Customer Reviews

Life in the French Country House

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What a delightful surprise to learn that Mark Girouard has written about France. I have enjoyed his books about English houses and towns for years -- returned to them again and again. His new book on the French country house has delighted me with the same mix of historical knowledge with social insight and architectural connoisseurship. All his books are full of the most interesting insights and details, and he writes like and angel. Nice pictures too. (My only wish is for more pictures, plans and diagrams.) This books is a lovely equal to his "Life in the English Country House."

This book is generally terrific--wonderful photographs, great anecdotes about particular personages and events, an impressive breadth of historical knowledge. That said, if you are using this book for historical research instead of just general interest, double-check your findings; for example, Girouard has the French Estates General meeting in 1618 instead of 1614. A few paragraphs later, Louis XIII is escorting the Queen of Poland to a play in 1645--a difficult feat, considering he died two years earlier. I noticed these things only because I am familiar with that particular time period, so it makes me wonder what other minor details might be incorrect throughout the book. But that's an emphasis on "minor," and I don't intend to harp on it. Overall I think this is an incredible resource with lots of fascinating information. I got my copy from the library, but I'll probably buy one for myself--I can see myself referring back to it often!

If you are interested in architecture, this book gives you a fascinating perspective on the use of houses, buildings and property as well as how people lived in French country houses. The book traces French country houses back to the Middle Ages and brings one up to current times, with an explication of how houses changed to meet standards of the times.