Comments on: Book Review: The French Cafe, by Marie-France Boyer http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/ The Art of Living Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:21:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: My Inner French Girl http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-210 My Inner French Girl Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:03:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-210 Bonjour, Randal! I do like reading academic books, but I have to be in the right frame of mind for it. I still plan to read the French cafe tome, but perhaps in the new year rather than over the holidays. ;-)<br/><br/>My husband and I make a good team: he takes gorgeous landscape shots, while I do a pretty good job with people. When we had our wedding photo biz, however, he ended up taking tons of gorgeous people shots. <br/><br/>I like looking at Paris landscapes, including those haunting B&W photos of gates, empty streets at dusk, street lights, etc. There's something about the composition of certain photos absent of people, you know, where the impact is even more powerful <i>because</i> of the palpable emptiness of the image. Other non-peopled photos just look barren, but a few still hum with humanity even without actual humans in them.<br/><br/>Salut,<br/>Marjorie Bonjour, Randal! I do like reading academic books, but I have to be in the right frame of mind for it. I still plan to read the French cafe tome, but perhaps in the new year rather than over the holidays. ;-)

My husband and I make a good team: he takes gorgeous landscape shots, while I do a pretty good job with people. When we had our wedding photo biz, however, he ended up taking tons of gorgeous people shots.

I like looking at Paris landscapes, including those haunting B&W photos of gates, empty streets at dusk, street lights, etc. There’s something about the composition of certain photos absent of people, you know, where the impact is even more powerful because of the palpable emptiness of the image. Other non-peopled photos just look barren, but a few still hum with humanity even without actual humans in them.

Salut,
Marjorie

]]> By: Randal Graves http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-196 Randal Graves Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:57:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-196 I don't want to disparage the writer, because the sections that aren't completely saturated with statistics <em>are</em> good, but it's certainly not an anecdotal, here's-a-cool-story kind of thing.<br/><br/>I suppose I'm more like your husband - maybe it's a man thing, Tinkertoys and Erector sets - but I think that stems from needing 'clutter'-free photos so I can steal details when I'm writing. <br/><br/>Of course, there are times where the people are necessary and are the perfect compliment to a piece of architecture, so maybe I don't know what the hell I'm talking about after all. :) I don’t want to disparage the writer, because the sections that aren’t completely saturated with statistics are good, but it’s certainly not an anecdotal, here’s-a-cool-story kind of thing.

I suppose I’m more like your husband – maybe it’s a man thing, Tinkertoys and Erector sets – but I think that stems from needing ‘clutter’-free photos so I can steal details when I’m writing.

Of course, there are times where the people are necessary and are the perfect compliment to a piece of architecture, so maybe I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about after all. :)

]]> By: My Inner French Girl http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-194 My Inner French Girl Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:03:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-194 Randal,<br/><br/>Bonjour! You know, while I was looking up various cafe-related books the other day, I came across that one you mentioned and bookmarked it for future review. I'm sorry to find out that it wasn't so hot, as it sounded so intriguing! I guess the title alone should have been a dead giveaway -- anytime you have a time period mentioned in the title in terms of years, chances are an academic wrote it (probably as a dissertation or journal article!). <br/><br/>Can't stand photobooks of any place that don't include people. My hubby loves to photograph landscapes, and of course I love <i>his</i> photos, but I'm more of a people-watcher myself so I like my art to be <i>populated</i>. Otherwise, the books tend to be too static and cold for me. <br/><br/>Salut,<br/>Marjorie Randal,

Bonjour! You know, while I was looking up various cafe-related books the other day, I came across that one you mentioned and bookmarked it for future review. I’m sorry to find out that it wasn’t so hot, as it sounded so intriguing! I guess the title alone should have been a dead giveaway — anytime you have a time period mentioned in the title in terms of years, chances are an academic wrote it (probably as a dissertation or journal article!).

Can’t stand photobooks of any place that don’t include people. My hubby loves to photograph landscapes, and of course I love his photos, but I’m more of a people-watcher myself so I like my art to be populated. Otherwise, the books tend to be too static and cold for me.

