Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city in the 1980s. Finally, after a nearly two... read full description
reviews
Jan 13, 2010
Grace
rated it: 
Definitely one of my favorite expat-in-Paris books! The observations were so good, and so EDUCATIONAL. If you are going to Paris you should read this book so you know how to behave properly in the shops and such. I always consider myself fairly in tune to these things, as I speak French and lived there (okay, not in Paris, but still - France) for 6 months, but boy did I learn a lot from this book!
Also: I am seriously craving some brownies right now.
Also: I am seriously craving some brownies right now.
Feb 10, 2012
Bryan
rated it: 
Annoying, a bit.
Not my kind of book to begin with, but it was interesting enough for me to finish. Lebovitz has such an interesting way of describing his view of the Parisians. Very funny most of the time.
I didn't read his recipes--they're not why I read the book in the first place--which made the book that much faster to read. He likes things like creme and milk and butter and sugar. I willing to bet his food is delicious and dangerous.
But let's get down to t More...
Not my kind of book to begin with, but it was interesting enough for me to finish. Lebovitz has such an interesting way of describing his view of the Parisians. Very funny most of the time.
I didn't read his recipes--they're not why I read the book in the first place--which made the book that much faster to read. He likes things like creme and milk and butter and sugar. I willing to bet his food is delicious and dangerous.
But let's get down to t More...
Sep 10, 2011
Erin
rated it: 
This book made me hungry!! I probably gained a few pounds just dreaming about the food he talks about - the pastries, the cheese, crepes, chocolates. I loved the the everyday anecdotes of the author's life in Paris, becoming assimilated into the culture and nuances of life there. I also learned how to properly slice different kinds of cheeses, which is always good to know.
I loved his chapters on chocolate and coffee- two of my favorite things. It seems that while Paris has amazing More...
I loved his chapters on chocolate and coffee- two of my favorite things. It seems that while Paris has amazing More...
Jul 28, 2011
Lorin
rated it: 
David Lebovitz is rightly renowned for his dessert cookbooks--just ask anyone who's tried the chocolate/guinness ice cream I make following his instructions. And as his blog makes clear, he's an engaging, affable narrator. But until I read The Sweet Life in Paris, I hadn't realized quite how laugh-out-loud funny he is.
Ten years ago or so, Lebovitz was leading a happy existence in San Francisco, following a long stint as a Chez Panisse pastry chef with a series of acclaimed cookbooks. More...
Ten years ago or so, Lebovitz was leading a happy existence in San Francisco, following a long stint as a Chez Panisse pastry chef with a series of acclaimed cookbooks. More...
Feb 06, 2011
Tara
rated it:
Being a French language student and a great lover of pastries, I was quite excited for this one. Lebovitz is an entertaining writer and I did enjoy reading this. However, I have to say he spent most of the book complaining about all of the reasons Parisiens suck. He at multiple times claims he loves them, and clearly he must since he continues to live in Paris, but each chapter was about how they are rude, non-sensical, selfish spoiled children. I understand that each culture has its flaws, and
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Dec 07, 2009
Emily
rated it:
I love David Lebovitz's blog and not a single of his recipes has failed me yet. His blog is www.davidlebovitz.com and I highly recommend it! I was kind of dreading his book because often times bloggers turn out to be terrible authors (shocking, I know!) and I didn't want enjoy his blog less for a lousy book. Happily, he was an author before he was a blogger and is a pro the whole way through.
This book is part Jeffrey Steingarten, part Peter Mayle. He has a wry sense of humor about Pari More...
This book is part Jeffrey Steingarten, part Peter Mayle. He has a wry sense of humor about Pari More...
