Rating: 1 Star
Source: NetGslley
Description: 4 Parisian women take you through what makes a Parisian so Parisian.
Genre: Nonfiction
Why I Picked This Book: I thought from the description that it would be a mix of tips with how to look effortlessly fabulous like the typical Parisian as well as some humor. Plus any book with any connection to Paris has grabbed my interest lately.
My Impression:
Pros: It's broken up into little sections and the sketches are cute. I liked the occasional photo and the lists were interesting. I like having a signature perfume and wearing lipstick to run errands.
Cons: This book completely missed the mark for me. While some of the lists were entertaining for the most part they just didn't grab me. Basically from what I could tell the Parisian is basically a study in contradictions and not really someone you would want to spend time with. After a few little essays I kind of lost interest. There was a lot of talk about being self-involved and how quirky that makes you but really I could only read so much of it. The book was very unstructured and the meandering through seemingly random subjects just didn't grab my interest. Maybe if I was younger or more fascinated by all things French?
Overall: This was (obviously) not a home run for me. The book just felt a little self-involved which is probably accurate since apparently one of the things that makes a Parisian Parisian is being self-involved.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Probably not
Would I Recommend this Book?: I don't think so.
Whew! At last! A book I can strike from my list!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thumbs down on this one.
I really wanted to love this one but in the end I just didn't care for it or about it. It's definitely not one I would search out!
DeleteThat's too bad, Katherine. It sounds like a disappointing book.
ReplyDeleteIt really was Jan. I think because I really wanted to like it.
DeleteI'm sorry you didn't like this one. Thanks for the honest review. You did a good job.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was hard to review this one because there really wasn't much at all I liked about it!
Deletetoo bad, it could be a cool book to write!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely could have been! I was hoping it'd be a cool book to read as well!
DeleteWell, I guess I'm glad I didn't request this one. It was so tempting...
ReplyDeleteIt really was! It just didn't end up being what I hoped it would be.
DeleteUgh. This doesn't sound like something I would like either. At least the sketches were cute!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a painful read it just ended up being one I didn't care anything about. Definitely not one I would recommend.
DeleteYour review was honest and refreshing. I've opted not to review books that I couldn't recommend, in some cases. Would love to start a discussion about what to do in these cases.
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time about this one because there wasn't much I liked about it. A discussion would definitely be interesting. I have mixed feelings about doing a negative review so I'd like to see other peoples views!
DeleteI think that negative reviews are important. Reviewers don't just exist to promote books - we need to let people know if a book doesn't meet our expectations and why. This will help others make informed decisions about the book. Great review!
DeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Thanks! I agree that negative reviews are necessary but they're definitely difficult to write. To some extent if someone only does positive reviews they lose their credibility a bit. I do really try to keep in mind that this is someone's work and that reading is completely subjective. What works for me may not work you and vice versa.
DeleteHow to be a Parisian anywhere : be rude, be selfish and always in a hurry ! That's the result of my daily experience with them lol (except my Parisian friends, of course ;)
ReplyDeleteThen the book definitely captured that! It was all I could do not to roll my eyes through most of it. On a side note I have a friend from London and sometimes we'd get her stirred up we'd ask her her opinion about Parisians. Then we'd just sit back and listen to her rant!
DeleteI like the concept of this book but what you described wouldn't be for me either. I hate selfish self absorbed people. Pass!
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to like this one but it just didn't work for me.
DeleteI was offered the "Parisian" book on audio and after the excerpt I didn't think it was fr me. I did like the premise of a more realistic French woman than recent books describe. But, now I am glad I did not waste my time. Thanks for the fine review.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I liked the premise as well but I just couldn't make this book work for me. If anything it seemed more cliche than what we see in books or tv.
Delete