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French Milk

by Lucy Knisley (Goodreads Author)

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 2,434 ratings · 514 reviews

A place where young Americans can seek poetic magic in the winding streets of a beautiful city. The museums, the cafs, the parks. An artist like Lucy can really enjoy Paris in January. If only she can stop griping at her mother. This comic journal details a mother and daughters month-long stay in a small apartment in the fifth arrondissement. Lucy is grappling with the ons...more

Paperback, 188 pages

Published September 5th 2007 by Epigraph Publishing

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The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Books About Paris

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Jan 09, 2012 nicole j. wroblewski rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic_novel, 2009

Eh. The first word that comes to mind (unless we're counting "eh") is "self-indulgent". But that doesn't really seem fair. I mean, it's a diary. Diaries are self-indulgent. That's the point of a diary. But it's hard not to wonder "...why is this published?" and "...why does she imagine other people want to read about what she ate AT EVERY SINGLE MEAL?" I finished it, of course, but I think that's only because I was at work, and I would rather read about what a stranger ate for dinner than shelve...more Eh. The first word that comes to mind (unless we're counting "eh") is "self-indulgent". But that doesn't really seem fair. I mean, it's a diary. Diaries are self-indulgent. That's the point of a diary. But it's hard not to wonder "...why is this published?" and "...why does she imagine other people want to read about what she ate AT EVERY SINGLE MEAL?" I finished it, of course, but I think that's only because I was at work, and I would rather read about what a stranger ate for dinner than shelve at the moment.

I had high hopes for the book when it started off with the death of her cat and a speech bubble reading "That? Oh, the cooling corpse of your childhood pet, of course!" but that was pretty much the highlight for me. I mean, some stuff was relatable, and having never been ANYWHERE, it's nice to hear about any visit to Paris, but you can only see so many quick sketches of foie gras before you start skipping over them. There was zero depth. She writes about "love" and her "changing relationship" with her mother but we never learned anythig about her mom's personality, or saw them interact in anyway other than to 1) eat 2) shop and 3) watch dvds, and as she only ever mentions sex when thinking about her boyfriend.

Worth looking at because I have an interest in making a graphic novel of my own, and she does draw nicely, but in general, boring in the same way that Invincible Summer is boring. Leaves you wondering "why should I care?" And Georges' drawings are better... So, like I said... eh.

OH AND I JUST REMEMBERED. At the very end? Lucy and her mom are on a plane back to the US? Watching a dvd WITHOUT headphones? And then get pissed off when they're told not to? Because, y'know, they are not in fact the only people on the air craft and I want to listen to you listen to a movie about as badly as I want to listen to the child in front of me repeatedly slam their armrest down? And so they proceed to talk loudly instead? IDIOTS. God, that made me hate them so much.(less)

14 likes · like · see review

Feb 20, 2013 MB rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crossing-cultures, graphic-novels-and-comics, read-in-2013, travel, biographies-and-memoirs

Basically, this is a travel diary in comic format. I suspect that the reader's reaction to this book depends on how much YOU identify with Lucy. I.e. if reading this brings back happy memories of college days and travel and such butterfly like self-exploration, then you will probably enjoy this. On the other hand, if your background was much less privileged; then Lucy will likely come off as privileged and self-absorbed. In that case this memoir may be grating to you.

I'd be interested to see wh...more

3 likes · like · see review

Courtney Williams Hey, thanks for liking my review of this :) I definitely agree with your hypothesis, as you may have been able to tell! I'm from a much less privilege...more
Feb 07, 2013 05:51am

MB Hi Courtney, I so agreed with you and did find her grating. I probably was that ego-centric when I was 21/22 but I sure wasn't that indulged. So...she...more
Feb 07, 2013 11:10am

Courtney Williams Yes, I was glad I wasn't alone too! Being the same sort of age as she was during the book meant I couldn't really excuse any of her behaviour as just...more
Feb 09, 2013 02:48pm

Dec 05, 2012 Parka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

French Milk is a sketchbook travelogue on the author Lucy Knisley and her mother. They spent 6 weeks together travelling in Paris. It seems pretty long for a holiday but hey, it's Paris!

Using her brush pen, she records her adventure in the new city, visiting museums, dining, shopping and taking pictures. Through the single panel cartoons and writeup, we're let how she sees the world as a young adult. She's 21 when she drew all these.