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Dec 28, 2011
adri
rated it:
taí um livro divertido, gostoso de ler, cheio de dicas legais e de receitas fabulosas! o primeiro livro do lebovitz que caiu nas minhas mãos foi o 'scoop', com várias receitas de sorvetes incríveis. achei que o david escreve de uma forma tão legal e divertida, que decidi ler este livro dele pelo simples prazer de ler estórias bem contadas -- e não me decepcionei! eu nem sabia que 'the sweet life in paris' tinha receitas! hehe! o mais legal é ver a cidade-luz através dos olhos de um americano sup
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Jul 06, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
One has to wonder why Lebowitz is so enthralled with Paris given that a good 85% of his book is complaining about the city and it's inhabitants. As an American expat to Europe myself, I certainly can identify with his frustration, but sometimes this book feels more like a rant than a memoir. With recipes. It definately feels like it was culled from a blog, which doesn't help the book. Lebowitz attributes a lot of things (rudeness, inability to walk properly, terrible grocery stores) as if th
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Jun 12, 2011
Sue
rated it:
I'm going to be in Paris for 48 hours in a few weeks, and I decided to cram by reading memoirs. It's a way to procrastinate cracking the French textbook to brush up, I guess. David Lebovitz's story of moving to Paris and navigating the culture is perfect for my situation-- I need to practice not smiling, prepare for way more intrusions on my personal space than normal, and order café creme, not café au lait. Got it. Although he is in places critical of the Parisian attitude, he respects their
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Aug 31, 2009
Lisa
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I really enjoyed this, but the author is a pastry chef, not a writer, so he got docked for some seriously so-so writing. The whole thing reads like the annotations in a good cookbook. Now, I personally like to read cookbooks cover to cover. That said, most other people don't. The book is an earnest and funny account of a pastry chef's life abroad and if it is a bit repetitive, the story is told with quite a bit of humor and some recipes that I'll be making this week (before the book goes back to
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Mar 05, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
This was a quick read of recipes entwined with stories of David Lebovitz's experience in Paris. I enjoyed it more than I expected, because he was incredibly honest, and I found myself laughing along with him in many cases. Good travel writing always makes me want to travel, and mission definitely accomplished. I almost feel like I'm being challenged. So Parisians are difficult. So you might never have change or personal space or water to drink - look at how his life has been changed. It en
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Feb 08, 2012
Tessa
rated it:
"What helped was that I understood the food and tried my best to adapt to the culture, rather than trying to make the culture adapt to me. I arrived knowing a fair amount about the pastries, cheeses, chocolates, and breads, which impressed the French, and I also soaked up as much as I could. More important, though, I learned to take the time to get to know people especially the vendors and merchants, who would patiently explain their wares to me. Plenty of people who move here arrive wide
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Oct 25, 2011
Joe
rated it:
If I turn up missing one day soon, it is because I have run away to Paris after reading this book. I cannot say one bad thing about this book. I loved it and it made me nostalgic for Paris after going there this summer. This is one of my favorite reads of 2011.
I think Lebovitz was spot on with his observations on Paris and the Parisians. I am surprised at the reviews fault him for "complaining" about the people of Paris. If anything, I think he was more disparaging of the obn More...
I think Lebovitz was spot on with his observations on Paris and the Parisians. I am surprised at the reviews fault him for "complaining" about the people of Paris. If anything, I think he was more disparaging of the obn More...
Nov 02, 2009
Eleanor
rated it:
This book is a contemporary answer to Julia Child's "My Life in France." Instead of following a partner there on a job, David Lebovitz moves to Paris after loosing one (and looses his suitcases as well thanks to La Poste) and starts over. I love how he's frank, funny and sure he can charm the French into doing things for him like opening a bank account with brownies. I never read his blog, but this book is enough to get me to start. I also love that his life centers in the Bastille nei
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Aug 17, 2010
to learn some lessons from Parisians:
*sit down and eat, do not eat sloppy food whilst out and about, not even a banana.
*please please do pay attention to your attire, and leave the shorts and sneakers and water bottle Separate! no need to be a total slob. and if you do wear sneakers, please make them expensive stylish ones. leave the work out clothes at home.
*say hello to shopkeepers, cashiers, etc. do not! just start asking for whatever you want with no acknowledgment. hello?!
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*sit down and eat, do not eat sloppy food whilst out and about, not even a banana.
*please please do pay attention to your attire, and leave the shorts and sneakers and water bottle Separate! no need to be a total slob. and if you do wear sneakers, please make them expensive stylish ones. leave the work out clothes at home.
*say hello to shopkeepers, cashiers, etc. do not! just start asking for whatever you want with no acknowledgment. hello?!
More...
