Genre: Nonfiction, architecture, cooking, horror(?)
Medium: Paperback, ARC
Synopsis: Cookbook writer David Lebovitz decides to make Paris his home and decides to buy and renovate an apartment. Only, it looks like the whole process will be a lot longer and a lot more expensive than he bargained for.
Review: I wasn’t really too sure which genre to put this book in for this review. Nonfiction? Totally. Architecture? Yeah, of course, he renovates his apartment. Cooking? Sure–he adds recipes at the end of each chapter. …Horror? I’d have to say so, because I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything scarier or more stress-inducing. Is there anything more bone-chilling than an apartment renovation that goes awry? More spooky than a renovator that takes advantage of you? More petrifying than somebody that says “C’est pas ma faute (It’s not my fault)” every time something most definitely is his fault??
Let it be known right now–if you’re looking for something francophile-ish that’s nice and relaxing, this is not the right book for you, because this is not a relaxing tale one bit. But I must say, as a francophile and a one-time-French-immigrant, Lebovitz knows what he’s talking about. The French government truly is like that, and he is not exaggerating one bit. The banking system is truly like that, too. Even the littler things about Parisiennes have truth to them.
Otherwise, I must say that this was also refreshing as a one-time-French-immigrant to read, because it certainly brought me back to the bustling life of Paris and its little treasures. Lebovitz doesn’t give a romantic view of Paris, but a truly realistic one–one where you never know how Americans are going to be treated, but also how the baguettes are so good, but also how the two cultures can clash and mix in totally unexpected ways.
All in all, I definitely would recommend this book to others. And, as a word to my fellow vegans, quite a few of the recipes in this book are veganizable!
Advertisements Share this:
