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Lessons in French
A sophisticated and page-turning debut novel about a young American woman’s coming-of-age in Paris.
It’s 1989, the Berlin Wall is coming down, and Kate has just graduated from Yale, eager to pursue her dreams as a fledgling painter. When she receives a job offer to work as the assistant to Lydia Schell, a famous American photographer in Paris, she immediately accepts. It’s a chance not only to be at the center of it all, but also to return to France for the first time since she was a lonely nine-year-old girl, sent to the outskirts of Paris to live with cousins while her father was dying.
Kate may speak fluent French, but she arrives at the Schell household in the fashionable Sixth Arrondissement both dazzled and wildly impressionable. She finds herself surrounded by a seductive cast of characters, including the bright, pretentious Schells, with whom she boards, and their assortment of famous friends; Kate’s own flamboyant cousin; a fellow Yalie who seems to have it all figured out; and a bande of independently wealthy young men with royal lineage. As Kate rediscovers Paris and her roots there, while trying to fit into Lydia’s glamorous and complicated family, she begins to question the kindness of the people to whom she is so drawn as well as her own motives for wanting them to love her.
In compelling and sympathetic prose, Hilary Reyl perfectly captures this portrait of a precocious, ambitious young woman struggling to define herself in a vibrant world that spirals out of her control. Lessons in French is at once a love letter to Paris and the story of a young woman finding herself, her moral compass, and, finally, her true family.
It’s 1989, the Berlin Wall is coming down, and Kate has just graduated from Yale, eager to pursue her dreams as a fledgling painter. When she receives a job offer to work as the assistant to Lydia Schell, a famous American photographer in Paris, she immediately accepts. It’s a chance not only to be at the center of it all, but also to return to France for the first time since she was a lonely nine-year-old girl, sent to the outskirts of Paris to live with cousins while her father was dying.
Kate may speak fluent French, but she arrives at the Schell household in the fashionable Sixth Arrondissement both dazzled and wildly impressionable. She finds herself surrounded by a seductive cast of characters, including the bright, pretentious Schells, with whom she boards, and their assortment of famous friends; Kate’s own flamboyant cousin; a fellow Yalie who seems to have it all figured out; and a bande of independently wealthy young men with royal lineage. As Kate rediscovers Paris and her roots there, while trying to fit into Lydia’s glamorous and complicated family, she begins to question the kindness of the people to whom she is so drawn as well as her own motives for wanting them to love her.
In compelling and sympathetic prose, Hilary Reyl perfectly captures this portrait of a precocious, ambitious young woman struggling to define herself in a vibrant world that spirals out of her control. Lessons in French is at once a love letter to Paris and the story of a young woman finding herself, her moral compass, and, finally, her true family.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2012
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March 12, 2013
This is another case of where I came across a ŷ� book by chance. I liked the cover, and the title, and as the content appeared interesting, I pre-ordered it for its publication date of 5 March. It also came with the backing and marketing of the publishing house, Simon & Schuster, which brought to mind Lynne Truss� brilliant book ,“Eats, Shoots and Leaves� when she discusses the survival of the book:
“…The book remains static and fixed � Holding the book, we are aware of posterity and continuity. Knowing that the printed word is always edited, typeset and proofread before it reaches us; we appreciate its literary authority. Having paid money for it (often), we have a sense of investment and a pride of ownership, not to mention a feel of general virtue.�
So, as Paris just happens to be my favourite European city, I had soon submersed myself in this book. What I did particularly like were the shades of Proust’s writing style running throughout it.
Whenever I think of Paris, the haunting music with the accordion comes to mind; Georges Simenon, the restaurants and street cafés, “Les Deux Magots�, art galleries and museums, Montmartre, the Champs-Elysées, and how could Paris possibly be Paris without the unique and artistic individuality of the Parisians?
The story is relatively simple with Katie coming from the States to work for a famous American photographer, Lydia Schell, who insists on calling her Katherine. What young woman could possibly miss such an opportunity after finishing college and with aspirations for her painting? In addition, she would be revisiting France when she had spent her formative years,(nine to eleven years of age) with the result of a perfect French accent. Also set against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, where Lydia goes to photograph this momentous event, and authors such as Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco who bring an historical aspect to this book.
I found it somewhat odd that her future employer, Lydia believed Katie when she said her French was fluent and took her on trust. Obviously they had an immediate rapport from the time of the first interview. But to be told that one is going to be an assistant and yet not know what exactly that entailed must have been somewhat daunting. So she goes to Paris, ends up living in a maid’s room on the sixth floor of her employer's house where she runs shopping/general errands for Lydia and also her English husband Clarence, and also acts as a buffer between them. They were obviously, somewhat subconsciously, a united couple but this wasn’t apparent until later on in the book. In addition, Katie’s salary was a pittance and she also has to pay rent for her room in her employer's home (I actually thought that was a nerve!); she also walks their sheepdog Orlando, “the brown dog with the giant yellow eyes that looked like Métro headlights�; and ran messages between their two offices, and this reminded me immediately of “The Go-Between� by L. P. Hartley.
There was an unusual mix of characters: Portia, the somewhat neurotic daughter who was studying in the States but who also came to Paris for a visit; her boyfriend Olivier (who seemed to be in cahoots with Lydia,) who is returning to the States to work but in the meantime enters into a liaison with Katie; intrigue and deceit soon arise; Clarence getting up to “no good� and their son Joshua who decides to do his own thing to rather extreme lengths; Christie, a fellow student from Yale who tries to make Katie see sense about her employer and her husband; Katie’s cousin, Étienne who is very well portrayed, as are his parents, Solange and Jacques; the family that she finally appreciates for what they are really worth and to share their own grief. I particularly liked Claudia who was half-Moroccan and half-French, who was writing her dissertation for a professor at Berkeley about comparative dream analysis. She was often at the house when Lydia was absent. Now I wonder why?
I did, however, have a sense of disappointment with the ending but then that was personal to me.
One thing I can say though is, when I finished this book, my first thought was that it would make a marvellous film. I could even see Kristin Scott Thomas playing Lydia, Emma Watson as Portia and an actress the equivalent of our delightful Duchess of Cambridge as Katie. I couldn’t, however, think of any men in particular for the male roles.
I look forward to reading the author’s next book.
“…The book remains static and fixed � Holding the book, we are aware of posterity and continuity. Knowing that the printed word is always edited, typeset and proofread before it reaches us; we appreciate its literary authority. Having paid money for it (often), we have a sense of investment and a pride of ownership, not to mention a feel of general virtue.�
So, as Paris just happens to be my favourite European city, I had soon submersed myself in this book. What I did particularly like were the shades of Proust’s writing style running throughout it.
Whenever I think of Paris, the haunting music with the accordion comes to mind; Georges Simenon, the restaurants and street cafés, “Les Deux Magots�, art galleries and museums, Montmartre, the Champs-Elysées, and how could Paris possibly be Paris without the unique and artistic individuality of the Parisians?