While there are few days where she gripes about stuff, the char...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 08, 2008 Mary Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars

I suppose I was expecting something more substantive when I picked up this book. What I found instead was a collection of drawings and photos of what Knisley ate and bought while living in Paris for 6 weeks with her mother. And she ate and bought a lot (I'm pretty sure that if I could, I would, too.) The thing is, that doesn't make for a gripping or even an intriguing read. The comic became an inventory of consumption and anecdotes.

This was all the more frustrating given her projected scope for...more

22 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2009 Needleroozer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, life-stories, travel

This comic tells the story of a young woman in her early 20s who spends a month in Paris with her mother. There wasn't really a plot to the story; this was the journal and sketch book of her day to day life. I liked that. I liked getting a glimpse of what this woman did in Paris, where she went, what she ate.

I was a bit bugged by money. The author/artist mentions several times that she is worried about her finances, can't afford to buy things, yet does manage to buy things and is spending a mont...more

13 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2009 Ciara rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: comic diarists, people going to france soon, lucy's friends

Shelves: autobio-memoir, graphic-novels, read-in-2009

for some reason, i was really obsessed with finding this book & reading it, even though i am not a huge fan of graphic books or books where spoiled 22-year-olds go to paris & spend half their time there crying because they miss their boyfriends or are worried about their finances. i think i liked the idea of the book more than i liked the execution, even though i knew on some level that of course the idea was bound to be better than the execution. but i put a hold on it at the library an...more for some reason, i was really obsessed with finding this book & reading it, even though i am not a huge fan of graphic books or books where spoiled 22-year-olds go to paris & spend half their time there crying because they miss their boyfriends or are worried about their finances. i think i liked the idea of the book more than i liked the execution, even though i knew on some level that of course the idea was bound to be better than the execution. but i put a hold on it at the library anyway, & when i finally sat down to read it, i blazed through in an hour or two.

the whole thing is about six weeks that lucy spends living in paris with her mom. they are staying in a little apartment where they share a bed & they spend all day strolling around paris, eating lots of food, going to art museums, & shopping. honestly, it doesn't sound like a bad way to spend six weeks. i gather from context that the trip is an xmas gift from her parents to lucy, & that maybe her mom is thinking of getting an apartment in paris & living there part-time. so you can discern that these people are loaded. not a bad gig if you can get it, i guess, but i definitely failed to relate, which probably sucked some of the pleasure out of the book for me.

lucy turns 22 while she is in paris, & spends all day moping about being old. HA HA HA! all 22-year-olds thing they are old. & just a few years later, they are horrified & embarrassed that they ever thought such a thing. but that knowledge failed to make lucy's angst any more tolerable. she also kept dropping little asides about all her great france-related literary loves, such as oscar wilde, anais nin, & david sedaris. oh yes, how very obscure. she must be the most sophisticated 22-year-old art student the world has ever seen, to be aware of these luminary lights of the literary establishment! oh wait. these are the same peeps that every slack-jawed 22-year-old art student with pretensions of relevancy idolize. i am always so embarrassed for people when they make a big fuss about their obscure interests, & it turns out that their interests are neither obscure nor interesting. moving on...

probably my greatest disappointment is that the art didn't even do much for me. it was very derivative of lynda barry & tintin, with an occasional splash of julie doucet, but not any of the doucet trademarks that actually make julie doucet's work interesting. lucy is a better artist than i am, so i'm not going to cast too many stones here, but considering that this was a fully-illustrated diary documenting a trip to one of the most visually sumptuous cities in the world...i was a little bummed with the end result, i will admit. i'm sure she can knock a nice detailed architectural drawing out of the park when she really wants to--there were hints of serious talent in here. but because it was essentially a diary, there was a dashed-off thrown-together quality to the art that didn't do much for me.

oh, & also. the book opens with this whole song & dance about how lucy wants to explore the manner in which the french appreciate life, & she wants to explore her changing relationship with her mom...was that an intro for a different book? because neither of those things happens here. unless maybe she & her mom have never shopped together before or something. i don't know.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 23, 2009 Miss Kitty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fluffygirlstuff, graphicfantastic, youthnonfiction

I started out alternately hatin' on (WTF? Her parents are paying for her to live in Paris for a month?) and liking (pages after pages of "This is what I ate and it was soooo good,") this book. I heard about it from my absolutely favorite young adult literature blog Readingrants.org so I had high hopes, despite my extreme jealousy of her City of Lights living. Hrmph. The book's cover says something about exploring the relationship between mothers and daughters. Well, I must have skipped the page...more

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Feb 08, 2009 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

I thought this book would be a little more introspective, especially since the author herself mentions early on calling it French Milk as a reference to, well, French milk, but also to mother's milk and what's passed on by a mother to daughter. But there was no discussion of their relationship at all, and even the milk shows up late in the book -- strange for something that is, after all, the title image. I'd been hoping for something more along the lines of Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home."

