Book Reviews

‘The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.’ Alan Bennett

“Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one’s own self.” ― Franz Kafka

Thursday 29 September 2011

French Lessons - Ellen Sussman


‘The only thing that lasts is love, even when it’s gone.’

Three Americans are taking French language tuition from a language school in the city of romance, Paris, and the novel focuses on the events that happen during the course of the same one day as each of them strolls around the city speaking French with their own individual French tutor. In the short opening section of the book, we are briefly introduced to the tutors, Nico, Philippe and Chantal, and we discover a little about the history between the three of them. Then the novel consists of three separate short stories told as the day in Paris unwinds, first for Nico and his new student Josie who has suffered a loss and is on a trip alone that was meant to be for two, then Philippe and Riley, the wife and mother who is in Paris due to her husbands’ job, and finally Chantal and Jeremy, who has spent the week with her whilst his film-star wife shoots a movie, and this is his last day of tuition. The novel concludes with a final short section about the tutors as they meet again at the end of the day.

More character driven than plot driven, the three students of French all have their flaws and they all have different relationship issues, doubts, or problems, and it’s interesting to dip into each of their lives briefly and discover these conflicts. The novel explores different aspects of love, passion and sex, (at one point explicitly), and conveys the confusion and feeling of being lost and looking for direction in life and love.

The ultimate outcome of this day in Paris for all of them seems to be a new clarity and understanding of their situations, gained through the discussions and time spent with these strangers, their tutors. In fact this finding a moment of clarity and decisiveness is true for at least one of the tutors too. 

This is a relatively quick read, it’s fun and a bit of an escape, it tells of love, passion and desire, and it’s enjoyable to hear some famous Parisian sights name-dropped as the pairs move around the city. My favourite story was the first one, about Josie and Nico. I would be interested to see what the author does next.

You can visit the author’s website to find out more. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to release. 

10 comments:

  1. This sounds like a really cute story and I love the cover! I'm really enjoying your blog.

    Megan - www.storybookloveaffair.blogspot.com

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  2. Hi Megan, it's a gorgeous cover isn't it! I had a proof copy which was still pretty but the real cover is lovely.
    I love your blog too!

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  3. Thanks Lindsey.

    Just wondering, how do you go about getting books to review before they are published? I'm pretty new to blogging and I'm not really sure how it all happens... Should I contact publishers or do authors find you on Book Blogs?

    Any help you can give me would be great!

    Thanks!

    Megan - www.storybookloveaffair.blogspot.com

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  4. Hi Megan, I think authors do find you on Book Blogs etc and some offer their works on there espcially self published authors. I got this book because I won a competition on facebook to read and review a book, and when I had done it they offered me another book, this one. So I would say do things like follow publishers pages on facebook and twitter if you use those, and look out for offers and competitions on other blogs to review books. Slowly you will build up a few contacts. Also this is a useful post: http://www.blogaholicnetwork.com/group/bookbloggers/forum/topics/where-to-get-review-copies?commentId=6387914%3AComment%3A5534&groupId=6387914%3AGroup%3A1826
    Hope that helps :)

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  5. You have an award at http://debs-bookwormbookmark.blogspot.com/
    Debs

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  6. Thanks so much for your help Lindsey! I'll try your advice. :)

    Megan - www.storybookloveaffair.blogspot.com

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  7. Debs thank you!! I am going to look now!

    You're welcome Megan, I'm still learning myself but those are some of the things I try :)

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  8. I've wanted to read this one for a while - it sounds like a cute, cosy read.

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  9. Sounds like a good one. Thanks for checking out my blog. New follower on netblogs.

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  10. Sam it's a nice easy read. Tammy thanks for the follow :)

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