Fatale : How French Women Do It [Paperback]

Edith I. Kunz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2000

"Fatale: How French Women Do It" peeks at the mysterious ways Frenchwomen manage to appear sexy, smart and recklessly chic. Clues unmask the delicious deceptions plotted by Frenchwomen while suggesting how contemporary women can flirt like a coquette, charm like a courtesan and emit sensuality with cool confidence by merely adjusting one's attitude and one's garter belt. For those who savor French finesse and style, this book serves up lessons and advice to feast upon from historical and present-day femme fatales.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I've been observing French women for twenty years now and am sure Edith Kunz has hit the mark." -- Buyer for a major international bookstore chain, October 17, 2000

"Not only did Edith Kunz have a great idea to do this book, she fulfilled its promise." -- Buyer for a major international bookstore chain, October 17, 2000

Product Details

• Paperback: 139 pages
• Publisher: Bridgewood Press (July 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0927015250
• ISBN-13: 978-0927015257
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #651,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Edith Kunz is a graduate of the University of Denver and retired from a successful career in retail merchandising with Goldwater's Department Store. She serves on the advisory board of the Center for Film, Media and Popular Culture at Arizona State University. A committed francophile since childhood, for the past several decades she has chosen to live part of each year in Paris, France. During the winter she resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband. Their adult daughters live in the USA. Edith says that the distinct contrast between the serene beauty of Arizona and the urbanity of Paris invigorates the senses, offering an ideal lifestyle for a writer.
Fatale: How French Women Do It, Edith's book explaining the mystique of the of the French woman (sexy, smart and chic), published in 2000 and available in its third printing, is still in constant demand. No doubt because her work reflects an in-depth knowledge of the subject, a grasp of history - and, not least, a formidable wit!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

134 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For amateurs only, August 11, 2003

By 

"amberlis" (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fatale : How French Women Do It (Paperback)

Having traveled, studied, worked, and dated in France over the last 15 years, I have become fascinated by the sometimes vast cultural differences that separate American and French women, which was why I was so excited to read "Fatale.." However, this book falls far short of its goal to explain the mystique of the french woman. Disappointinly, this book is clearly written from an outsider's point of view...as if the research were done by surfing the internet for other francophile sites and visiting the card catalog of the local library. It is a view of the French female psyche that is 3 times removed from reality, and is merely a perpetuation of every stereotype ever put forth about their allure, without the sociological explanation and background that would actually make this a worthwhile read. There is very little new or groundbreaking in this book; much better are Polly Platt's "French or Foe," or even the now famous "Le Divorce" by Diane Johnson. And if you purchased this book to bring a little of the french "mystique" into your life, you would be much better buying a copy of Cosmopolitan and a round trip ticket to Paris.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming Little Read for Francophiles, February 11, 2004

By 

"jennycrestedbutte" (Crested Butte) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fatale : How French Women Do It (Paperback)

This is a charming little tribute to the je-ne-sais-quoi of the French woman. It's sweet, fairly interesting and a lovely little read.

Unfortunately, this books seems to be marketed as a How-to-Become-French Manual: it's not; rather, this book celebrates what it is to be feminine - delicate china, coy smiles, satin sheets, coquettish scarves tied just so, the appreciation of poetry and a good bottle of wine.

If you're inclined to believe that all you must do to be the tragically beautiful femme fatale archetype is to read this book and follow its 'instructions,' you're sorely mistaken. Instead, read this book and enjoy it for its anecdotes about historical french women and its suggestions of romance and love without guilt.

It is a little bit shorter than I expected, and the author could have delved further into each topic of her book. The length of the book and its superficial treatment of its topics were the greatest disappointments I had with the book.

46 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read, April 2, 2003

By 

Diaspora Chic "diaspora_chic" (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fatale : How French Women Do It (Paperback)

This book was too hard to put down. My sister bought it and read it in a day and said the book was good. I read it after her and she was right about that. The author with her social knowledge of the French, made it entertaining and worthwhile to read. Imagine yourself in Paris at a cafe by yourself elegantly dressed and calm and by chance a man seeks your affections. This book was a breath of fresh air as to how French women celebrate their feminity and embrace life. They don't let the little stuff worry them like some of us do. While I was reading this book, I felt a bit more satisfied with who I am and how I should celebrate myself as a woman.