I loved loved loved Mireille Guiliano‘s debut book, French Women Don’t Get Fat. First of all, I’m always enamored over book titles that tell you exactly what the contents are and don’t beat around the bush, yet still manage to sound catchy and memorable. How much more memorable can it be when you throw in the two most potent phrases American women have heard in the last few years? French Women and Don’t Get Fat. One evokes luxury, elegance, beauty, the other one is a literal command, one we tell ourselves everyday when we look in the mirror (regardless of what we may actually look like).
The original book sold millions of copies, landed on the New York Times Bestsellers List, spun off 42 foreign editions, and was translated into 37 languages. Mme. Guiliano herself has been on Oprah, featured in countless magazine and newspaper articles, and more recently contributed a chapter in a charming, newly published book called — what else — Parisiennes: A Celebration of French Women. She’s raised the profile of Veuve Clicquot, the venerable champagne, and for whose US subsidiary she serves as the CEO; she’s also senior executive of its parent company, LVMH.
In other words, this Frenchwoman’s been busy.
It was with much anticipation that I awaited her next book, French Women for All Seasons, a follow-up to the smash bestseller. I wondered what she could possibly write about that she hadn’t already covered in the first book, but I did hope that it would be filled with more in-depth tips on living life a la francaise, enjoying food and all other sensual pleasures the world offers to the fullest, maybe advice thrown in on how to really tie a scarf.
Well, she didn’t disappoint (and yes, there are step-by-step instructions on the many ways Frenchwomen tie scarves), but I’ll admit that the first time I read it, I only got through the first few pages before putting it away. It’s quite different from the first book in that it’s more of a philosophy of life rather than a specific diet book. And yes, I realize that the first one never was meant to be a “diet book,” and numerous reviews pointed out the same, referring to it as a lifestyle rather than a specific weight loss regimen. However, when you title a book French Women Don’t Get Fat, and then you create an online program to supplement its precepts on how to lose weight and keep it off the French way, then yeah, one could argue that it is, in essence, a diet book.
I picked up French Women for All Seasons again recently, however, thinking that at the very least perhaps I could review it for this blog and maybe, just maybe, glean a few more tips on how to tap my inner French girl. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to discover that it’s exactly what the first book was intended to be — a lifestyle book — filled with observations, ruminations, meditations, on life as a Frenchwoman, and gentle advice on how you too can live a more intensely felt, joyous and reflective life, no matter where you live, what you look like, and what you do.
The book is divided into four sections, each representing a particular season (hence, the title), and each providing rich details on how to make the most of what nature offers in such abundance during that particular time of the year. There are plenty of recipes, most of which are relatively easy to prepare (including the Farfalle with Edamame that I wrote about in a previous post) and don’t require too many exotic ingredients. In addition, Mme. Guiliano adds some bonus chapters, including an entire section on wine (bien sur, given her day job) and one on the more unusual foods that the French eat (including escargots and calf’s liver).
I’ve always enjoyed Mme.’s writing style — it’s breezy, but not irreverent, and she obviously relishes the English language, as her paragraphs have the same leisurely quality with which she lives her life. She lingers over each subject almost obsessively, whether she’s talking about exercise or champagne or chestnuts, as if she’s anxious to impart the exact sensations she herself feels when she indulges in these activities and foods. She’s also styled the book partly as a memoir, offering the reader very sensual, delightful descriptions of her upbringing on an orchard, where her father kept bees to extract the most delicious honey, and where maman would create the most perfect preserves and desserts from the bounty of the annual harvests.
Some may criticize her for being too leisurely with the text — impatient types who want their diet book crammed with bullet points and specific
exercises will be disappointed, as this is not a book to be rushed, but rather to be savored, much like life itself, perhaps with a glass of wine and a square or two of some excellent chocolate. Mme. Guiliano’s book offers a more intimate glimpse into l’art de vivre as practiced by a real Frenchwoman, one whose world revolves around more than just the number on a scale or the size of a dress, but rather around the pleasures of the table, the greengrocer, the wine cave, and the earth.