The story is relatively simple with Katie coming from the States to work for a famous American photographer, Lydia Schell, who insists on calling her Katherine. What young woman could possibly miss such an opportunity after finishing college and with aspirations for her painting? In addition, she would be revisiting France when she had spent her formative years,(nine to eleven years of age) with the result of a perfect French accent. Also set against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, where Lydia goes to photograph this momentous event, and authors such as Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco who bring an historical aspect to this book.
I found it somewhat odd that her future employer, Lydia believed Katie when she said her French was fluent and took her on trust. Obviously they had an immediate rapport from the time of the first interview. But to be told that one is going to be an assistant and yet not know what exactly that entailed must have been somewhat daunting. So she goes to Paris, ends up living in a maid’s room on the sixth floor of her employer's house where she runs shopping/general errands for Lydia and also her English husband Clarence, and also acts as a buffer between them. They were obviously, somewhat subconsciously, a united couple but this wasn’t apparent until later on in the book. In addition, Katie’s salary was a pittance and she also has to pay rent for her room in her employer's home (I actually thought that was a nerve!); she also walks their sheepdog Orlando, “the brown dog with the giant yellow eyes that looked like Métro headlights�; and ran messages between their two offices, and this reminded me immediately of “The Go-Between� by L. P. Hartley.
There was an unusual mix of characters: Portia, the somewhat neurotic daughter who was studying in the States but who also came to Paris for a visit; her boyfriend Olivier (who seemed to be in cahoots with Lydia,) who is returning to the States to work but in the meantime enters into a liaison with Katie; intrigue and deceit soon arise; Clarence getting up to “no good� and their son Joshua who decides to do his own thing to rather extreme lengths; Christie, a fellow student from Yale who tries to make Katie see sense about her employer and her husband; Katie’s cousin, Étienne who is very well portrayed, as are his parents, Solange and Jacques; the family that she finally appreciates for what they are really worth and to share their own grief. I particularly liked Claudia who was half-Moroccan and half-French, who was writing her dissertation for a professor at Berkeley about comparative dream analysis. She was often at the house when Lydia was absent. Now I wonder why?
I did, however, have a sense of disappointment with the ending but then that was personal to me.
One thing I can say though is, when I finished this book, my first thought was that it would make a marvellous film. I could even see Kristin Scott Thomas playing Lydia, Emma Watson as Portia and an actress the equivalent of our delightful Duchess of Cambridge as Katie. I couldn’t, however, think of any men in particular for the male roles.
I look forward to reading the author’s next book.
August 12, 2013
It’s 1989, the Berlin Wall is about to come down, and young ingenue Katie has been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as an assistant to a famous photographer in Paris. Drama and hi-jinks ensue.
The thing about asshole characters is that, in order for me to care about them and want to know what’s going to happen to them, I need to understand a little bit about why they’re assholes. Maybe they had a tough childhood, maybe they’ve had one too many broken hearts, maybe they’ve been diagnosed with cancer and see the meth business as the only way to make enough money to support their family. (Clearly I've been catching up on Breaking Bad all day)
Lydia and Clarence � Katie’s boss and her husband � are unpleasant people, but seem to have no reason to be unpleasant than because they’re wealthy, shallow people with a broad circle of acquaintances with Big Names. They treat each other poorly, they treat Katie poorly, and they treat their children poorly. Their daughter’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend sums up the entire family when he decries “the sense of entitlement, the cluelessness, the assumption that her jet-set intellectual parents make her someone.�
They barely rise above stereotypes. They’re unlikable because they’re entitled and they’re entitled because they’re wealthy intellectuals. And that just wasn't interesting to me.
Katie is an extremely doe-eyed character who’s supposedly had to work hard for everything in her life (a fact for which I saw no real evidence aside from the fact that her father passed away when she was an adolescent). She’s so doe-eyed that she lets everyone around her make decisions for her and then refuses to take responsibility for her actions. I found her naivete-as-excuse-for-bad-choices frustrating and over-the-top.
And none of these characters seem to grow or change or evolve. It just didn’t work for me. I think Reyl is a promising writer, but her characters never rose above two dimensions for me. The plot was a little thin, too, not exploring any new ideas or surprising me in anyway. In a word? Predictable. Still, I seem to be in the minority around here so there may be something I'm missing.
The thing about asshole characters is that, in order for me to care about them and want to know what’s going to happen to them, I need to understand a little bit about why they’re assholes. Maybe they had a tough childhood, maybe they’ve had one too many broken hearts, maybe they’ve been diagnosed with cancer and see the meth business as the only way to make enough money to support their family. (Clearly I've been catching up on Breaking Bad all day)
Lydia and Clarence � Katie’s boss and her husband � are unpleasant people, but seem to have no reason to be unpleasant than because they’re wealthy, shallow people with a broad circle of acquaintances with Big Names. They treat each other poorly, they treat Katie poorly, and they treat their children poorly. Their daughter’s soon-to-be ex-boyfriend sums up the entire family when he decries “the sense of entitlement, the cluelessness, the assumption that her jet-set intellectual parents make her someone.�
They barely rise above stereotypes. They’re unlikable because they’re entitled and they’re entitled because they’re wealthy intellectuals. And that just wasn't interesting to me.
Katie is an extremely doe-eyed character who’s supposedly had to work hard for everything in her life (a fact for which I saw no real evidence aside from the fact that her father passed away when she was an adolescent). She’s so doe-eyed that she lets everyone around her make decisions for her and then refuses to take responsibility for her actions. I found her naivete-as-excuse-for-bad-choices frustrating and over-the-top.
And none of these characters seem to grow or change or evolve. It just didn’t work for me. I think Reyl is a promising writer, but her characters never rose above two dimensions for me. The plot was a little thin, too, not exploring any new ideas or surprising me in anyway. In a word? Predictable. Still, I seem to be in the minority around here so there may be something I'm missing.
January 20, 2017
Kate, a new college graduate, has received a job offer to work in Paris as a personal assistant to Lydia Schell, a famous photojournalist. Kate has mixed feelings about her time in France as a child while her father was terminally ill in the United States, but she did learn to speak French fluently. She is eager to please and soon finds herself involved in the lives of all the members of the Schell family. The Schells are pretentious intellectuals, self-important and demanding. Kate gets caught up in their lies and deceptions. Since she is able to meet some important celebrities in the worlds of art and literature and she loves the city of Paris, Kate attempts to cope with the aggravation of the job.
Kate is trying to find her own style as an artist, and figure out who she is as a person. She matures during her year in France in this coming of age story. The sprinkling of French phrases, the excitement of Paris, and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 all add interest to the book. The descriptions of the French food were especially wonderful. While the story held my interest, it seemed that Kate was a bit too naive and dazzled for her age. Her boss got increasingly annoying and unlikable. There did not seem to be many boundaries between Kate's personal and work life, but maybe that comes with the territory of being a personal assistant. The author drew on her own experiences as a personal assistant in France, and she holds a PhD in French Literature. 3.5 stars.
