La Vie Parisienne

by Janelle McCulloch

After an ill-fated affair with the Queen Mother’s equerry, a young London-based Australian journalist, Janelle McCulloch, runs away to Paris to restore her pride. The city leaves an indelible print and she returns many years later to live there for a year. La Vie Parisienne: Looking for Love — and the Perfect Lingerie captures Janelle’s experiences that year, immersed in life in Paris. An acute observer of Parisienne style in action, Janelle set off to re-invent herself and in the process, discovered she was very comfortable in her own skin.

Genres: Travel, France, Memoir

240 pages, Paperback with jacket

First published May 5, 2008

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a roller coaster - I went from amused to ambivalent from chapter to chapter. A bit self indulgent with name dropping featuring, yet still I kept reading if only because I love the subject - the French life!

[Readgina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book to take to Paris with me but then took another one instead.
The only reason I finished reading this book is because Paris is still fresh in my mind.
This is somewhere between a memoir and a travelogue.
For someone who professes to love Paris Ms McC should really get her macarons and macaroons straight.
Throughout the book she calls the macarons from Ladurée macaroons. Oops.
There are also quite a few instances of 'I was' instead of 'I were' along with various typos.
What bothered me the most though was the repetitiveness. How many times does she need to mention Louboutin??
Don't get me wrong, I love fashion and shoes. But there really is so much more to Paris.
And the book wasn't quite witty enough to make up for the things it is lacking.

[Rhi1981 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While McCulloch's reflections on Paris have been criticised for being generalisations, I found it an enjoyable read. It was especially interesting to get the perspective of an Australian ex-patriot living in Paris. From a sociological perspective, the chapter on 'Understanding the French' was great as it explained many of the unwritten rules associated with dinner parties in Paris, many of which were in direct contrast to those in Australia. A lovely book which made me want to go back to Paris!

[Tennessee O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book , loved the photos inside as well.
Fabulous for getting you in the mood for all things FRENCH!
Made me crave coffee,wine,walking,seated gazing,macaroons and more!

[Olive · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going to Paris for the first time in a month, thus when I found this book wedged between another in my aunt's bookshelf I thought it deserved a read. It was an okay book. I was just expecting more. I really enjoyed certain sections of the book, whilst others not so much. A bit of a rollercoaster but overall not too bad. I probably won't re-read, but it did provide a little insight into french culture.

[Natalie Bayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable, personal account of a thirty-something Aussie, fresh from London’s high life, trying out la vie in Paris.

McCulloch mixes editorial style writing with highly personal, often confessional anecdotes and while some may have wished for more of a travel blog, I think the insights into expat loneliness and adventure were fascinating.

A recommended read

[Jeff Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable insight into the heart of Paris, in this case the sixth arrondissement.. high on the best of style, food and fashion.. hope a lot of the places mentioned are still there, saving my Euros, can't wait..

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. The production of the volume is very handsome, with its touches of flock and atmospheric Parisian photos throughout, but I found the writing pretentious and a bit name-droppy and badly in need of a couple of rounds of serious editing, which is a bit sad in a book written by a former magazine editor.

That said, it wasn't so bad that I couldn't read it. Parts of it were quite interesting, especially from about halfway through where she stopped littering the text with quite so many French phrases (and then immediately translating them - if you're going to do this, just use the English! it just interferes with the pace of your sentences, and given that she mentions in just about every chapter how bad her French is, seemed a little on the desperate side) and the format of the book became clearer to me. In each chapter after the first couple, she takes an aspect of French life - dining out, flirtation, underwear, shoes, etc. - and works through suggestions from friends on how to achieve a Parisian effortlessness in these areas, not always with great success.

There's a big focus on fashion, and at times, especially at the beginning, I wondered whether the volume's publication might have been sponsored by Christian Louboutin. However, at the beginning it feels like a lot of name-dropping without necessarily much solid substance. Later in the book, when she's exploring particular areas in more detail and learning about the Parisian approach, and when she's talking more about her particular circumstances, it works better.

I found the best writing in the whole book though was the couple of places where she talks about not being able to have children and the effect this has, and continues to have on her. These brief paragraphs were very well written - sorrowful and tender, but not tear-jerky or self-pitying.