Salut,
Marjorie

]]> By: My Inner French Girl http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-193 My Inner French Girl Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-193 Bonjour, CC, and thanks for visiting! I read <i>Paris to the Moon</i> about a year or so ago and absolutely loved it. I think it's my favorite Paris book. I'm sorry that you're not enjoying it very much, though! I found it to be beautifully written; it gave such a human, intimate look at life in Paris and the personalities who inhabit it. I also wish I could <i>write</i> like Adam Gopnik!<br/><br/>Salut,<br/>Marjorie Bonjour, CC, and thanks for visiting! I read Paris to the Moon about a year or so ago and absolutely loved it. I think it’s my favorite Paris book. I’m sorry that you’re not enjoying it very much, though! I found it to be beautifully written; it gave such a human, intimate look at life in Paris and the personalities who inhabit it. I also wish I could write like Adam Gopnik!

Salut,
Marjorie

]]> By: My Inner French Girl http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-192 My Inner French Girl Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:58:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-192 Bonjour, LBR! Thank you for the compliment! I'm trying to figure out a set schedule for posting so that I don't spend too much time figuring out what to write each time. I'm thinking of devoting Wednesdays to book reviews, which not only takes care of the problem of <i>what</i> to write, but it also allows me to indulge in my favorite pastime: reading!<br/><br/>I loved the description in that link about La Closerie des Lilas. Do you think you'll go when you're in Paris? I can't even imagine what it would be like to sit in a place where the likes of Gertrude Stein and Hemingway hung out. I wish we had something like that in our town!<br/><br/>Salut,<br/>Marjorie Bonjour, LBR! Thank you for the compliment! I’m trying to figure out a set schedule for posting so that I don’t spend too much time figuring out what to write each time. I’m thinking of devoting Wednesdays to book reviews, which not only takes care of the problem of what to write, but it also allows me to indulge in my favorite pastime: reading!

I loved the description in that link about La Closerie des Lilas. Do you think you’ll go when you’re in Paris? I can’t even imagine what it would be like to sit in a place where the likes of Gertrude Stein and Hemingway hung out. I wish we had something like that in our town!

Salut,
Marjorie

]]> By: Randal Graves http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-186 Randal Graves Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:41:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-186 Now this is a book I could get into! As much as love the idea of the café, the only book I've read dedicated to that was Scott Haine's <em>The World of the Paris Café: Sociability among the French Working Class, 1789-1914</em>, and while extremely informative and well-written, that's more of a dry, scholarly work.<br/><br/>And, MIFG, you're right, you really <em>don't</em> see humans in most photobooks of Paris. That's one beautiful ghost town. :) Now this is a book I could get into! As much as love the idea of the café, the only book I’ve read dedicated to that was Scott Haine’s The World of the Paris Café: Sociability among the French Working Class, 1789-1914, and while extremely informative and well-written, that’s more of a dry, scholarly work.

And, MIFG, you’re right, you really don’t see humans in most photobooks of Paris. That’s one beautiful ghost town. :)

]]> By: Colleen http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Colleen Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:38:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-185 The book Paris to the Moon was fab. The book Paris to the Moon was fab.

]]> By: Cassoulet Cafe http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-184 Cassoulet Cafe Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:30:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-184 Great Post! And you KNOW I'd love it! :)<br/>I'm reading Paris to the Moon right now. Have you read it? I should say I'm "trying" to read it. I keep putting it down.<br/>:( Great Post! And you KNOW I’d love it! :)
I’m reading Paris to the Moon right now. Have you read it? I should say I’m “trying” to read it. I keep putting it down.
:(

]]> By: La Belette Rouge http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/2007/11/28/book-review-the-french-cafe-by-marie-france-boyer/comment-page-1/#comment-183 La Belette Rouge Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:44:00 +0000 http://www.myinnerfrenchgirl.com/?p=65#comment-183 Bonour, Marjorie!!<br/>I love the book reviews you have been doing. This book sounds great. A fantastic resouce for all the writing in France we will be doing. La Closerie des Lilas sounds fantastic ( check out the link http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/D41307.html)<br/>Merci for the post. Bonour, Marjorie!!
I love the book reviews you have been doing. This book sounds great. A fantastic resouce for all the writing in France we will be doing. La Closerie des Lilas sounds fantastic ( check out the link http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/D41307.html)
Merci for the post.

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