Kate is trying to find her own style as an artist, and figure out who she is as a person. She matures during her year in France in this coming of age story. The sprinkling of French phrases, the excitement of Paris, and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 all add interest to the book. The descriptions of the French food were especially wonderful. While the story held my interest, it seemed that Kate was a bit too naive and dazzled for her age. Her boss got increasingly annoying and unlikable. There did not seem to be many boundaries between Kate's personal and work life, but maybe that comes with the territory of being a personal assistant. The author drew on her own experiences as a personal assistant in France, and she holds a PhD in French Literature. 3.5 stars.
February 18, 2013
“Art is about framing, not about where you stood� is a key quote and eye-catching motif in Hilary Reyl’s debut novel set in 1989 Paris. Likewise, it translates into a life lesson for young American Kate, as life and art coexist in the fashionable Latin Quarter of her adventurous new job. As a recent Yale graduate, Kate returns to the City of Light as an assistant to ex-pat Lydia Schell, a famous but fading American photographer. Kate carries memories of the two poignant years she spent here as a child while her father was dying at home in the states. Unresolved issues of loss and longing intertwine with her complicated new circumstances.
Beguiled by the sharp, shrewd, imperious Lydia, Kate serves as her disciple, with an earnest enthusiasm to please. Lydia’s British husband, Clarence, is a gallant, fatherly history scholar, and puts Kate at ease immediately. As time passes, Kate gets glimpses of a canny and cunning dynamic in their spousal relationship. However, she feels culpable, too, as she had already begun a clandestine love affair with Olivier, their unbalanced and beautiful daughter’s (Portia) boyfriend.
Naïve to where she stands in the frame of her new life, Kate aches to be in the social whirl of Lydia’s urbane list of celebrity friends--Umberto Eco, Salman Rushdie, Samuel Beckett, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, to name a few. The chic restaurants and rare wines, the bohemian ideas and erudite philosophies, the culture and cultivation of art, photography, and music—she is stimulated by all of it. At first, Kate feels like the sanctioning observer of the vanguard--or the dog walker and errand girl. But as she becomes more confident in her job, makes friends of her own, and reconnects with her cousin, Etienne, (who she hadn’t seen in a decade), she begins to mature and experiment, and life gets more convoluted—and, at times, precarious.
As the psychological games between Lydia and Clarence intensify, Kate becomes mired in more than one triangulating web of deceit and treachery. She arrived in the city earnest and amorphous, eager to engage in contemporary Paris and its au courant sophistication. Dabbling in paint without a decisive style, she longed to achieve a sense of self, integral and contoured, with Lydia and Clarence as her mentors. Consequently, she learns that in order to live an authentic life, she needs to stand squarely in the center of her own design.
Heyl’s narrative is poised and sharply observant, without the missteps so common with many debut novels. It’s written in a deceptively breezy style, accessible but substantial, expressive and informal. Along the way, you will be taken on an appetizing tour through the Parisian streets, cafes, museums and shops. The piquant aromas of local cuisine fluttered through the pages as it rhapsodized over chestnut croissants and savory crêpes. Whether you’ve ever been to Paris or plan to visit soon (like me), you will feel like a local flâneur as you stride with Kate in this spirited coming-of-age tale. You’ll reap lessons in French, and life, in any language.
Beguiled by the sharp, shrewd, imperious Lydia, Kate serves as her disciple, with an earnest enthusiasm to please. Lydia’s British husband, Clarence, is a gallant, fatherly history scholar, and puts Kate at ease immediately. As time passes, Kate gets glimpses of a canny and cunning dynamic in their spousal relationship. However, she feels culpable, too, as she had already begun a clandestine love affair with Olivier, their unbalanced and beautiful daughter’s (Portia) boyfriend.
Naïve to where she stands in the frame of her new life, Kate aches to be in the social whirl of Lydia’s urbane list of celebrity friends--Umberto Eco, Salman Rushdie, Samuel Beckett, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, to name a few. The chic restaurants and rare wines, the bohemian ideas and erudite philosophies, the culture and cultivation of art, photography, and music—she is stimulated by all of it. At first, Kate feels like the sanctioning observer of the vanguard--or the dog walker and errand girl. But as she becomes more confident in her job, makes friends of her own, and reconnects with her cousin, Etienne, (who she hadn’t seen in a decade), she begins to mature and experiment, and life gets more convoluted—and, at times, precarious.
As the psychological games between Lydia and Clarence intensify, Kate becomes mired in more than one triangulating web of deceit and treachery. She arrived in the city earnest and amorphous, eager to engage in contemporary Paris and its au courant sophistication. Dabbling in paint without a decisive style, she longed to achieve a sense of self, integral and contoured, with Lydia and Clarence as her mentors. Consequently, she learns that in order to live an authentic life, she needs to stand squarely in the center of her own design.
Heyl’s narrative is poised and sharply observant, without the missteps so common with many debut novels. It’s written in a deceptively breezy style, accessible but substantial, expressive and informal. Along the way, you will be taken on an appetizing tour through the Parisian streets, cafes, museums and shops. The piquant aromas of local cuisine fluttered through the pages as it rhapsodized over chestnut croissants and savory crêpes. Whether you’ve ever been to Paris or plan to visit soon (like me), you will feel like a local flâneur as you stride with Kate in this spirited coming-of-age tale. You’ll reap lessons in French, and life, in any language.
February 8, 2013
Debut novels, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, are like chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.
As a reader, what I expected to get was a relatively well-written light-hearted story set in glamorous late 1980s Paris with rather predictable lessons of what it means to come of age.
What I DID get was far more rewarding and far more nuanced for many reasons. Yes, there are the Paris scenes and Hilary Reyl knows the scene well; those who have been to Paris will delight in the many references to sites, cuisine, restaurants, and shops and those who haven’t will want to race out and get a ticket. And yes, there are lessons to be learned � hard-won lessons that are a bit more complicated than one would expect.
But something more is going on in this book. Kate is a porous and attractive young woman � a would-be artist � who is not yet sketched in. She is somewhat of a pleaser, adapting to her environment. When she receives a job offer to work as the assistant to Lydia, a famous American photographer in Paris, she grabs it. She speaks French like a native, thanks to the two years she spent in Paris with cousins while her father was dying…to fulfill a wish to him.
It’s a heady time for a young innocent. Lydia frequently entertains the international crème de la crème � Salman Rushdie, Umberto Eco. But Lydia is a complicated boss, demanding total allegiance, not unlike the Anne Winokur character in The Devil Wears Prada. Her relationship with her husband Clarence, an academic, is fraught with landmines and has become � for both of them � a bloodbath sport with Kate often in the middle. Add in the fact that Kate quickly develops a strong and mutual infatuation with Olivier, the soon-to-be ex-boyfriend of their mercurial daughter Portia, and the seeds of a fall from grace are set.
