French Toast: An American in Paris Celebrates the Maddening Mysteries of the French

Hardcover - 15 November, 1998 - Thomas Dunne Books
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By: Harriet Welty Rochefort
ISBN: 0312199783

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Reviews by readers

Good Book About The French Culture

I saw some one and two star reviews below. Perhaps these previous reviewers don't understand: The purpose of this book is to help us people who aren't French understand 'why they are like that'---the purpose is not to "defend" French culture or make excuses.

If you, like me, have ever stayed with a French family you'd understand "the beauty" of "The French Way of Life". One day at breakfast the lady of the house served a yellow melon cut in half. I took one bite of this melon and it was so sweet and wonderful tasting!....I said, "I'm in melon heaven! This is the sweetest melon I've ever tasted!" And, that was just a melon! One taste of such a melon will make up for any "rudeness" or "missunderstanding" or "disagreement" that might occur when you visit Paris and France. Just eat a sweet melon like I did and you'll be happy again! :o)

This book is invaluable if you want to learn more about "sweet melons" and the other beauties of French Culture!

OK, but very thin and lacking much insight

Having lived in Paris, I found some of her insights interesting, and a few caused me to chuckle. But this book really serves to reinforce French stereotypes, so it's not very illuminating. The writing isn't great, and in some places, it's just plain sloppy.

I'd recommend "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull over this book. It's more thoughtful, better written and more insightful. If you just want some here-are-what-the-French-are-like-and-why, try reading the book "French or Foe," which I found very helpful in preparing for living in Paris.

Her husband does not come off well in the book, as other reviewers have noted.

A superficial, misogynistic view of the Parisian rich

While I didn't lose any money on this book (thankfully!) the time I lost checking it out from the library and reading it makes me angry enough.

First of all, the book lacks organization, is repetitive, and not, as the cover claims, "devistatingly funny."

However, I was most disgusted by the content. First, the author claims to be giving a glimpse of "Parisians." What she really does is tell you about life among the snobbish, superficial nouveau riche in the 1970's and 80's. (I wonder if this woman has ever met a poor, or even middle class Parisian!) Among telling aspects, I know few middle or lower class families who eat 5 course meals as a daily habit, at least not twice a day!

The second aspect of this book that angered me was that it made out all Parisienne women (even all French women) as superficial, materialistic, timid doormats and their husbands as dirty, macho, over-sexed, rude children. And what's worse, is that the author seems to codone these stereotypes and castigate herself for not being able to live up to them, seemingly ashamed of voicing her opinions or laughing too loud. Overall misogyny (and particularly the author's gendered self-hatred) was a sickening theme of this book.

I will grant a few good sections of the book - the food etiquette is spot on, but again, is mostly valid among the snobs of the 16th arondissement or the few times a year you might go out to a fancy restaurant with your spouse. The explanation of the education system is at least, accurate.

As for the rest of the chapters, I found little merit in them. Ms. Welty Rochefort would do better to escape her superficial social circles and find out how the majority of Parisians live before she attempts to write a book about them.

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