- ISBN13: 9781416586876
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Tired of Provence in books, cuisine, and tablecloths? Exhausted from your armchair travels to Paris? Despairing of ever finding a place that speaks to you beyond reason? You are ripe for a journey to Brittany, where author Mark Greenside reluctantly travels, eats of the crêpes, and finds a second life.When Mark Greenside — a native New Yorker living in California, doubting (not-as-trusting-as Thomas, downwardly mobile, political lefty, writer, and lifelong skeptic… More >>
I’ll Never Be French : Living in a Small Village in Brittany
Although I found the writing to be good, I didn’t particularly “like” him and wanted to by the end of the book. Yes, he was a bit too needy for my taste. Yes, he’s a progressive man (he made that clear multiple times); however, a soon to be 50 year old buying a home in France with his mother’s money is a bit unbecoming. Certainly he made that clear and I suppose I should salute him for that. Nonetheless, I did not have a lot of respect for him by the end of the book.
Rating: 3 / 5
I lived in France for nearly 4 years and loved it enormously. Sadly this book takes the French joie de vivre and transforms it into a cliche. To gain credibility, Greenside constantly criticizes stereotypes from the US and Britain. Maybe it is to attract french favor but they are far too intelligent for such cheap shots and it comes over as unctuous. Worst of all, the book is simply not funny, yet it tries desperately to be and is marketed as such. Bill Bryson and Peter Mayle he is not.
Rating: 2 / 5
This is a relatively chronological set of vignettes from the author’s experience living in Brittany. It’s relateable and humorous.
Rating: 4 / 5
This book was in excellent shape when I received it and was a very good read. The story could have used a little more detail. I received it in very good time.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’ve spent extended time in France and the book was a great reminder of kindness and generosity of the French people. A quick read, well written and a great adventure, I recommend this book to anyone with and adventuresome spirit and looking for a pleasant experience.
Rating: 4 / 5