As Kate assists Lydia with an important Berlin photographic project, the realization occurs that Berlin is, indeed, a metaphor for Lydia and Clarence. “”The West Germans are condescending and the East Germans are self-conscious. They feel incompetent and are on the verge of feeling very bitter about it. So, after that initial moment of unity between the countries, there is this total lack of recognition, right?�
There are many developments � some expected, some not � in this page-turning novel. The lessons Kate must learn focus around the concept of allegiance and loyalty to others, but mostly to her authentic sense of self. When Kate says, “Did you ever feel like moments of growing up are sometimes weirdly about remembering who you used to be?�, the reader gives an “aha� of recognition. It bears note that Hilary Reyl, according to the book jacket, holds a PhD in French Literature.
As a reader, what I expected to get was a relatively well-written light-hearted story set in glamorous late 1980s Paris with rather predictable lessons of what it means to come of age.
What I DID get was far more rewarding and far more nuanced for many reasons. Yes, there are the Paris scenes and Hilary Reyl knows the scene well; those who have been to Paris will delight in the many references to sites, cuisine, restaurants, and shops and those who haven’t will want to race out and get a ticket. And yes, there are lessons to be learned � hard-won lessons that are a bit more complicated than one would expect.
But something more is going on in this book. Kate is a porous and attractive young woman � a would-be artist � who is not yet sketched in. She is somewhat of a pleaser, adapting to her environment. When she receives a job offer to work as the assistant to Lydia, a famous American photographer in Paris, she grabs it. She speaks French like a native, thanks to the two years she spent in Paris with cousins while her father was dying…to fulfill a wish to him.
It’s a heady time for a young innocent. Lydia frequently entertains the international crème de la crème � Salman Rushdie, Umberto Eco. But Lydia is a complicated boss, demanding total allegiance, not unlike the Anne Winokur character in The Devil Wears Prada. Her relationship with her husband Clarence, an academic, is fraught with landmines and has become � for both of them � a bloodbath sport with Kate often in the middle. Add in the fact that Kate quickly develops a strong and mutual infatuation with Olivier, the soon-to-be ex-boyfriend of their mercurial daughter Portia, and the seeds of a fall from grace are set.
As Kate assists Lydia with an important Berlin photographic project, the realization occurs that Berlin is, indeed, a metaphor for Lydia and Clarence. “”The West Germans are condescending and the East Germans are self-conscious. They feel incompetent and are on the verge of feeling very bitter about it. So, after that initial moment of unity between the countries, there is this total lack of recognition, right?�
There are many developments � some expected, some not � in this page-turning novel. The lessons Kate must learn focus around the concept of allegiance and loyalty to others, but mostly to her authentic sense of self. When Kate says, “Did you ever feel like moments of growing up are sometimes weirdly about remembering who you used to be?�, the reader gives an “aha� of recognition. It bears note that Hilary Reyl, according to the book jacket, holds a PhD in French Literature.
January 6, 2013
I gave it full stars because I didn't want to put the novel down. I felt like I was in France and I related to her youthful naivete (well okay, her complete ignorance). The longing to embrace the things you don't have while hating yourself for wanting them was expressed perfectly. Kate is like many young women ,be they well educated or not, who are thrown into an unfamiliar world and make mistakes along the way due to lack of experience and wisdom. Intelligence can only take you so far, wisdom is something else entirely, and not all 'smart' people have it. Kate is used by the famous photographer and the entire Schell family and in her young clouded eyes excuses them because she only wants to see the best in everyone. Many of us have been Kate at one point in our lives, whether we admit this or not. The longing to please, even at one's own expense, is something many girls are born into and is hard to shake off. But this is not just a coming of age novel, this is a lesson in strength.
The novel isn't just about the Schell family, though they are the chewy center. Certainly Kate enjoys nights with wealthy young men and comes to terms with her cousin. There were painful moments when her need to be loved by the Schell's makes you want to strangle her, but she is far more believable than the usual too wise characters we've seen in some coming of age stories. I am still left wondering though, why she never really has it out with Olivier after his big betrayal.
The novel isn't just about the Schell family, though they are the chewy center. Certainly Kate enjoys nights with wealthy young men and comes to terms with her cousin. There were painful moments when her need to be loved by the Schell's makes you want to strangle her, but she is far more believable than the usual too wise characters we've seen in some coming of age stories. I am still left wondering though, why she never really has it out with Olivier after his big betrayal.
March 22, 2013
For her first novel, Hilary Reyl, like her main character Kate, needs to find her style and her voice.
Kate/Katherine, a character so spineless and weak. Here she is in Paris, for the second time in her life, with a group of abusers and she just takes it. I don't understand how someone like Kate, who lived apart from her family as a young girl could be so unsure of herself and weak. I would a imagine a person who had gone through what she had she would be able to handle the Schell family. That aside, I found the story lacking passion and direction. What were to learn from Kate's experience as Lydia's assistant? Also, the description of the book alluded to Kate being exposed to a monumental time in our history, the fall of the Berlin wall, and all she did was work on timelines for her photographer boss - she never got to experience anything firsthand. I think Reyl missed an opportunity to dig a little deeper and focus on the social changes the world was going through at that time. She only TOUCHED on the rise of HIV/AIDS, too, but there wasn't much in commentary about it...Realizing this is her first novel there's still hope...
Kate/Katherine, a character so spineless and weak. Here she is in Paris, for the second time in her life, with a group of abusers and she just takes it. I don't understand how someone like Kate, who lived apart from her family as a young girl could be so unsure of herself and weak. I would a imagine a person who had gone through what she had she would be able to handle the Schell family. That aside, I found the story lacking passion and direction. What were to learn from Kate's experience as Lydia's assistant? Also, the description of the book alluded to Kate being exposed to a monumental time in our history, the fall of the Berlin wall, and all she did was work on timelines for her photographer boss - she never got to experience anything firsthand. I think Reyl missed an opportunity to dig a little deeper and focus on the social changes the world was going through at that time. She only TOUCHED on the rise of HIV/AIDS, too, but there wasn't much in commentary about it...Realizing this is her first novel there's still hope...
April 29, 2013
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When I got this book in the post I was really excited to start reading it. The cover looked interesting like a sweet romance, something I would like - and I really did want to like this book even though I couldn't bring myself to by the end of it. No matter how much I wished I could engage with the book and grow to love it I just couldn't.
The main thing I struggled with while reading this book was the language. The author seemed to use too many words to describe something insignificant where, for example she could have said it in four. Because of this there was massive paragraphs of description that left me bored as the story moved along too slowly. As well as this the author appeared to go from one extreme to the other in terms of description and parts I actually wanted to read about were skipped with an off the cuff comment for example "We had sex." There was no description - and I don't mean graphic detail - but there wasn't even a romantic build up and at times the author seemed to state facts rather than show the audience what she meant, allowing them to visualise it.
Due to this fact, I did find it very hard to connect with the characters. They felt stiff and unrealistic, especially Kate who seemed incapable of being able to think for herself. I mean it took her the whole book to figure something out that really wasn't that hard. The family she lives with are shallow and just as irritating as they make her run after their every whim. I don't know if this disconnection was down to the lack of detail and jumpy style of writing but I really felt nothing for the characters - I just found myself not caring either way.