Perhaps the one criticism I have of her book is that it depicts a rather upper-class lifestyle that may be unattainable to many, many middle-class women juggling jobs, kids, friends, family, and husbands. If you live in a suburban or inner-city area and don’t have ready access to organic, locally grown produce, not to mention plentiful sidewalks and independent retail shops, it can be difficult to follow her advice on exercise and using the freshest ingredients in your cooking. And of course, in America quality goods always cost much more than their mass-produced counterparts, so you may have to satisfy your tastebuds with Hershey’s Special Dark (which really isn’t dark chocolate, given that it’s first ingredient is still sugar) and conventionally grown, perhaps even limp produce from Safeway. No amount of budgeting can make up for the fact that organic produce can cost many times more than their conventional counterparts, and wines can be an expensive luxury (even at $10/bottle) for budget-conscious families.
Nevertheless, this book offers a much better, more detailed entree into the life of a Frenchwoman, more so than Mme. Guiliano’s more diet-oriented first book. It’s less instructive and more philosophical, and anyone interested in tapping their inner French girl will find this volume a useful and enjoyable read. Even without Madame’s wealth and big-city benefits, anyone can find valuable advice on how to live the very best life that you can, regardless of your individual circumstances.
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{ 15 comments }
Bonjour, Marjorie
Great post! You have made a convert of me.
I collect all the French chic lit books I can find. I have read “Entre Nous” over and over. I treasure Susan Sommer’s book like it is a classic first edition of Gutenberg’s bible. All that said, I am not sure why Mirielle’s first book rubbed me the wrong way. I think you may have touched on one of the reasons. She claims it isn’t a diet book and then recommends a leek soup fast. It may have just been where I was at the time, but I found some of her ideas about food almost bordering on disordered eating. Again, this is just my take on it and where I was at the time.( When I was reading it, I was working anorexic women who would allow themselves only 2 or 3 bites of something and would live on regimes similar to Mirielle’s leek soup plan).
I am not a fan of diets; I feel like the diet industry that is in a great part responsible for creating the American obesity epidemic. (I am currently reading a great and horrifying book that illuminates this point in great scientific detail by Taubes, called “Good Calories, Bad Calories”).
I think the reason French women don’t get fat is that they eat meals instead of snack (Mirielle says as much). They don’t, as a rule, eat processed foods. Corn syrup isn’t in everything they eat. They walk instead of taking cars. All and all, it is a very different culture of food. But, as has recently been reported, French women are starting to get fat.
Even though I didn’t love it, I kept Mirielle’s first book and never read it again. And, when I heard about the second book I passed on purchasing it. However, after reading your review, this second book sounds like what I had hoped the first one would have been. A French philosophy of life and a handbook of the art de vivre is a must have for my French chic collection. Thanks, Marjorie, for this review. I am off to find a used copy on Amazon.com, as I do not have Mme. Guiliano’s income—yet
Hi there,
I just stumbled upon your blog and must say I love it! I spent my childhood in Europe and moved to the States to attend high school and now college. The European lifestyle is very different than the american one and your blog captures it perfectly! Such a pleasure to read.
I am a little sceptical about purchasing these two books but with your review, I might just give it a shot. Definitely sounds interesting.
I’ve done many years of study about the French lifestyle with food and diet. It seems that even if one can afford market produce, organic goods and the time for an occasional walk around the block it is not enough. The most difficult thing for me–and I assume for others–has been to change my lifestyle and to slow down. How can I slow down? How can I work less than 10 hours a day, come home cook dinner(even the small ones), sit at the table and enjoy a meal with all the other things I need to do–and I don’t have children. It’s the lifestyle I need to change and it is proving difficult. So with all of these wonderful books about French women, lifestyle, and food the bottom line for me isn’t with food or diet but the combination of those with a hurried life. The books do prove to be inspirational. Maybe we should move to France to change our lifestyle and lose weight. Now that’s an idea…
I enjoyed her first book and am interested in the second. But in my case, the French lifestyle is not THAT much more relaxing than the American one. I work a lot and my husband, who owns a small consulting business, works even more. The kids’ long school days and activities keep us running. Many of my (French)colleagues have started eating in half an hour at work rather than taking a leisurely break. And this is in the countryside!