Jul 02, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
I loved this book! I wish I could uproot and move to Europe, though I would probably move to Florence or Rome, not Paris. But anyways, reading about his experiences as an American and chef living in the City of Lights was enlightening and hilarious. I learned so much stuff I would never have known, for example: It is important to acknowledge a salesperson in a store by greeting them and he gave an example of a particularly rude group of Americans who did not do this and the saleslady was mortifi
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Dec 07, 2009
Christine
rated it:
very enjoyable book. All about his move to Paris and how he strove to fit in. Often hilarious, it will have you wishing you were moving into your own little pied a teir in Paris, learning which was the best local baker, where to buy your chocolate and what to do if you can't find the right length shoe lace.
The book is also unique in that at the end of each chapter he has put a relevant recipe. Although I will probably never try any of them, the antidote preceding each recipe is enj More...
The book is also unique in that at the end of each chapter he has put a relevant recipe. Although I will probably never try any of them, the antidote preceding each recipe is enj More...
Dec 06, 2009
Catherine
rated it:
Lebovitz is an American who has lived in Paris for several years. He writes with oodles of humor and just a touch of mildly brutal honesty.
I would recommend this book to anyone traveling to Paris for the first time. It's a great primer of what to expect and offers assistance in avoiding common faux pas.
There are recipes throughout. The back section gives addresses and websites for many cafes and stores. His blog offers even more helpful information for travelers and o More...
I would recommend this book to anyone traveling to Paris for the first time. It's a great primer of what to expect and offers assistance in avoiding common faux pas.
There are recipes throughout. The back section gives addresses and websites for many cafes and stores. His blog offers even more helpful information for travelers and o More...
Dec 15, 2011
Namratha
rated it:
Certain books demand an accompanying snack. This book called out for unlimited bowls of Salted Salli (those twee matchstick-shaped potato chips) followed by a just-adequately-melted chunk of Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk : Fruit & Nut.
Ergo, any blame for the consequent kilos that settled on my hips can be placed squarely on the shoulders of David Lebovitz.
The Sweet Life in Paris describes aforementioned chef (and master of wry observations), David Lebovitz' topsy-turvy stay in More...
Ergo, any blame for the consequent kilos that settled on my hips can be placed squarely on the shoulders of David Lebovitz.
The Sweet Life in Paris describes aforementioned chef (and master of wry observations), David Lebovitz' topsy-turvy stay in More...
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Jul 22, 2011
Lynn
rated it:
Former Chez Panisse pastry chef Lebovitz writes a collection of short bloggy chapters on his observations from his life in Paris, each followed by an enticing recipe. He makes some astute observations about the French along the way, but limits his writing to the category of 'just ok' by using far too much hyperbole. I occasionally found it difficult to follow his meandering style, especially when one topic just slowly bled into another one without any warning and I had to back up and re-read. St
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Nov 27, 2011
Jaclyn
rated it:
Let's get one thing out of the way right off the bat: this book will make you hungry. It will make you hungry for hot, crunchy baguettes... frisee salad with melting rounds of goat cheese... and, of course, for chocolate. This book will make you especially hungry for chocolate. Case in point: I hardly ever drink hot cocoa. I generally find it to be too sweet and not my cup of tea. (See what I did there?) But after reading David Lebovitz's rhapsodizing about Parisian hot cocoa, I had two cu
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Jun 11, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
I'm never quite sure what to do with the book-with-interspersed-recipes genre. Am I actually supposed to read the recipes along with the rest of the book? And when I finish the book, does it go on my bookshelves or in the kitchen with my cookbooks?
Having tried a couple of recipes in this book, I think I'm going to classify it as a regular book and put it with all my other non-cookery books. Lebovitz is a smart, funny writer, who has a lot of great insights about life in Paris but ma More...
Having tried a couple of recipes in this book, I think I'm going to classify it as a regular book and put it with all my other non-cookery books. Lebovitz is a smart, funny writer, who has a lot of great insights about life in Paris but ma More...
Apr 19, 2011
Amy
rated it:
A sharp, witty account of one expat's experience of moving to and living in Paris, along with dozens of delectable recipes that I will undoubtedly try at some point or another. I'm glad I read this book, because I learned a lot of things about Paris that will be very helpful to me when I visit the city later this year. (For example: apparently, one only drinks "café au lait" in someone's home, after a night of love-making. If you want to order coffee with milk while in a restaurant, it
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Feb 21, 2011
Candy
rated it:
I've never been to Paris, but I've always said that we will go one day. After reading this memoir, I want to go even more... and even less. I also really want someone to make me that Blue Cheese and Bacon Cake (Bread). OMG. The recipes that were included had me wondering if my kitchen prowess could handle it (sadly, no).