I liked...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2008 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008

The three stars is actually an average. If I were basing the rating on the story alone, I would've given it two stars. Nothing happens to the author other than she spends six weeks in Paris with her mother shopping, eating, reading and visiting museums. Don't get me wrong- that sounds like a dream vacation, but the author's personal experience didn't translate into an amazing reading experience for *me*. It's kinda like you had to be there, you know?

On the other hand, the pen and ink drawings (a...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2008 GraceAnne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Rebecca Schoscha

utterly charming, slightly addled.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 20, 2009 Erik rated it 3 of 5 stars

Only twenty-two when she wrote and drew this, Knisely establishes herself as an up-and-coming creator in this medium with her graphic novel treatment of a month-long trip to the City of Lights with her mother. Aesthetically-speaking, her shapes and ink strokes most resembles James Kochalka crossed with Craig Thompson and Seattle’s own Ellen Forney. And therein lay much of her charm.

On a more critical note, Knisely’s awe of Paris – not to mention her affectation by taking up smoking for her trip...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2009 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, age-adult-books

I love her drawings, and the book made me want to visit Paris. I especially loved the incorporation of photographs, and would have liked to see them mixed with cartooning more often, as on the cover. The drawings of tabletops spread with food and wine glasses were very nostalgic to me. However, for a book that was marketed as a mother-daughter exploration, I didn't think it provided much. Lucy rarely got out of herself enough to analyze much of anything; she was with her mother, but I didn't see...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 01, 2009 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Leanne Shapton and Maira Kalman

Shelves: comics, nonfiction, own

This was fun and sweet. It probably helped that I really did want to know what they ate for every meal. The reading was also enhanced by experiences I shared with the author, like visiting Paris, spending a college summer traveling around Europe with a friend, and later going to Europe with my mother. I certainly never had the budget for all that shopping to boot, but flea markets are fun so that was fine. One thing that was missing was an explanation of where the book itself fit into the trip....more

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Feb 16, 2009 Ru rated it 5 of 5 stars

i am giving this the full five stars for several reasons. the first is the potential it showcases. knisley is young, seems to know a lot of the right people (bryan lee o'malley, hope larson, etc), has a wonderful way with a brush/pen/ink (her sketch style is very reminiscent of craig thompson's carnet du voyages). several reviews i have read seem to take offense that a visual diary from a young woman in her early 20s appears to be written by a young woman in her early 20s (whiny, self-indulgent,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 22, 2013 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, graphic-novels

Lucy's memoir of her five week stay in Paris with her mother as she nears the end of her college career. It's full of angst -- of the wondering what she'll do, where she'll go when school's over -- and it's also full of food, of travel, and of culture.

I really appreciated how much angst Lucy gives us without fear, too. She's very honest and realistic about having days where she just didn't feel like being present because her own mind space was begging her to lay in bed and do little else. There...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 18, 2013 Mazohyst (Edel) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, library, non-fiction, cute-art

First thing's first, the drawings are just so CHARMING. It's nothing too groundbreaking or outstanding but they are wonderful to look at. There's definitely talent there.

Although, when I first picked up the book, I didn't think it would be "just a travel diary." The description made it to be seem more than that. I was hoping for it to be a "self realization, coming of age, transitioning into the adult world" trip but it was more of a "let's go have fun and take pictures" kind of trip. If you go...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, graphic-novels

In Lucy Knisley's first graphic novel, she charts her four-week stay in Paris with her mother. Plenty of meal descriptions and museum excursions dominate the pages, along with a trip to Oscar Wilde's grave, a nervous breakdown about Lucy's impending adulthood (She turns 22 while there.), and a visit from her father.

I didn't really feel like anything was at stake in this book, and the wonderful meals got repetitive and boring after a while. Lucy got in a few funks while over there, and that just...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, nonfiction

I loved this sweet graphic novel about a twenty-something’s 6 week trip to Paris with her mother. The nonfiction piece is written as her personal journal, but sets itself apart from other travel memoirs because it consists of drawing and comics of their day-to-day life there.

Lucy and her mother wander the streets of Paris, visiting markets and museums, but never in a hurry. I loved reading about their meals and the weather, but I’m sure not everyone would find it enthralling. The book reminded...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Courtney Williams rated it 1 of 5 stars

Book 14/52 for 2012, review cross-posted to my blog.