As well as this the author used random French phrases throughout the novel and although this gave the book an authentic quality I found them slightly pointless and irritating. For one, I dropped French when I was fourteen so struggling with pronunciation made me just skip the sections in French as they detracted from the flow too much. Also I did find myself questioning what their point was as it seemed at times like a way to add extra words as the author would have to translate some of the phrases after. For me it didn't make sense to have them if they just had to be translated.
The book did however pick up slightly about three quarters of the way in (a little late, but better late than never right?). The writing began to flow better and so did the speech, especially when Kate and Oliver were together. It seemed more natural and even though I was dying for there to be more romance, I was able to read these sections without skipping parts, which is why I put my rating up to two stars.
Overall I got to the end of the book and no matter how much I wanted to like it I ended up feeling I had just wasted a lot of my time. This book did sound like 'The Devil Wears Prada' from the description but it didn't really go anywhere. There was a lack of actual romance and heartbreak and the characters were impossible to engage with, especially when apart. There was one redeeming quality but for me it wasn't enough for me to wish I had stopped reading when I first got bored as it didn't pick up enough for me to change my attitude towards it.
When I got this book in the post I was really excited to start reading it. The cover looked interesting like a sweet romance, something I would like - and I really did want to like this book even though I couldn't bring myself to by the end of it. No matter how much I wished I could engage with the book and grow to love it I just couldn't.
The main thing I struggled with while reading this book was the language. The author seemed to use too many words to describe something insignificant where, for example she could have said it in four. Because of this there was massive paragraphs of description that left me bored as the story moved along too slowly. As well as this the author appeared to go from one extreme to the other in terms of description and parts I actually wanted to read about were skipped with an off the cuff comment for example "We had sex." There was no description - and I don't mean graphic detail - but there wasn't even a romantic build up and at times the author seemed to state facts rather than show the audience what she meant, allowing them to visualise it.
Due to this fact, I did find it very hard to connect with the characters. They felt stiff and unrealistic, especially Kate who seemed incapable of being able to think for herself. I mean it took her the whole book to figure something out that really wasn't that hard. The family she lives with are shallow and just as irritating as they make her run after their every whim. I don't know if this disconnection was down to the lack of detail and jumpy style of writing but I really felt nothing for the characters - I just found myself not caring either way.
As well as this the author used random French phrases throughout the novel and although this gave the book an authentic quality I found them slightly pointless and irritating. For one, I dropped French when I was fourteen so struggling with pronunciation made me just skip the sections in French as they detracted from the flow too much. Also I did find myself questioning what their point was as it seemed at times like a way to add extra words as the author would have to translate some of the phrases after. For me it didn't make sense to have them if they just had to be translated.
The book did however pick up slightly about three quarters of the way in (a little late, but better late than never right?). The writing began to flow better and so did the speech, especially when Kate and Oliver were together. It seemed more natural and even though I was dying for there to be more romance, I was able to read these sections without skipping parts, which is why I put my rating up to two stars.
Overall I got to the end of the book and no matter how much I wanted to like it I ended up feeling I had just wasted a lot of my time. This book did sound like 'The Devil Wears Prada' from the description but it didn't really go anywhere. There was a lack of actual romance and heartbreak and the characters were impossible to engage with, especially when apart. There was one redeeming quality but for me it wasn't enough for me to wish I had stopped reading when I first got bored as it didn't pick up enough for me to change my attitude towards it.
February 24, 2013
I was delighted to receive this book as ŷ giveaway! The author, Hilary Reyl, penned a fantastic book with the backdrop Paris and a recent graduate of Yale, Katie. Katie has recent accepted a job offer as an Assistant to famous American Photographer, Lydia Schell. Katie goes thru a self-discovery of whom she is and why she allows others to treat her the way they do
March 6, 2013
In 1989 as the Berlin wall is about to fall and Salmon Rushdie's life has just been upended by a fatwa, Kate, a recent Yale graduate, is in Paris working as the personal assistant for a talented but self-centered photographer who is trying to capture the shifting zeitgeist on film. Lessons in French takes an inside look at the artistic, intellectual, and political circles of Paris during the late part of the last century, which would make it interesting even if that were all it had to offer, but it wasn’t what kept driving me back to the book whenever I had a free moment. What was most compelling for me was how well author Hilary Reyl captures the personalities of her characters, particularly Kate though many of the people in the book are fascinating. Seeing the world through Kate’s first person narrative reminded me of what it’s like to be young and trying to find your footing. Kate is still figuring out who she is, what she believes, and how she should act. Though highly educated she’s too young to know the world well, so when she’s thrust into a new situation with people unlike those she has met in the past, she enjoys her expanding horizons but sometimes makes missteps forcing her to question her preconceptions and choices. Having Kate’s growing awareness come about in a cultural Mecca like Paris made the book irresistible for me.
I read an advanced review copy of this book supplied to me by the publisher, but the opinions are mine.
I read an advanced review copy of this book supplied to me by the publisher, but the opinions are mine.
March 19, 2013
Thoughts:
1) As I was reading I kept thinking about how this book reminded me of Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, in that it is very character-driven, and focuses on one girl in her twenties who is influenced by other characters and the general setting (in this case it was Paris, not NYC). Anyway, I read the "acknowledgments" and Reyl actually thanks Towles so it is possible that his writing had some sort of influence on her.
2) Reyl can seriously write good dialogue, which is hard to come by.
1) As I was reading I kept thinking about how this book reminded me of Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, in that it is very character-driven, and focuses on one girl in her twenties who is influenced by other characters and the general setting (in this case it was Paris, not NYC). Anyway, I read the "acknowledgments" and Reyl actually thanks Towles so it is possible that his writing had some sort of influence on her.
2) Reyl can seriously write good dialogue, which is hard to come by.
January 9, 2013
Lessons in French is the ultimate sophisticated coming-of-age novel. Paris and its inhabitants are painted skillfully, with compassion, romance, humor and incredible humanity. You will feel nostalgic for your time spent abroad, even if you have never spent a year abroad. You will not want this book to end.
March 9, 2013
If you have ever dreamed of living abroad in Paris after graduation, this novel is the next best thing. It is 1989 and recent Yale graduate, Kate, has been invited by the renowned NY photo-journalist, Lydia Schell, to work as her assistant in Paris for a year. Kate's mother isn't encouraging her to go, but Kate is enticed by the allure of living in a Paris garret and meeting the writers and artists of Paris.
One of the charms of the book is the vivid way the author brings Paris to life. You can see, feel, hear, smell and, best of all, taste Paris through the descriptions. The author is also talented in creating witty and sparkling dialogue.
It helps to like the "fun" in dysFUNction as Lydia's family is a tad dysfunctional, especially Lydia herself. The plot evolves into a bit of a Molieresque farce as Kate is entangled in the complex affairs and scheming of the family members as she delivers messages and attempts to hide their secrets along with her own. Is Clarence, Lydia's professor husband, having an affair with his tempestuous graduate student? Will Lydia's daughter Portia discover Kate has fallen for her boyfriend Olivier? And who is Lydia entangled with?