LBR,
Merci for visiting! You know, I actually sold Susan Sommers’ book on eBay a couple of years ago. I have Entre Nous and consider it an essential part of my French Chic library, but I couldn’t get past the dated photos in Sommers’ book.
I recognize, though, that many find it very useful, and I sometimes wish I hadn’t been so hasty in unloading it!
I hate diets myself. I don’t like feeling deprived, and quite frankly, it’s an alien concept for me, having spent a great part of my life in Asia, where food deprivation is an unavoidable consequence of poverty, not a deliberate choice made because of overabundance. Mostly, though, I’ve found that depriving myself of anything I really enjoy only sets myself up for failure later on.
I prefer the 2nd book over the first, precisely for the reasons I listed in the review. She only mentions the leek recipe a handful of times, and specifically focuses more on living in tune with the seasons, regardless of where you are. I liked that aspect of it, as sometimes in the freezing dark of winter it can be difficult to feel chic, so it’s both consoling and inspiring to read about how one chic Frenchwoman adjusts her schedule, cooking, exercise, diet, and clothing choices to harmonize with the rhythms of time and life.
If you have access to a good library, you can probably get it fairly easily. It’s not nearly as popular as the first book (probably because most people want an instruction manual, which this book isn’t), so you likely won’t have to put yourself on a waiting list for it.
I’d love to hear your take on it!
Salut,
Marjorie
Bonjour, Tanya, and merci beaucoup for visiting my blog!
I really appreciate your very kind comments. I’ve only ever been to England, Ireland and Sweden, never the Continent itself, so I can’t even pretend to know what real, on-the-ground life is like in France. However, I do think that the French lifestyle that so many American women (and many men!) idealize is just that: an ideal, and to me there’s nothing wrong with trying to pursue an ideal, especially if the end result is a more beautiful, more meaningful, and more authentic life, regardless of whether one is in France, America, China, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, or South Africa.
I love the philosophy behind the French l’art de vivre, so that’s the inspiration from which I draw a lot of my ideas on how to live my life. I may not always succeed, but one thing I find the more I read and learn about French life and French women, is that there are plenty of role models from which to choose, that Catherine Deneuve isn’t the only French icon worth emulating. I personally love Charlotte Gainsbourg, as I find her bohemian outlook much more in tune with my own life philosophy.
If you have a chance, check out the books from your local public library before deciding on whether or not to add them to your personal library. I personally would choose the 2nd book over the first, but mostly because I like the philosophical/memoir-like style of the former. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more instructive, the 1st book might be better for you.
Have a lovely Sunday!
Salut,
Marjorie
Bonjour, Colleen! Thank you so much for stopping by.
Coincidentally, I came across your blog the other day, possibly through someone else’s, and really enjoy reading it! I’m partial to the blogs of thinking women everywhere, especially if they’re Francophiles.
I think you’ve touched on an issue that lies at the heart of many a woman’s difficulty in living life a la francaise. I have a very long response to it, so if you don’t mind, I think I’ll do it in the form of a post tomorrow. I do think that one must remember what many say about Frenchwomen, i.e., that they consider themselves works-in-progress for quite a while — well into their thirties, if not beyond. Not being able to live up to an ideal doesn’t necessarily make one a failure, or should lead one to surrender to one’s circumstances. No one has much free time — see Betty C.’s insightful comment above — the trick, I think, is to make small (even tiny!) changes, a little at a time.
Thank you so much for bringing this up! You just gave me a great idea for a post, and one that touches on a lot of the things I’ve been ruminating in my head lately. And oh, I almost forgot — I just received La Vie en Rose via Netflix just the other day and was planning on watching it this week and reviewing it here on Friday. Coincidence!
Have a great Sunday!
Salut,
Marjorie
Betty C., it’s funny that you should mention that, as I was just thinking this morning about how lunch hours have been shortened in many industries and countries. My hubby gets 30 minutes, and often not even that if there are a lot of patients waiting for their exams.