I've tried to like Lucy Knisley's work; really, I have. My main issue has always been that, while she often states that she's going to explore an concept and make meaningful observations, she rarely delivers. For example, her Kickstarter-funded Here at Hogwarts comic promised to be "about our experience [going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park], and how Harry Potter as a cultural phenomenon has shaped fan society, British/Americ...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2012 Anna (Pocketful of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

Review first posted here: http://www.pocketfulofbooks.com/2012/...

This book is designed to charm your pants off. And it definitely worked on me. If you have ever dreamed of Paris and wearing a beret whilst you soujourn jauntily around the museums and art galleries smoking and looking tres chic (we have all had pretentious dreams) then there is no way that you won't love this book. 'Anna and the French Kiss' did a lot for Paris in the YA book community and I have heard a lot of people saying that...more Review first posted here: http://www.pocketfulofbooks.com/2012/...

This book is designed to charm your pants off. And it definitely worked on me. If you have ever dreamed of Paris and wearing a beret whilst you soujourn jauntily around the museums and art galleries smoking and looking tres chic (we have all had pretentious dreams) then there is no way that you won't love this book. 'Anna and the French Kiss' did a lot for Paris in the YA book community and I have heard a lot of people saying that that book inspired them to visit it someday. Take 'French Milk' with you if you do....it is everything the cultured tourist needs to know.

Lucy Knisley writes and draws a (very detailed) travel journal during her stay in Paris. It has rather a childish feel to it which I loved; when I find my old diaries from family holidays they are always very matter of fact and record every single insignificant thing, like exactly what food we ate and how many pigeons I saw rather than my feelings and reactions (I wish I had...that would probably make for a much more hilarious read!) Lucy is the same for the most part- 'we went here, then we ate this, then we did this and it was nice'. She does throw in some angst, depression and horniness but not for the most part. She is also very funny and honest and doesn't pull any punches about how she is really feeling. So what if she's in Paris and she's eating amazing food and viewing amazing art...if she wants to throw a tantrum or spend all day in bed then she will! Sometimes when you feel like yo SHOULD be having fun you just can't and I found that Lucy was very honest about the times when she isn't enjoying herself as much as she would like to be.

She also doesn't look at Paris through rose tinted glasses; she says when she had to queue for hours, when certain art was pretentious and boring, when things are too touristy. I liked that because no famous city is like the photographs; yes the beautiful sights are there but they are also framed by another hundred tourists taking exactly the same photo as you. There's one photograph that Lucy includes that she took herself in an art gallery where everyone in the photo is looking at the art through a camera: no one is looking directly at it and enjoying the moment! This is a pet peeve of mine: why are recording a moment you never had? Why not enjoy something while you are experiencing it rather than have a ghost of it preserved. When you look at the photo all you will remember is the memory of taking the photo. I used to do it when I was a teenager but I've now realised that it's just silly.

I love the food porn in this book; Lucy eats her weight in foie gras, chocolate mousse, croissants and beef and it made me mouth water. The book is called 'French Milk' because she loves the fresh whole fat milk in Paris so much...it's just much more rustic and fresh and everything the eat is from a market. I love that and I could almost smell the freshly baked baguettes. Her mum seems lovely and eats a lot of salads.

I liked how down to earth Lucy was about the museums too. Let's face it, most of us like the idea of loving museums and being enraptured by history and culture, but most of us will moan our feet hurt and skim read most of the exhibits looking wistfully at the gift shop. In one museum Lucy says,

'If I were to give a tour of such a place, I would include information on the affairs, on what they wore, on the food and the party scandals, and where/how they fucked, shat and picked their noses'

I concur, Lucy, I CONCUR!

Overall, this is a charming little graphic novel that gives a very nice, well-rounded depiction of Paris and gorgeous little doodles to accompany it. Would definitely recommend for any Francophiles!(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 27, 2012 Myonlycookie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, travel

I picked this up because it was lying around my friend's apt., and I blew through it in a couple hours.

This is a comic diary of Lucy Knisley's month-long trip to Paris with her mother. The trip was taken in celebration of her mother's 50th birthday, and also Lucy's 22nd birthday. Knisley is just about to graduate college (though going on to grad school), so she is at critical point in her life.

The pros: One thing I will say about this comic is that it is very reflective of Knisley's age. It does...more I picked this up because it was lying around my friend's apt., and I blew through it in a couple hours.

