Skip to main content

Book Review: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are

Title: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits
Author(s): Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline De Maigret, Sophie Mas
Publisher: Ebury Press (2014)
★★★★

“Be unfaithful: cheat on your perfume, but only on cold days.”


This book is the bible of every wannabe-Parisienne. Four best friends and life-long inhabitants of the City of Light indulge supposedly satirical yet strangely convincing aphorisms, faux pas, colloquialisms, tips on etiquette, style, sex, home décor, recipes and how to spend idyllic days among the boulevards of the Île-de-France.

Teeming with sometimes amusingly useless advice (“Always hire the less attractive babysitter”, “Randomly exclaim, ‘This is the most wonderful day of my life!’”), you often find yourself mentally taking note of the odd nugget of uniquely Parisienne wisdom: “Never wear your glasses, especially if you’re nearsighted. That way, you won’t have to acknowledge people you know. You’ll have that aloof look…”. It is claimed that Parisians often enjoy being paradoxical characters, walking contradictions and talking in circles and How to Be Parisian… really plays on that, meshing sex and politics and making over-dinner conversations sound like something out of an Oscar Wilde drama.

Often witty, sprinkled with interesting info and gorgeous photos of the city, How to Be Parisian… would make a perfect gift for a Francophile girlfriend. It concentrates on that Parisienne philosophy that is as outspoken and psychotic as it is bohemian, romantic, charming and ultimately centred around the all important joie de vivre. Whilst it is perhaps more aesthetically pleasing than content-focused, it features colour swatches of the seasons and a minimalist layout, as well as some lovely Tumblr-esque short stories like ‘1:00pm First Date at the Café de Flore’. The book resounds with the au naturel French attitude towards beauty and skincare: work with what Mother Nature gave you because plastic surgery is not an option. The Parisienne is not in search of eternal youth or agelessness, but rather takes a very Coco Chanel approach in believing that a woman has the face she deserves.   

Take How to Be Parisian… for what it is: unashamedly pretentious and snobby, a mode to tap into your inner cool. It is a fairly quick read, and the ideal coffee table book that you can turn to in times of need of inspiration or laughter. Take some vaguely ironic life advice from four ladies with seemingly effortless Parisian chic in their blood: “Go to the theatre, to museums, and concerts as often as possible. Culture is like eating fruit and vegetables: it gives you a healthy glow.” Now crack open the vin rouge.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt - John Frusciante

Dedicated to Clara Balzary, bandmate Flea's daughter (Source: wikipedia.org) "My smile is a rifle, won't you give it a try?" The first time I listened to Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt was in the back of my family’s campervan parked in Calais after we’d just been robbed. I hadn’t listened to it – or any of Frusciante’s narcotic haze of nineties releases – since, preferring his more polished offerings of To Record Only Water for Ten Days and Shadows Collide With People , until my sister bought me a copy of Niandra Lades for my birthday. My main memories of the album were Frusciante’s wails making me jump as I tried to drift off with my headphones in. So, safe to say, I was a little apprehensive upon receiving this gift.      Although released in 1994, the first half of the album – Niandra Lades – was recorded prior to Frusciante’s departure from the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the recording of Blood Sugar Sex Magik at the allegedly haunted ...
12 comments
Read more

Beats and Bombs: The Story of Belfast Rap

Rat Out Records' event at The Sunflower (Source: my own) Belfast is famous for many things – ships, conflict, Van Morrison – but not quite hip-hop. Unlike the other Irish cities which have spawned the likes of Dublin duo Versatile or Limerick’s The Rubberbandits , the subculture hasn’t gained the same notoriety and recognition in the North. As a genre created by African Americans in 1970s New York, it may be fairly easy to see why the Irish brand of rap hasn’t exactly had the same level of success. Despite this, Northern Ireland is by no means lacking in musical talent; the region has produced big names like The Undertones, Snow Patrol and Two Door Cinema Club. Even on a more grassroots level, the local indie rock and folk scenes in Belfast and Derry are booming. While it may seem that we prefer our music with a catchy chorus and three chords, Belfast’s underground rap scene is alive and kicking if you’re prepared to look for it. A simple Soundcloud or Bandcamp search ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ocean Colour Scene on 90s Antics, Nostalgia and Music Today

Source: GiggingNI This interview was conducted on behalf of the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2017. Ahead of the band’s Belfast gig at Custom House Square on 25 th August, GiggingNI caught up with Ocean Colour Scene ’s vocalist and guitarist, Simon Fowler . Ranking high among the bands most synonymous with the Britpop era in the 90s, the Ocean Colour Scene frontman has rubbed shoulders with the likes of the Gallagher brothers and even collaborated with Paul Weller, the Modfather himself. To celebrate the 20 th anniversary of their magnum opus, Moseley Shoals , the Birmingham natives are taking their album on the road to play it in full. Boasting 92 weeks on chart and four Top Ten singles, it’ll make for a show not to be missed. Simon Fowler talks 90s antics, nostalgia and the music industry today… What is your earliest memory of music? What inspired you to start a band and become a musician? My earliest memories of music would be from very early family singles, which would...
Post a Comment
Read more