Customer Reviews

Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris

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4 star:		(3)
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I'm not terribly familiar with Gallico. Years ago a girlfriend introduced me to _The Man Who Was Magic_, a delightful allegory I've taken with me everywhere since, but which does not appear anywhere in Amazon's offerings. Only this week I finally picked up _The Snow Goose_, which didn't do much for me I'm afraid, and then this one.

This is a peach! Gallico wants to pay tribute to the elder, working class British woman who cleans other people's homes and is known as a char. Widowed, near or in her 60s, Mrs. Harris one day develops the notion of owning a Dior original, something utterly perfect and beautiful ... but at 450 to 500 pounds (maybe $1200 in the late 1950s when this book was published) far out of her budgetary range.

How she does it, and what happens to her in Paris when she makes a day trip to realize her dream, is the stuff of magic. The characters are all believable; what they say and do in any given situation is completely plausible; and yet the aggregate of events and coincidences that come together to complete this tale are utterly (but forgivably) incredible -- as in any fairy tale.

Being a reader/viewer who has thrilled to Samuel Beckett, Ingmar Bergman, and Harlan Ellison, I tend to avoid the word "heartwarming" like the Black Death. But that's the perfect word for this lovely little book.

I picked this up in a library because the title amused me. It's just a little slice-of-life story about an ordinary woman, not stunningly gorgeous, or rich, or romantic -- in fact she's just a Cockney char nobody noticed. Until she did something unexpected just because she wanted to, changing other people's lives in the process. It's a beautiful story.

While visiting a 16th century home in Portugal, we found a first edition hardcover of this little book tucked away on a library shelf. Someone bothered to start to read it. By the end of our vacation all 9 of us had read this gem of a fairy tale. A life long memory for us all.

The story of a London charwoman who goes to Paris to improbably buy a long-desired Dior dress is a jaunty, light comedy which began a series of pure entertainments. Mrs. 'Arris is an enchanting character in that her fundamental ordinary humanity and decency, rather than any superhuman virtue or penetrating insight, allows her to connect with those about her. This is musical comedy fiction, gently told, well done. All the Mrs. 'Arris books are splendid reads, and deserve at least a reissue, if not a film series.

This book was a delight and charming in every way. Made into a TV movie with the lead played by Angela Landsbury. The sweetest story!

Paul Gallico's delightful little book (little as in, its only about 150 pages, give or take) is about Mrs. Ada Harris (or Mrs. `Arris, as she would say in her cockney accent), a London charwoman who finds herself coveting in the worst way imaginable a Dior dress. Never mind that she can't afford it; never mind that she'd never have any place to wear it. After winning a bit of money, and scrimping and saving the rest, Mrs. Harris goes off to Paris to the House of Dior.

But nothing turns out the way she imagines it to be--especially the people, who she'd imagined to be disgusting and dirty. Once there, Mrs. Harris becomes acquainted with a number of eccentric characters, to whom she becomes a sort of 1950s fairy-tale godmother. The books is completely charming and funny. My only criticism of the book is that Gallico could have drawn Mrs. Harris's week-long stay in Paris out a bit more.

I adore this book! Mrs. 'Arris goes on one big adventure in the heart of Paris. Just adorable!
Perfect size for a lazy weekend read, too!

Mrs. Harris is a divorced char (cleaning woman), in her sixties who is living in England around the late 1950s.
One day, while cleaning one of her rich, client's home, she stumbles upon a Dior gown. At that moment Mrs. Harris is bound at determined to own one of her own. The gown cost at the most, 400 pounds. It takes Mrs. Harris close to three years to save enough money for the dress, as well as a plane ticket to Paris.

What happens next is a funny, and heartwarming tale about friendship, and just how difficult it really is to have your heart's desire.