This is a comic diary of Lucy Knisley's month-long trip to Paris with her mother. The trip was taken in celebration of her mother's 50th birthday, and also Lucy's 22nd birthday. Knisley is just about to graduate college (though going on to grad school), so she is at critical point in her life.

The pros: One thing I will say about this comic is that it is very reflective of Knisley's age. It doesn't try to be anything else besides a travel diary written by a 22-year-old. I appreciate that and its self-awareness. There are the expected emotional breakdowns, but it's a very light and whimsical read, emphasizing the fantasy that is travel and Paris. The drawings are delightful and have an ease about them. I also liked seeing her comics juxtaposed with grainy photos of the trip; it added a personal touch and was fun to see how Knisley interpreted the images around her through several media.

My hitches with the comic: Her art style is defined, yet not fully defined (again, reflective of her age). If you look her up now, she's grown into her art more. When reading this comic, though, I always got the sense that it wasn't fully formed; it was still a little vague.

I don't want to criticize the writing portion too much, because it's a diary and in diaries you're supposed to write whatever you want, but I honestly don't know how much deeper meaning there is to glean from it. It's not as introspective, and more chronicles her activities during the day than her thoughts. (Okay, there are a lot of freak out about being a semi-adult, but I wanted more.) There is not a lot about her relationship with her mother, which is a shame, because it could have been a compelling point about the trip.

It is what it is, and I probably would not have read it if it wasn't just sitting there in front of me. But it has sparked my interest in autobiographical comics again. (Also, there's a page where she draws manatees. It's awesome, take my word for it.)(less)

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May 24, 2012 Shayna Ross rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be (not that I had any real expectations), but it's still a fairly cute memoir. A 22 year old girl goes to Paris with her mother for a couple weeks and explore the city for what it's known for: art, history, culture, and food. Her diary was a mixed of drawings, writings, and photographs. She was observant in her explorations, especially with every meal/snack her and her mother ate, the art she saw in museums and the books she found in the shops. And th...more

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May 02, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, graphic-novel, great-graphic-novels-for-girls, ya, non-fiction, growing-up, memoir

In this graphic memoir, Lucy Knisley shares the journal she kept the winter break before she graduates from college. She and her mother rent a Paris apartment and live there for six weeks. Lucy sees the sights, eats lots of excellent French food, and tries to figure out the rest of her life.

This was a day-by-day journal of Lucy's six weeks in France. At first, it was just a travel log. Where she went, what museums she went to, the restaurants she ate at. Lucy details pretty much everything she a...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Knisley's drawings are nice. She has a great line quality and ease in rendering people, especially their faces. I also like the layout and the use of photos in this book. On the other hand, I felt the content was rather boring and the author/main character was a bit pretentious. Yes, this is a diary and so some self-indulgence is par for the course, but once it's published it becomes a book that other people are expected to read and enjoy.

How can Knisley write about a month of shopping sprees a...more Knisley's drawings are nice. She has a great line quality and ease in rendering people, especially their faces. I also like the layout and the use of photos in this book. On the other hand, I felt the content was rather boring and the author/main character was a bit pretentious. Yes, this is a diary and so some self-indulgence is par for the course, but once it's published it becomes a book that other people are expected to read and enjoy.

How can Knisley write about a month of shopping sprees and art museum going without a hint of irony that what she is doing is just extended tourism, which is 100% acceptable, except when she starts looking down on the American students she finds eating Oreos at the laundromat. She reveals very little about these students and why their eating of American junk food and their use of the word like is so offensive. Does she really think she's that different?

Another thing that I find disingenuous is the defensive and thin excuse in favor of producing and eating fois gras, as well as, the page upon page of drawings of this pate on the author's plate, but when she encounters a restaurant's use of brass (yes, brass. not real) pig hooves for door handles she has the nerve to be disturbed. Is she kidding?

The biggest gripe I have though is with the discrepancy between the back cover's description and the book's actual content. I decided to read this because of the supposed examination of Knisley and her mother's relationship. Can someone please tell me where this was explored in the book?

I get the feeling this book was not started as a travel journal to be published (I hope), but as a personal travel log and I think this is its biggest flaw; the audience was not a real consideration during its creation. It feels like I'm reading my own travel journal (I went to Paris with my father when I was nineteen), but the difference between rereading my travel diary and Knisley's is that I actually care about the trip I took and I did not make my journal into something more than it is.

There is personal value in keeping a diary. There is also value in knowing the proper time and venue for sharing the information within one.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 23, 2012 Violette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, read-in-2012, graphic-novels

I just finished reading "French Milk" and came away with a strong feeling that this book could have been so much more than it was. Instead, it was very much "middle of the road" for me, with the one benefit of it being a very short read.