At times I just wished Kate would get out of that house and take an art class, or meet someone with a drop of altruism to refresh our mental palettes. I like a few more redeeming characters in a novel, but if you like verbal sparring by bright, self-centered characters, you will find this entertaining. This novel is best read with a sense of humor, French pastry and sparkling beverage by your side. The author is a talented story-teller and adroit with using descriptive language. She lived in France and has a PhD in French literature. I hope to read more from her.
4.5 stars
One of the charms of the book is the vivid way the author brings Paris to life. You can see, feel, hear, smell and, best of all, taste Paris through the descriptions. The author is also talented in creating witty and sparkling dialogue.
It helps to like the "fun" in dysFUNction as Lydia's family is a tad dysfunctional, especially Lydia herself. The plot evolves into a bit of a Molieresque farce as Kate is entangled in the complex affairs and scheming of the family members as she delivers messages and attempts to hide their secrets along with her own. Is Clarence, Lydia's professor husband, having an affair with his tempestuous graduate student? Will Lydia's daughter Portia discover Kate has fallen for her boyfriend Olivier? And who is Lydia entangled with?
At times I just wished Kate would get out of that house and take an art class, or meet someone with a drop of altruism to refresh our mental palettes. I like a few more redeeming characters in a novel, but if you like verbal sparring by bright, self-centered characters, you will find this entertaining. This novel is best read with a sense of humor, French pastry and sparkling beverage by your side. The author is a talented story-teller and adroit with using descriptive language. She lived in France and has a PhD in French literature. I hope to read more from her.
4.5 stars
March 5, 2013
Lessons in French tells the story of a young, unformed woman coming into her own in a Paris full of twists and treachery and painfully teachable moments. It is a smooth and seamless read, with lovely writing, that engages in complicated ideas without confounding you or boring you or hitting you over the head with it. The characters were well formed and believable, the pace brisk. It was fun to pick up and hard to put down! Lydia, Kate's boss, teacher and nemesis, is a particularly juicy, lovable/hateable character; so are all the outrageous and worldly and self-important people who surround her.
Oh and the food! I found myself making shopping lists as I read, dreaming of crème de peche and artichoke hearts and chocolate mousse. Reyl does food really, really well.
This book was fun and smart and also quite touching. It will leave you thinking about the price of ambition and success, the painful toll of growing up, the lessons we learn as we move from becoming to being. It will also leave you quite hungry.
Oh and the food! I found myself making shopping lists as I read, dreaming of crème de peche and artichoke hearts and chocolate mousse. Reyl does food really, really well.
This book was fun and smart and also quite touching. It will leave you thinking about the price of ambition and success, the painful toll of growing up, the lessons we learn as we move from becoming to being. It will also leave you quite hungry.
May 2, 2013
I wanted to like this book. I like her descriptions of Paris. However, I found the storyline too predictable, and I'm dense when it comes to literary devices. I found the characters too forced at times, and I really was hoping for more of a historical perspective of being in Europe during the fall of the Berlin wall, rather than a family being constantly more bitchy than 7th grade girls and people who refuse to change or learn from their mistakes. I was just so frustrated with Kate by the end of the book I just wanted to reach in and smack her a couple of times...While it is her first book, I'm willing to cut her some slack. There is plenty of room for improvement, and she does has potential as a writer.
August 12, 2022
Perskaičiau, kad istorijoje bus Paryžius, ir fotografė, galvoju, vau, čia tai bus derinukas. O, bet, tačiau... beveik visi knygos veikėjai mane nervino ir erzino. Keitė - lyg ir drąsi ir ne iškelmo spirta, bet savo pasirinkimais, naivumu, užsispyrimu ne vietoje. Lidija - na nes jau kas per arogantiška ir egoistiška moteris. Klarensas - ne vyras, o pastūmdėlis Lidijos. Porša - išlepinta merga. Olivjė - kažkoks skydalas, išdavikas ir melagis. Ir čia tik keletas veikėjų...bet knyga aplink juos ir sukasi. O Keitė visiems nori įtikti ir visiems pataikauja. Kas labiausiai ir nervino. Rašymo stilistika gal ir nieko, skyriai trumpi, bet visa knyga tas pats per tą patį, kas viduryje jau atsibodo...
October 21, 2020
I devoured this book in three days. As a French major who lived in Paris in her early twenties, I absolutely loved this coming of age story. It had all of the elements that I love in a French novel: philosophical discussions on morality; literature, art, cultural and language references; quirky characters and bizarre family dynamics; as well as heartbreak, betrayal and self-discovery. I would note that this book definitely requires some familiarity with the French language and culture, which is why it resonated so well with me. Hilary Reyl is a gifted writer and I am only sorry it took me seven years to read her book. I have ordered her other book, ‘Kids Like Us� and cannot wait to read it.
August 7, 2013
This book was ALMOST one of my favorite books of the year. Many descriptions and reviewers have called it a coming-of-age story set in Paris. True, but there's much more going on. The lead character, Katie, isn't just coming of age... she's moving beyond childhood trauma and rejection, learning how to not be a people pleaser and really own her power as a human being. In that respect, the book reminded me of The Language of Flowers or even some of my favorite YA fantasy novels. The author pulls all that off beautifully, with great writing and strong characterization. She does an especially good job of making you love the main character, and creating tension with her flaws without being irritating. I almost couldn't stop reading - rare for me in general fiction.
Where this book fell short for me was in the character's transformation. By page 200, I was wondering where the "lessons" in "Lessons in French" were coming in. When she did change, it was a little abrupt for me, and I didn't fully buy into the reasons why. Likewise, her romantic infatuations seemed a little shallow and plot-device-y, even for her character.
Overall, four stars, with potential for five depending on your patience level and willing to believe in quick personal transformation. A great debut novel.
Where this book fell short for me was in the character's transformation. By page 200, I was wondering where the "lessons" in "Lessons in French" were coming in. When she did change, it was a little abrupt for me, and I didn't fully buy into the reasons why. Likewise, her romantic infatuations seemed a little shallow and plot-device-y, even for her character.
Overall, four stars, with potential for five depending on your patience level and willing to believe in quick personal transformation. A great debut novel.
February 13, 2013
I received Lessons in French as a First Read giveaway. I had no idea what to expect:
Kate wants to experience life after graduation from Yale. She takes the opportunity to make a connection with a famous photographer and move to Paris to be her assistant. Story may sound bland on the initial look but the diversity of the characters and the depth of the deceits are remarkable.
I found the protagonist, Kate/Katherine/Katie sheltered and naive and yet hungry. She is looking to experience life and has found the perfect family to experience.
Lessons in French is a easy to read story filled with the bitterness of humans and the hopes of a young woman.
I was torn as to whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars as some of it is rather predictable, but because the overall story gives a dimension to this young woman rather than creating her as a 2d stoic character, I chose 5 stars.
I would recommend this book to my friends and family - and especially my teenage niece. There are people in this world like the Schell family. Innocent young girls need to learn to trust their instincts and enjoy their lives.
Kate wants to experience life after graduation from Yale. She takes the opportunity to make a connection with a famous photographer and move to Paris to be her assistant. Story may sound bland on the initial look but the diversity of the characters and the depth of the deceits are remarkable.