It’s sad that the traditional French lifestyle is becoming less and less a reality for even the most rural French residents. There’s a movement called Take Back Your Time that enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight following the publication of a book by the same name a few years ago, but it lost momentum rather quickly. (Probably because it was mostly volunteer-run, and you know how busy people get…ha ha, the irony.)
I do find it heartening that there are enough people out there (such as those reading these many French-inspired blogs) who believe in the ideal and who try to resist the pressures of our modern times. I don’t necessarily think that will slow down the rest of the world, but we can do our best to carve out whatever time we can to devote to our individual leisurely pursuits, even if only for a short while.
Salut,
Marjorie
Ah yes, la vie Francaise. It is changing, n’est pas?! It is unfortunate that moving forward as a society(French or American)sometimes gravitates toward the negative aspects. A long topic with many viewpoints and an exponential amount of answers.
BTW, thanks for reading my blog. I appreciate it!
I found Mirielle’s first book a diet book – pure and simple. I have yet to see the second.
That said, I do like her. Having seen her on TV with Oprah I find her charming yet , in the business world I bet she is very headstrong and tough. That is not a bad thing by the way.
There are alot of fat women in Paris and around the world. If women are not worrying about their weight then its the wrinkles and I blame advertising on all this . We are bombarded with images on how we should look like and what you should do or take to get this result. You cannot drive on a road or pick up a magazine and the TV – full of ads telling us what to be and have and if you don’t you are not being a good mother, wife teenager etc – no wonder we are stressed and eating like hell – or in some cases – not eating at all.
I do not have the answer to this , I do not think anyone has as the world would really have to change and lets face it, on the whole , we all hate change. I do! LOL
Oh, I LOVE That woman, and I love your blog. I just found it, but…where has it been all my life? Us francophiles really must stick together
Bonjour, Colleen! Oui, change is painful at times, but fortunately what one does have control over is how one reacts to whatever changes are happening around her. I’m still working on that part and having patience (more so now than when I was younger!) helps a lot
.
And merci beaucoup for being so kind as to reference my own blog in yours! As Rebekka mentions above, we Francophiles really must stick together!
Salut,
Marjorie
Dear LadyJicky,
Bonjour, and thank you so much for visiting my blog!
I agree with you — I don’t care for all the distressing ads that we are constantly bombarded with, particularly those that speak so harshly to the most intimate parts of ourselves: our bodies, our relationships, our looks. I can’t say that I’m immune to them, but I do try to avoid exposure to them as much as possible (I don’t read Cosmo, I avoid television programs with degrading depictions of women, etc.). When something is unavoidable, it helps to have a sense of humor (as a sense of outrage only increases my blood pressure — tres mal for beauty, non?).
I guess if there’s one thing I would recommend is to cultivate a patience for change, for as the old saying goes, that’s really the only thing you can count on in life. And most importantly, cultivate patience towards yourself. Frenchwomen are known for seeing themselves as “works in progress,” and don’t beat themselves up for being less than perfect (which isn’t an ideal, but rather something subjective that changes with each person, IMHO).
You’re right, no one has all the answers, or even some of them. But I’d like to think that, as women in particular who face many of the same issues as our sisters around the globe, we can help each other out in fighting the negativity that surrounds us, supporting each other’s triumphs and dreams, and offering our experiences and lessons learned when appropriate. Men have done it for centuries; why not women, who are so good at developing and nurturing friendships?
Thank you again for visiting! I really do appreciate your comments!
Salut,
Marjorie
Bonjour, Rebekka, and welcome! Thank you so much for visiting my site and for your very kind comments!
Oui, we definitely must support and find each other. I’ve met so many lovely people in the Francophile corner of the blogosphere, really smart, friendly, creative, and super-talented people. I’m so glad to “meet” you and find your blog. By the way, is that you in that photo kissing that cute guy in your 11/19/2007 post about the vineyard? Love your outfit!!
Salut,
Marjorie
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