Customer Reviews

The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Being born and raised French and now living in Chicago, I can completely relate with Veronique Vienne and this great book. Yes, French women are raised very differently, and from that their regards towards food, cooking, working, cleaning, dressing up, and being sexy is based on different beliefs from the Americans.
When Vivienne recommends to cherish your home and clean in it in your best outfit, that doesn't mean literally in high heels, of course, that means you know those chores are beneath you intellectually, but every action has its beauty, its purpose, its grace, its honorable simplicity, therefore its not a chore anymore, it's a service to yourself, so you don't have to turn yourself into the completely ridiculous sweatpants and oversized t-shirt person you despise in you. And when she talks about cooking to loose weight, well same thing applies here. I personally don't cook much but I know my ingredients and what is right and good for me to eat. Most americans sadly are not raised with the knowledge of quality eating for their own body needs. They don't know the difference of what is a proper lunch dessert and dinner dessert for example, right for a good digestion. Fast food and junk foods have jinxed most of their taste buds and cravings from childhood. So Vivienne advises to reduce your portions, sure, but mostly to discover, analyse and eat the right stuff (fresh and clean food) and it will elevate you. And from a woman stand point, don't go and think French women are perfection, far from it, they aren't as ambitious, as gender-aware and as friendly to each other as American women, but their appreciation of variety of styles, from antique to modern, of fashion, of manners, and of self-respect and self-indulgence is what has made them distinct and widely admired. This book goes way beyond that, is an easy read and I have been offering it to my very best friends so they can realize what a privilege it is Being a Woman.

Although this is lightly written, the information inside is a fabulous celebration of how to live and celebrate the life of being female. Lots of the information is original, clever and makes you both smile and nod in agreement with the wit and wisdom of the author. Because of its smaller size, high quality paper and charming illustrations this is a perfect gift for a female friend, girl graduating high school/college or anyone in need of a lovely pick-me-up.

This is the first of Ms. Vienne's books that I have purchased. She was recommended by Anne Barrone because she brings the French joie de vivre to American women. It is a very easy and quick read, it is very uplifting and the language is smooth and pretty. I have not actually done much in applying the philosophies for any period of time, but I did get a joie de vivre while reading it. She talks about house cleaning and men and her words make both seem charming and enjoyable, even the most irritating things. I highly recommend this book to bring joie de vivre to every woman.

I wouldn't go so far as to label this a 'guide' to anything. I had seen this in the bookstore and after a quick glance through, thought it looked like something I'd like. On my latest trip to the library, I picked it up, and after reading it, I have to say that it really didn't DO anything different for me. The reading was, -well, good, but I don't feel like I really got much substance from it. It is a light read, more of a short essay style and opinions on different topics that pertain to women. I think it skimmed the surface of most of the topics it covered. Maybe that's all the Ms. Vienne was trying to accomplish, I'm not sure. From the title, and the great cover, I was really hoping for more.

Without going into too much detail, this book offers an appreciative perspective of life, starting with appreciating yourself. I love her insights into self-esteem and fashion, and especially with dating. It's definitely an inspiring book that I'll keep going back to.

Charming book. Although it is not what I consider to be an in depth read nor a life changing read, Vienne does offer a few gems of wisdom that inspire me to want to live a better life.

Being a fan of Vienne's other delightful, playful yet wise books, I was sad to discover that this was nothing more than a long-in-the-tooth collection of twee observations and gender stereotypes. Aside from being subjected to writing that was ridden with cliches and sounded like it was the result of an editorial rush job, I was disappointed in the utter inaneness of some of Vienne's advice. Do housework in your best attire? Lose weight by cooking? Be a vapid adornment for the pleasure of passers-by? Since when did regressive 50s-era ideas of womanhood become stylish? And what about women who are actually well-rounded and not one-dimensional flipperty-gibbets--you think we care to open the table of contents only to uncover a narrow smattering of topics (ostensibly belonging to the female domain) like housework, beauty, fashion, sex, and everything else covered by Cosmo for the last umpteen years? The old world charm was equally superficial (I'm sure other French people would think so too)...I couldn't help but feel like I was reading an antiquated book on ladies' etiquette, complete with frothy, bend over backwards to feel good notions. For a more useful and intelligent book on how to survive modern womanhood with elan, read Anna Johnson's Three Black Skirts instead of this doggerel.

I enjoyed this quick read tremendously. It made me laugh and think. We tend to forget sometimes the wonderful thing us women do and it is nice to reminded. Also, some of the corky things we do to each other and ourselves. Totally worth it. I'm buying another one for a gift!

I love Veronique's comments about "sisterhood." She says this should be more inclusive and should not be some exclusive club. Rather, she celebrates all women and the uniquely wonderful feminine qualities that are theirs. Vive la difference!

This is a charming, funny, and encouraging book!

I purchased this book shortly before my 50th birthday, and it is pretty much what I was hoping for and expecting: observations and anecdotes that boosted my morale about being a less-than-perfect woman who has unique experiences, skills and gifts to learn from and share. The book is good for reminding yourself of your own value, and there are some good ideas for showing appreciation for yourself and other women in your life.

My rating dropped from 4 to 3 stars because of the statement early on in the book: "... while we wait for universal health coverage to become a reality..." Pet peeve of mine, to be reading a light-hearted, feel-good, 'we're all okay' writing and then get hit with a hot-topic political opinion out of the blue. It took a lot of enjoyment out of the book for me because from that point on, I didn't know if/when another political issue would be raised (I didn't notice any). I became a wary reader and less open to some of the ideas presented. I don't mind political opinion, but let me know that's part of the book BEFORE I buy it, please. Overall a good read.