I found the protagonist, Kate/Katherine/Katie sheltered and naive and yet hungry. She is looking to experience life and has found the perfect family to experience.
Lessons in French is a easy to read story filled with the bitterness of humans and the hopes of a young woman.
I was torn as to whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars as some of it is rather predictable, but because the overall story gives a dimension to this young woman rather than creating her as a 2d stoic character, I chose 5 stars.
I would recommend this book to my friends and family - and especially my teenage niece. There are people in this world like the Schell family. Innocent young girls need to learn to trust their instincts and enjoy their lives.
December 28, 2012
I received this advanced copy through a First Reads giveaway, thank you!
I feel a book is well written when you have strong emotions for the characters. I definitely had strong emotions for all of the characters in this book, and not always positive. At times I definitely didn't like the path Kate was choosing and the way she was prioritizing her friends and family.
I never really went through a stage similar to Kate's nor have I been anywhere outside of North America, so it makes it difficult for me to relate with the main character, but I think the author did a great job writing the story so I didn't have to. My favorite details were the bits about all of the food. It really made me want to take a vacation just to eat!
The only thing I found a little difficult to follow was some of the French. Fortunately though, most of it was loosely translated so I didn't have to worry too much about it.
All-in-all, the book was a fast, easy read. I'm sure especially wonderful for anyone who loves Paris or coming-of-age stories!
I feel a book is well written when you have strong emotions for the characters. I definitely had strong emotions for all of the characters in this book, and not always positive. At times I definitely didn't like the path Kate was choosing and the way she was prioritizing her friends and family.
I never really went through a stage similar to Kate's nor have I been anywhere outside of North America, so it makes it difficult for me to relate with the main character, but I think the author did a great job writing the story so I didn't have to. My favorite details were the bits about all of the food. It really made me want to take a vacation just to eat!
The only thing I found a little difficult to follow was some of the French. Fortunately though, most of it was loosely translated so I didn't have to worry too much about it.
All-in-all, the book was a fast, easy read. I'm sure especially wonderful for anyone who loves Paris or coming-of-age stories!
February 24, 2013
Lessons in French is a bit like a Devil Wears Prada story as we follow a young woman, Kate, in her first job as an assistant to a powerful and mercurial photographer in Paris. As a Yale grad, her vision of this job falls far from the reality. At times she is the artistic assistant and at other times she is the dog walker. Kate Is often placed in the middle of a family drama and must tiptoe around all of the eccentricity and turmoil. Her need to please is a trait that she discovers can be a hindrance in her situation. One of the more appealing relationships that Kate develops is with her cousin Etienne as she resolves her past relationship with him and his family. Hilary Reyl provides us with a well-defined cast of characters but it takes the entire story to discover all of their attributes and intricacies. It was enjoyable finding this out.
February 26, 2013
Lessons in French is a wonderful journey. As a woman who came of age in the same time period, I identified fully with the protagonist Kate who is more assured of her youth and promise than of her own merits and position as an artist in a community that cherishes images and intellect.
Kate brushes elbows with the major cultural figures of the day while not knowing exactly how she fits in as the assistant of a high strung yet brilliant photojournalist. In the end, it's the relationships and experiences that open Kate's eyes to world of possibilities in front of her and she comes into her own. I loved this book and couldn't put it down mostly because of the colorful, sensuous world Hilary Reyl captured for her readers. Kudos!
Kate brushes elbows with the major cultural figures of the day while not knowing exactly how she fits in as the assistant of a high strung yet brilliant photojournalist. In the end, it's the relationships and experiences that open Kate's eyes to world of possibilities in front of her and she comes into her own. I loved this book and couldn't put it down mostly because of the colorful, sensuous world Hilary Reyl captured for her readers. Kudos!
March 14, 2013
What a beautifully told story. Here I am ... once again ... reading a book that's actually not written by a foreign author, but a book that totally takes place in a foreign place - Paris. By the end of the book, I felt I knew Paris like I know Seattle. The French language, when spoken well, is so beautiful and the same is for this book ... it's like it rolls off your tongue (or your eyes!). I read this book in 2 days ... reading late into the night ... which is unusual for me. I got totally absorbed in this book ... into the story line, the characters, the city of Paris and the BIG lessons in life that we only learn by putting ourselves out there and experiencing life.
October 9, 2012
Absolutely loved Hilary Reyl's debut novel! I was given an advanced reader's copy and as soon as I started reading I felt an instant connection to the main character Kate. Reyl's descriptions of Parisian life in the late 1980's transported me back in time and the images she paints of the food, culture, and city streets made me want to start planning my next trip to Paris. A beautiful coming of age story that I would highly recommend to all my Francophile friends.
October 29, 2012
I was fortunate to win this book in a ŷ giveaway, & I appreciate the opportunity to have read it before it is published. This is the author's first novel, & I thoroughly enjoyed it. At times her main character is not so likable, but she reminded me of someone that I know, around the same age, & I could appreciate the growing she had yet to do. Hilary Reyl's writing was descriptive, so that I felt as though I could envision Paris as if I was there with Kate, seeing what she saw.
September 13, 2012
A beautifully written story of a young American woman,Kate,living in Paris and working for a famous photographer. Kate struggles to make sense of her own creative instincts, her losses and her need for love and family.
March 29, 2020
Maybe I would’ve enjoyed this book had I read it when it came out, when I was younger and perhaps less sure of myself. Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference.
The story sounded like it would boil over with exuberance from its characters but instead fell flat. Never once did I think, “I can’t wait to pick up where I left off,� instead I had to choose if I would even finish it. Would not recommend.
The story sounded like it would boil over with exuberance from its characters but instead fell flat. Never once did I think, “I can’t wait to pick up where I left off,� instead I had to choose if I would even finish it. Would not recommend.
March 13, 2013
I am very appreciative to have received this prior to publication as a FIRST READS giveaway from GOODREADS - thank you!
Having added French as my second major in college, I enjoy a chance to revisit the language & Paris via a good book & that was certainment the experience with LESSONS IN FRENCH! I was savoring the food & cooking discussions, the culture, the literary references as well as the shopping & dining experiences. My only Paris experience was brief but exciting -- a few days within a 21-day High School Band & Chorus Concert Tour. We were NOT traveling in the same circles as the Schells! The historical background is the late 80's as the Berlin Wall is coming down & shifting Europe.
Kate, a Yale grad looking to begin her art career is hired as an "assistant" to Lydia Schell, a famous American photojournalist in Paris. The pay is meager but Kate is eager for the experience & is already fluent in French having stayed in Paris with relatives as a child, waiting... while her father tragically dies. Kate, what was she thinking(!) quickly finds herself entangled in the Schell family drama. Some complications were of her own doing & many to do with the dysfunctional, self-absorbed, boundary-less, manipulative & often devious quartet with whom she works & lives. Lydia, uses the eager to please Kate: who realizes, "When she (Lydia) focuses, she's interested. When she doesn't, you become invisible." I was really frustrated with the tangled web of the Schell family & enjoyed the book in spite of them!