I will say that I was expecting something a little different, I thought this would be a little more memoir-ish with some insight into the author. I felt like we didn't More...
I will say that I was expecting something a little different, I thought this would be a little more memoir-ish with some insight into the author. I felt like we didn't More...
Aug 06, 2011
Alissa
rated it:
In retrospect, reading this book before our honeymoon, instead of after might have been helpful. It is filled with hints, tips, suggestions on how to get through a day, week, or lifetime in Paris as an American. Knowing Lebovitz from his blog and many cookbooks I knew he would be able to describe the Paris I had just witnessed. What he shows, and what I learned during my time there, was that the usual misconception that Parisians are rude from the Americans point of view, and that Americans are
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Jul 09, 2011
Anne
rated it:
Books written by former Chez Panisse chefs are ubiquitous. And while part of me finds this annoying, the other part of me keeps reading them. In my recent quest for new recipes, and my sadness that I haven't lately been able to travel much, David Lebovitz's book seemed exactly what I needed. A pastry chef, Lebovitz (like so many others) traveled to France and fell in love with Paris. But, instead of pining away from afar, he actually packed up all his belongings and moved there. The Sweet Life
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Apr 05, 2010
Ellen
rated it:
The chapter titled, "Of Course!" about the author's adventures at the Bazar de L'Hotel de Ville (BHV) had me in tears. I was laughing so hard. I read this chapter mostly out loud to Steve since it was just so funny and I could only get one sentence out at a time.
Overall, this book is an entertaining, mostly-funny, fluffy read. I got a little annoyed at his overtly arrogant and snobbish pro-French/anti-American vibe at times, but he does a good bit of ribbing on the Fre More...
Overall, this book is an entertaining, mostly-funny, fluffy read. I got a little annoyed at his overtly arrogant and snobbish pro-French/anti-American vibe at times, but he does a good bit of ribbing on the Fre More...
Aug 28, 2011
Anna
rated it:
I read this book before I took a trip to Paris in July.
Thank God I did.
David Lebovitz warned me and enlightened me on all sorts of French charms and paradoxes that I wouldn't have figured out on my own, and gave me plenty of useful advice on where to stop, what to know, and which madeleines to buy. Basically, very important information, and all told in a series of very lively tales.
Btw I ended up checking out like 12 of the addresses in the back of the book and each one of them w More...
Thank God I did.
David Lebovitz warned me and enlightened me on all sorts of French charms and paradoxes that I wouldn't have figured out on my own, and gave me plenty of useful advice on where to stop, what to know, and which madeleines to buy. Basically, very important information, and all told in a series of very lively tales.
Btw I ended up checking out like 12 of the addresses in the back of the book and each one of them w More...
Mar 10, 2011
Esmee
rated it:
I really loved this book. It was like reading a blog in the form of a hardback book. It took half as long as you might expect because half of it is recipes. It might take you longer if you are a passionate cook. I am not so the book was a breeze. David Lebovitz immigrated to Paris from San Francisco. He seems to have more complaints than compliments about Paris and his interactions with the Parisians and theirs with him. I wonder why he even wants to stay. He has been there long enough s
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May 07, 2011
Josephine
rated it:
I’ve never really wanted to pack up my things and move to Paris — and after reading David Lebovitz’s “The Sweet Life In Paris”, I definitely don’t want to move to Paris.
Don’t get me wrong — I thought his memoir, sprung from his equally delightful site, davidlebovitz.com, was funny and charming and quaint.
“The Sweet Life” tells of how Lebovitz moved to a lively Bastille neighborhood in Paris from San Francisco after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and a cookbook au More...
Don’t get me wrong — I thought his memoir, sprung from his equally delightful site, davidlebovitz.com, was funny and charming and quaint.
“The Sweet Life” tells of how Lebovitz moved to a lively Bastille neighborhood in Paris from San Francisco after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and a cookbook au More...
