![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzy_daveJulian Barnes "Something to Declare" (Picador)
When i picked this up i thought it was a novel but to my surprise it is a collection of essays on France from an avid francophile.
This book of essays covers many of the topics that are recognised as French territory: filmmaker Truffaut and the New Wave, the Tour de France, the singers of the 50's-60's who moaned on finding out that they were sharing their mistresses with others. And then there are the nine, yes nine, chapters on Barnes' favourite writer, Flaubert.
The writing is engaging from the beginning as Barnes describes his family vacations around France year after year, and his growing sense of comfort with the French culture. I especially appreciated his chapter on those singers such as Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens (though I can't understand why my favourite, Serge Gainsborg wasn't included) and the one on author Georges Simenon was full of decadent scandal and therefore wonderful.
A very enjoyable book that is well-written and fun to read.
When i picked this up i thought it was a novel but to my surprise it is a collection of essays on France from an avid francophile.
This book of essays covers many of the topics that are recognised as French territory: filmmaker Truffaut and the New Wave, the Tour de France, the singers of the 50's-60's who moaned on finding out that they were sharing their mistresses with others. And then there are the nine, yes nine, chapters on Barnes' favourite writer, Flaubert.
The writing is engaging from the beginning as Barnes describes his family vacations around France year after year, and his growing sense of comfort with the French culture. I especially appreciated his chapter on those singers such as Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens (though I can't understand why my favourite, Serge Gainsborg wasn't included) and the one on author Georges Simenon was full of decadent scandal and therefore wonderful.
A very enjoyable book that is well-written and fun to read.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}