Kate, always eager to please, is kept very busy at all hours, but does get to "hob nob with the rich & famous" in the Schell circle. She also reconnects with her relatives & makes new friends including a group of "BCBG" boys, "bon chic bon genre" who entertain her on their nickel. She does occasionally get to say, "Je t'invite." meaning it was her turn to pay!
Kate still misses her Dad who looms large as she tries to define herself, "If only I knew what he would have wanted, I thought I could unravel into a real person." He had told her, "that the world was her oyster." I savored it with her as she viewed Paris with, "a sense that no avenues were closed to me yet...any of the petites rues or grands boulevards could take me someplace."
My favorite character was Mme Fidelio, the housekeeper. She was kind to Kate & real in a cast of superficials, "Je comprends....Ce n'est pas facile." When Kate responds that life "en famille" with the Schells might not have been easy but it was interesting Mme Fidelio "laughed. Interessant! En effet, ils sont interessants! Ah, c'est trop bon ca!"
Tchin, tchin! to Hilary
Having added French as my second major in college, I enjoy a chance to revisit the language & Paris via a good book & that was certainment the experience with LESSONS IN FRENCH! I was savoring the food & cooking discussions, the culture, the literary references as well as the shopping & dining experiences. My only Paris experience was brief but exciting -- a few days within a 21-day High School Band & Chorus Concert Tour. We were NOT traveling in the same circles as the Schells! The historical background is the late 80's as the Berlin Wall is coming down & shifting Europe.
Kate, a Yale grad looking to begin her art career is hired as an "assistant" to Lydia Schell, a famous American photojournalist in Paris. The pay is meager but Kate is eager for the experience & is already fluent in French having stayed in Paris with relatives as a child, waiting... while her father tragically dies. Kate, what was she thinking(!) quickly finds herself entangled in the Schell family drama. Some complications were of her own doing & many to do with the dysfunctional, self-absorbed, boundary-less, manipulative & often devious quartet with whom she works & lives. Lydia, uses the eager to please Kate: who realizes, "When she (Lydia) focuses, she's interested. When she doesn't, you become invisible." I was really frustrated with the tangled web of the Schell family & enjoyed the book in spite of them!
Kate, always eager to please, is kept very busy at all hours, but does get to "hob nob with the rich & famous" in the Schell circle. She also reconnects with her relatives & makes new friends including a group of "BCBG" boys, "bon chic bon genre" who entertain her on their nickel. She does occasionally get to say, "Je t'invite." meaning it was her turn to pay!
Kate still misses her Dad who looms large as she tries to define herself, "If only I knew what he would have wanted, I thought I could unravel into a real person." He had told her, "that the world was her oyster." I savored it with her as she viewed Paris with, "a sense that no avenues were closed to me yet...any of the petites rues or grands boulevards could take me someplace."
My favorite character was Mme Fidelio, the housekeeper. She was kind to Kate & real in a cast of superficials, "Je comprends....Ce n'est pas facile." When Kate responds that life "en famille" with the Schells might not have been easy but it was interesting Mme Fidelio "laughed. Interessant! En effet, ils sont interessants! Ah, c'est trop bon ca!"
Tchin, tchin! to Hilary
February 17, 2013
Paris is not a city that attracts me, yet it does fascinate me. It's not a place I long to go (one brief visit in the 1970's has allowed me to say I've been there), but it's a city I do love to read about. Whether historical, twentieth century, or current, the nuances of culture never cease to give much to contemplate. Hilary Reyl has managed to capture a believable Paris of 1989-90 and present it to her readers, along with tasty morsels of the time: the fall of the Berlin Wall, Salman Rushdie (Satanic Verses era), how Parisian women really stay thin, kirs, a compelling circle of characters, and of course, cuisine.
The story is billed loosely as a coming of age novel, which really sells it short, because I found it to be a fascinating character study, with Paris itself one of the characters to study. Kate, a recent Yale graduate, has the opportunity to work as the assistant to Lydia, a famous American photographer, living in Paris. Kate had lived briefly in Paris as a girl, and speaks the language beautifully. While the job bubbles with opportunities to mix with the famous, and be a part of a cutting edge culture, Lydia and her family serve up a somewhat toxic brew of personal pathologies and pathos. Kate must find a balance as well as find herself. She still has family in the city, has a group of young aristocrats and royals she runs with, as well as the conflicted personalities that come her way, courtesy of Lydia's family.
There were times when Kate's hormones led her astray, where I wanted to give her a shake to help her think straight, but that's part of what coming of age is all about. The thing that kept me glued to the pages here were the glimpses of Paris that emerged, the slices of life not known to those who have only visited, (whether in person or via a book) -- a little of the underbelly, so to speak. It rang so true that I feel certain Reyl knows her stuff, and weaves it in a clear, confident manner, into the story of Kate and her time in Paris.
Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program and the publisher for sending me this AR copy to read. The book comes out March 5, 2013.
(3.5 rounded up to 4 stars)
The story is billed loosely as a coming of age novel, which really sells it short, because I found it to be a fascinating character study, with Paris itself one of the characters to study. Kate, a recent Yale graduate, has the opportunity to work as the assistant to Lydia, a famous American photographer, living in Paris. Kate had lived briefly in Paris as a girl, and speaks the language beautifully. While the job bubbles with opportunities to mix with the famous, and be a part of a cutting edge culture, Lydia and her family serve up a somewhat toxic brew of personal pathologies and pathos. Kate must find a balance as well as find herself. She still has family in the city, has a group of young aristocrats and royals she runs with, as well as the conflicted personalities that come her way, courtesy of Lydia's family.
There were times when Kate's hormones led her astray, where I wanted to give her a shake to help her think straight, but that's part of what coming of age is all about. The thing that kept me glued to the pages here were the glimpses of Paris that emerged, the slices of life not known to those who have only visited, (whether in person or via a book) -- a little of the underbelly, so to speak. It rang so true that I feel certain Reyl knows her stuff, and weaves it in a clear, confident manner, into the story of Kate and her time in Paris.
Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program and the publisher for sending me this AR copy to read. The book comes out March 5, 2013.
(3.5 rounded up to 4 stars)
March 12, 2016
If you throw Paris or France in a title, you can know that I will probably seek this book out and give it a read. And I will probably like it, no matter how badly written it is. I just like reading about Paris.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I found this book. And it shouldn’t be a surprise that I read it. Nor will it be a surprise that I liked it.
But I’ll go a little farther with this book. You might like it, too. Turns out that author Reyl writes as if she has lots of actual experiences in France, which is lovely. Paris and good writing, then. Yes, you might like it. Even if you aren’t wild about France.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I found this book. And it shouldn’t be a surprise that I read it. Nor will it be a surprise that I liked it.
But I’ll go a little farther with this book. You might like it, too. Turns out that author Reyl writes as if she has lots of actual experiences in France, which is lovely. Paris and good writing, then. Yes, you might like it. Even if you aren’t wild about France.
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