Knisley's travel diary is littered with photos and cute little drawings that recount her time in Paris with her mother. A large part of the book is spent talking about food. While food is such an essential component of Paris, I really felt that, due to Knisley's...more

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May 08, 2011 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: art, food, france, graphic-novel, memoir, non-fiction, travel, paris

Generally a cute graphic-travellogue. The premise is that the author spends a few weeks in Paris with her mom while working on her final project for her undergraduate degree - which is essentially this book. The story moves along at a nice pace, includes quirky observations and does a nice job of balancing the grandiose history of Paris with contemporary references that keep it modern (the trip takes place in Dec 06 - Jan 07).

There is extensive mention of all the food the author and her mom eat...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2010 Kathy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, memoir, travel

I can't remember where I heard of this book or why I requested it, but one day I had this and another book waiting for me to pick up at the library. Both were written by females and were memoirs in graphic novel form. This one was written by a young woman who went to spend a month in France with her mom. She tells about her experiences with the food and culture and her relationship with her mom, etc. I took a lot of French classes, spent a short time in France once, and am very interested in it,...more I can't remember where I heard of this book or why I requested it, but one day I had this and another book waiting for me to pick up at the library. Both were written by females and were memoirs in graphic novel form. This one was written by a young woman who went to spend a month in France with her mom. She tells about her experiences with the food and culture and her relationship with her mom, etc. I took a lot of French classes, spent a short time in France once, and am very interested in it, so this sounded really good. Right at the beginning I started to wonder about the author, who was about 22 I think, when she said she started smoking so she would fit in at the outdoor cafes where everyone smokes. Wow. You would think by that age you would know better than to pick up such a stinky, unhealthy habit just to fit in for a month in France. I found that I just couldn't connect with her, not just because of that. Some of the language was harsh. I feel like I have to be careful with the graphic novels because my 11-year-old son is drawn to them. Basically they're cartoons. I really didn't want him seeing this and picking it up. The author also included photographs in the pages and somehow that really drew me out of the world of the drawings. It was interesting to see what the people she wrote about really looked like, but I felt jarred seeing the photographs among the drawings. I didn't realize how I become sort of absorbed in the cartoon world until the photographs would jerk me out of it. I understand the idea behind putting the photos in, but I personally didn't like it. Maybe if they had all been together at the end or something. So even though it wouldn't have taken very long to finish, I just found I didn't care at all and gave up not even halfway through. I returned this one to the library ASAP. I don't know if it's fair to rate a book that I didn't finish, but I really didn't like it and didn't want to finish it, so what better reason is there to get 1 star?(less)

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Nov 27, 2010 Wendi rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful book! Description: Through delightful drawings, photographs, and musings, twenty-three-year-old Lucy Knisley documents a six-week trip she and her mother took to Paris when each was facing a milestone birthday. With a quirky flat in the fifth arrondissement as their home base, they set out to explore all the city has to offer, watching fireworks over the Eiffel Tower on New Year's Eve, visiting Oscar Wilde's grave, loafing at cafés, and, of course, drinking delicious French milk...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books, nonfiction

In December 2006/January 2007, Lucy Knisley took a six-week trip to Paris with her mother to celebrate her mother's fiftieth birthday and Lucy's twenty-second. French Milk is Knisley's travel journal from that trip, and it's a pleasing combination of photos, text, and drawings (Knisley is a cartoonist). I love all the Parisian details of this book—the buildings, the food, the great old stuff at the flea market, the art that Knisley and her mother see at the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Pantheo...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars

First of all, I am a sucker for travel writing. The synopsis sounded promising—self-proclaimed light reading, with a touch of mother-daughter relations and the trepidation of ending college and beginning "real life."

Yet even with such a charming and relatable context, the story itself falls flat. Development is sacrificed for mundane, throw-away "what did we eats" and "what did we sees." Her quotidian accounts are illustrated with a charming hand, yet the actual details she chooses to share are...more

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Travel

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Autobiography > Memoir

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Non Fiction

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Sequential Art > Comics

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Cultural > France

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Food And Drink > Food

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Adult

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Biography

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About Lucy Knisley

Beginning with an love for Archie comics and Calvin and Hobbes, Lucy Knisley (pronounced "nigh-zlee") has always thought of cartooning as the only profession she is suited for. A New York City kid raised by a family of foodies, Lucy is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago currently pursuing an MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies. While completing her BFA at the School of the...more

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