolving into something more beautiful. It wasn't deep or profound in any way but it was a great escape book! Something to read on a rainy weekend...

I don't remember a lot from this book except a narrow staircase to an apartment. p.s. in real life Le'divorce Le'sucks!!!!

I'm happy to be done with Isabel, a spoiled Southern California blonde in France trying to gain sophistication and style through male approval and observation of the Parisian woman. Very good narrator and an excellent read for those who speak French. Diane Johnson is an excellent craftsman but I didn't care much for the main character.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I knew French. All the untranslated phrases really drove me crazy. As it is, I think this may be one of the few cases where I enjoyed the movie more than the book.

I found the narrator's chattiness incredibly irritating, "chick lit meets travel writing" poorly disguised as a comedy of manners. Despite all its reminders to the reader of its literary ambitions, the effort does not succeed and comes off as pretentious and overly ambitious instead. Perhaps I'd think differently of this book were I 16 and not 26, but as it is, I dared to open its pages after social and literary maturity struck.

I am conflicted about this book. On one hand, I am morally repulsed by it, but on the other hand, I am philosophically fascinated by it. The fact that I lived in France for awhile enhances my fascination with this book. Although most of the characters live immoral lives, the story does an accurate job of juxtaposing Californians and Parisians. Note that I am specific about the regions. We can not judge the French by Parisians just as we can not judge Americans by New Yorkers, or Californians. Those from the South of France where I lived, were more accepting and loving towards Americans. The Parisians have this attitude that they are superior and get angry with Americans who don't agree with them. The author does a great job of juxtaposing three groups: Parisians, American expatriates living in Paris, and the American tourist. It analyzes our stereotypes of the French and their stereotypes of us. If you can get past the immorality, it is fascinating to ponder this clash of cultures and ideologies.

I'm not finished yet, but so far, this has been a great disappointment.

I read this while on vacation in Prauge and it had some fascinating things to say about the way Americans behave in Europe. Very interesting to read while I was in that particular role.

This is worse than fluff. Too trite to even be a beach read. 179 pages in and all that had happened is a girl comes to Paris to help her sister (who's pregnant) through her divorce and ends up having an affair with her estranged brother-in-law's uncle. That's it. And then somewhere around page 248, the author decides "oh yeah, let's make this more of a story than a girl who sleeps with an old guy". And she tries to throw in some international mystery and come up with crap about a murder and a porcelein smuggling ring(?). Complete crap. And this was a national book award finalist?!

I am obsessed.

This book was a step up from the Marley and Me prose. Infinitely better than the movie. I tried to re-watch it after reading this and I couldn't make it through. As always, read the book!

read for bookclub, july-august 2003