Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl [Paperback]

Debra Ollivier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Provocative and practical, lively and intelligent, Entre Nous unlocks the mystery of the French girl and the secrets of her self-possession. Why do French women always look inimitably stylish? How do they manage to sit in a café for a three-course lunch and a glass of wine...by themselves? What gives them the certainty that allows them to refuse anything-whether a man, a job, or a little black dress-that doesn't suit them perfectly?

More than just a book on fashion, Entre Nous is about the essence of French living-its observations about French women and their ways will help you take the best of all pages from the French girl's book: the page that reveals how to really enjoy life.

"Ollivier spent a decade in France and learned a thing or two about how French women cultivate that sense of being easy in one's skin...(she) helps us bridge the cultural gap."
- Seattle Times

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Most American women would agree that those Frenchies have something going on. La Femme Nikita, Catherine Deneuve, even Audrey Tatou of Amélie fame-they all possess a certain je ne sais quoi. In this cutesy pick-me-up of a book, Ollivier-an American married to a Frenchman-insists that you, too, can be glamorous, mythic and mysterious; "a star in the pantheon of feminine beauty and strength." How can American gals tap into their inner Frenchness? Ollivier lays down the law, interspersing her must-dos with sidebars detailing, for example, legendary French ladies from Josephine Bonaparte to Coco Chanel. Among Ollivier's tips: for loungewear, think silk mou-mous or padded zebra-skin mules, not baggy sweat pants; toss the Equal and use regular sugar in your coffee; and go ahead and gossip, but be discreet. Stereotypical? Peut-être. But Ollivier's overall advice-seek beauty everywhere; accept character flaws; don't rush to define a romantic relationship-goes far beyond the realm of France and its women, and is evident in smart women the world over.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A fun, interesting read with more to offer than fashion tips...(Ollivier) cracks the French style code."
- Palm Beach Post

"Ollivier dishes on that je ne sais quois that French women seem to have, and how American women can attain it."
- Dallas Morning News

"Ollivier dishes on that je ne sais quois that French women seem to have, and how American women can attain it." (Dallas Morning News )

"A fun, interesting read with more to offer than fashion tips…(Ollivier) cracks the French style code." (Palm Beach Post )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312308779
• ISBN-13: 978-0312308773
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Debra Ollivier has written for Salon, Harpers, Playboy, Le Monde, and a variety of other publications. She's a California girl who married a Frenchman and lived in France, where her children were born, for a decade. She now lives in Los Angeles.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 141 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Obvious, but still plenty of good girlie fun May 10, 2004

By PonyExpress

Format:Hardcover

While there isn't anything too startingly *new* in this slim volume, I quite liked it, so I'm recommending it to all of you ladies who'd like some very light, frothy non-fiction for that three hour plane trip, or to curl up with just before bed. While a load of these sorts of books abounds right now, this author comes to her task honestly: she lived in France for 10 years, and from her likeable photo on the back cover, she's the kind of american everywoman whose point of view really might come in handy for those of us who wouldn't mind picking up a little french style. I thought her take on french women was admiring withOUT lapsing into the sort of "self-hating american" all-things-european adoration I've seen plenty of in various fashion magazines. Really a collection of ruminations on what it means to be french. And sociologists take note: her pages on the VERY different approach frenchwomen take to interpersonal relations(when meeting a new person/potential gal pal, general socializing, office demeanor, etc.)are from my limited experience absolutely on the money. In addition to the entertainment value, I'm going to try to adopt the described "french" qualities of self-restraint in gabbing, at least; I'm sure my success will be limited, but every little soupcon helps!

168 of 179 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The usual French stereotype February 4, 2004

By Carol H.

Format:Hardcover

My origin is half-French, I spend most of my day in France, travel very often to Paris and my best friends are French or Swiss French. At first I was shocked to discover how very French I actually turn out to be as described in the book, and how the traditions and values that I've been bequeathed are so very French too. But then the word "archetypal" is mentioned in the prologue and you'd better bear in mind all throughout your reading that this book is more about the ideal French woman and how to bring out the archetypal French woman in you rather than a description of what French women actually are like. Though many of my friends and acquaintances fit into the French girl description, I know scores of French women who are nosey, frumpy, tacky and very gauche. Especially if you've never been to France, don't be misled: this book is full of the typical prejudices and stereotypes about the French woman as seen through the gawking eyes of the American outsider. That is, the French woman as we would like to believe she is. There are also some mistakes, like ascribing Madame de Pompadour as Louis XIV's lover (she was Louis XV's)and the fact that many of the women reviewed (Anaďs Nin, Catherine de Medici, Marie Antoinette or Pauline de Rothschild) are not even French. Anyway, the book makes interesting beach reading. The prose is feisty, fast-paced and you'll find it hard to put down.

262 of 289 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars It is a bit too much April 6, 2006

By Sylvain

Format:Paperback

I am a French myself, I've noticed that there are a lot of books to teach people out there "how to be French", "how to eat like French", "why French are so great", for me, it is very strange. Of course France is a great place with all those history, food, museums, culture. But we also have a lot of bad things. So prasing French all the time is a bit non sense and it really makes us French more arrogant. (Yes, we are too arrogant and proud of ourselves). Even being a French myself, I have to admit it. We should learn to respect other culture and people. But all these books are making us feel like privilage. There is another book called" French women don't get fat". To be honest, we have a lot of fat people in Paris, a lot of women out there are not slim or as elegant as the books described. These books making the girls here feel like they are godness, which is bad. More and more people here are thinking they are the best. But the fact is, we have high unemployment rate, our streets, metros are so dirty, our people don't want to face the reality. We love to enjoy life too much, but we are too lazy to earn money to support ourselves and we are rejecting other culture. So wake up, we are all equal. Don't let our surface fool you.