I don't think I'd actively avoid Janelle McCulloch's writing - there were parts where her subject matter was really quite well handled, but neither can I see myself actively hunting down other things she's read.

[Louise M · Rating 2 out of 5]

La Vie Parisienne by Janelle McCulloch is not a novel, not a guidebook to Paris, but a memoire. This book reveals the personal experiences and knowledge gained from living one year alone in Paris. An Australian private school girl becomes a journalist. She goes to England and successfully broadens her work skills. She marries, but that fails. After more work experience in Australia, she returns to Europe and writes non-fiction including multiple books about France. The style of writing is the one used in glossy magazines - superficial, no plot, no direction, a few interesting characters. The reader learns about McCulloch's attempts to make French friends. The behaviours of the people, and the social mores governingthat behaviour, form the core of this book. McCulloch is honest and personal in her reactions. At the end, she leaves to do it all again in another place. Would I recommend this book? No, because because I am not even slightly interested in drinking expensive wine, wearing designer shoes, or drinking coffee in cafes. The writing itself is excellent, but the topics covered are close to boring.

[Gabrielle Trenbath · Rating 5 out of 5]

is a beautifully written book about life in this great city. It is a fabulously nostalgic book of such a romantic city that brought a tear in my eye and lovely photos that made me want me to hop on the next flight.
There are many books about Paris (especially by Australian Journalists) and, alongside Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French, this has to be one of my favourites. Like Turnbull, she “gets” the city and tries to really understand what makes it tick and especially parts of the city’s iconography.
She writes in some detail about Paris’ obsession with looking chic and concludes that most humans have doubts (to varying degrees) about their existence and too much pressure is put on clothes to make us feel confident, different, sexy or professional. She argues that they have become the brunt of all our insecurities.
I could relate a little to what she calls the “Paris Syndrome”, where outsiders arrive expecting it to be an extension of their romantic ideals while being met by not so pleasant taxi drivers and shop keepers and been surprised by it. But Paris is an easy place to fall in love with and things get blown out of proportion when you get swept off your feet.
I loved the description of her apartment and who cares if it is the size of a post-it note? It maybe small and puny but it is in PARIS. It had a jazz club across the road, a cafe down stairs, and an English book shop around the corner; what more could you possibly want?

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was able to read through this particular travel narrative in just a couple of days, which is a good thing conidering how I really couldn't stand the narrator. I just wish something, anything, exciting had happened at SOME point in the book (other than her developing a rash after buying some very expensive lingere, which was hilarious and rang very true). All the romances were short lived i.e. were over with in about two paragraphs, and even the culinary adventures weren't all that original - I think Laudree is already on just about everyone's to-eat-at list. Mmmm... macaroons...
However, for all the abovementioned shortcomings, This book did what it aimed to do - make the reader start planning a trip to Paris (although I do want to experience the other ardrossinments for myself - McCullough's devotion to the sixth didn't do much for the depth of the 'Paris' experience).

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought i'd enjoy this book seeing as i'm a student of French and am going out to live over there soon, however I was really rather disappointed. I found it just seemed to reinforce all the French/Parisian sterotypes I've ever heard and didn't really tell me anything new. I can't help feeling the stereotypes were exaggerated upon and would have much preferred something more real. Perhaps this is what Paris is really like, and if so, I'll stick to the French countryside or south as I've seen for myself there that many of these stereotypes aren't true at all.

Having said that, it does have a really beautiful cover, and I love all the photos inside! Best bit of the book for me!

[Jenny Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it... Love it, love it, love it..
Have read it about 3 times already and still makes me laugh with tears each time. Beautifully written in such a way that makes you smell and feel the Paris from her pen. After reading this book I went to Paris to look for that perfect maccarron and spent a day in the rain to find the Sabbia Rosa store!

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous mini escape to Paris. Terrific Aussie humour!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, relaxing read about an Australian woman's life in Paris.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

nothing special at all...little anecdotes...dont expect too much

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grab a glass of wine when reading this one. This book is to be savoured not rushed.

Set the mood and voila...you are in Paris!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute-I am just a hopeless Francophile though, not sure others would enjoy it :)

[Fee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me want to travel...

[Ellena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a fellow journalist I loved hearing about all the cafes and book shops writers in Paris frequent. A light read and one I would definitely recommend.