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Audiobook5 hours
What French Women Know
Published by Penguin Random House Audio
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
A primer on the ineffable, je ne sais quoi appeal of the French woman.
I t?s not the shoes, the scarves, or the lipstick that gives French women their allure. It?s this: French women don?t give a damn. They don?t expect men to understand them. They don?t care about being liked or being like everyone else. They generally reject notions of packaged beauty. They accept the passage of time, celebrate the immediacy of pleasure, like to break rules, embrace ambiguity and imperfection, and prefer having a life to making a living. They are, in other words, completely unlike us.
Ollivier goes beyond familiar ooh-la-la stereotypes about French women, challenging cherished notions about sex, love, dating, marriage, motherhood, raising children, body politics, seduction, and flirtation. Less a how-to and more a how-not-to, What French Women Know offers a refreshing counterpoint to the stale love dogma of our times. Peppered with anecdotes from its Franco-American author and filled with provocative ideas from French sexperts, mistresses and maidens alike, it debunks longstanding myths, presenting savvy new thinking from an old sexy culture and more realistic, life-affirming alternatives from the land that knows how to love.
I t?s not the shoes, the scarves, or the lipstick that gives French women their allure. It?s this: French women don?t give a damn. They don?t expect men to understand them. They don?t care about being liked or being like everyone else. They generally reject notions of packaged beauty. They accept the passage of time, celebrate the immediacy of pleasure, like to break rules, embrace ambiguity and imperfection, and prefer having a life to making a living. They are, in other words, completely unlike us.
Ollivier goes beyond familiar ooh-la-la stereotypes about French women, challenging cherished notions about sex, love, dating, marriage, motherhood, raising children, body politics, seduction, and flirtation. Less a how-to and more a how-not-to, What French Women Know offers a refreshing counterpoint to the stale love dogma of our times. Peppered with anecdotes from its Franco-American author and filled with provocative ideas from French sexperts, mistresses and maidens alike, it debunks longstanding myths, presenting savvy new thinking from an old sexy culture and more realistic, life-affirming alternatives from the land that knows how to love.
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Reviews for What French Women Know
Rating: 3.875 out of 5 stars
4/5
8 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I think it will be wonderful book
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"C'est Magnifique!"
The intoxicating allure of Sophie Marceau, the disturbingly deep dark erotic attraction of Eva Green, and seductive sensualizing hypnotic essence of Marion Cotillard all make perfect sense now!!! French women may not be as voluptuously endowed as their fellow female counter parts across the pond but their sophisticated "laissez-faire" demeanor and unapologetic sense of personal style, classic fashion awareness and impeccable taste places them on a whole different level. Debra Ollivier has definitely done her research, as one (an American male) who has dated French women from various regions within France, "What French Women Know: About Love, Sex, and Other Matters of the Heart and Mind", is quite accurate in numerous areas.
Admittedly, many years ago, I was among the uninformed regarding the subtleties and nuances of dating various types of woman from abroad. I had somehow come to believe (I guess as a result from watching way too many foreign films...Lol) that most women were pretty much the same all round the world....how wrong I was!!! Every moment and experience shared with my former French loves took on a whole new meaning. Every meal prepared with fresh organic ingredients that we shopped for daily and shared with friends became a culinary etiquette masterclass for me. Every unforgettable improvised summertime picnic spent frolicking in the warmth of the sun, eating baguettes, cinnamon apple slices, and Brie de Melun cheese creadted luxurious landscapes of Monet's famous Giverny Garden within my minds eye.
Wine for the first time in my life took on an aromatic flair and seductive essence that only a seasoned lover could. Like an elegant bolshoi ballerina delicately dancing the first movements of Swan Lake, Cabernet Sauvignon leaped across my palette as if to enact a Grand Jeté. No room for egos here, my foreign amours were my teachers and I, their humble student. A education in french female etiquette worth its weight in gold was what I received as I seamlessly transitioned from one romantic relationship (and friendship) to the next.
Everything Debra Ollivier touches on was indeed what I witnessed. These French women (ranging in age from 28-49) (From areas: Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Orléans, Nantes, Marseille):
1) Fashion style was classic, simplistic, yet incredibly chic and simply gorgeous.
2) They possessed a genuine Joie de vivre and realistic sense of life /work balance.
3) They purchased /ate/ cooked fresh foods religiously and did not eat snacks a lot.
4) If they did snack, it was on fruits, nuts, cheeses, things like that.
5) If they did have a big meal, they would plan to compensate for it usually the next day.
6) They "ALL" had closets full of various types of beautiful lingerie and made a point to have a
budget set aside, just for these purchases.
7) They were well educated, extremely intelligent, very opinionated and had such an amazing uncanny way to fiercely disagree with your position on a matter while simultaneously loving and adoring you.
8) In areas regarding relationships, they saw shades of grey and not American styled
puritanical black & white limitations. They seemed to intuitively understand that life was
about phases and experiences, not necessarily a "Happily Ever After" goal post to
continuously seek. They were present and lived life truly in the moment.
9) They held their cards close to their chest. With them it was not a "tell all" and "tell everything" about yourself session, the first couple of dates. They possessed an aura of mystery that literally fascinated me each and every time I spent time with them. To tell the truth, I'd say that's what probably kept me longing for them and wanting their company. Even if it was for simple fun intellectually stimulating conversation.
10)Their laughter, humor, and way of not taking themselves so serious made them devastatingly beautiful. It was easy to see and understand why so many men fall for French women.
It goes without saying, I highly recommend giving this title a try. Debra Ollivier's narration is simply wonderful. When mentioning various french women she spoke with, the french accent she uses is totally adorable.
I think Jason Clarke said it best regarding French women: "You need mystery. You actually do. I think that's what foreign women, French women in particular, are good at. There's still a sense that you need to keep some of the unknown because that's where the soul resides, or something.1 person found this helpful