Every Frenchman Has One
Olivia de Havilland
This
was a delightful little book, originally published in 1961 by the
Hollywood legend Olivia de Havilland. While she appeared in numerous
films, I remember mostly her role as Melanie in Gone with the Wind.
After a divorce in 1953, she met and married a Frenchman and moved
to Paris. This book follows her attempts to come to terms with life
in another country. Its humorous, well observed and rather
insightful. She covers topics such as fashion, health, education,
housekeeping, renovations and more.
I think
my favorite chapter was “La Place de la Discorde”, the
descriptions were keenly observed and seemed remarkably modern. I
found myself laughing in practically every chapter. And I'm actually
surprised that with her ability to write with such style and humor
she didn't publish more works about her experiences. The interview at
the end of the book done in May 2016 on the occasion of her 100th
birthday was also a nice inclusion.
Overall,
I completely enjoyed this charming book, both for its nostalgic feel
and it's warm wit and humor.
Thanks
to Blogging for Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange
for an honest review.
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