Elegance (Paperback)

by Kathleen Tessaro (Author) "It's a freezing cold night in February and my husband and I are standing outside of the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square..." (more)
Key Phrases: Oliver Wendt, Madame Dariaux, Lady Castle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A frumpy, depressed woman is reborn as an assertive diva in Tessaro's debut novel, thanks to a 40-year-old style manual she discovers in a second-hand bookstore. Louise Canova is an American woman from Pittsburgh who lives in London with her chilly actor husband. Louise once dabbled in acting herself, but now works at a theater box office. She's overweight, badly dressed, has purely platonic relations with her husband and is surrounded by more-glamorous-than-thou types-her friend Nicki, a former model; her mother-in-law, a former model and a socialite-who condescend to her. Everything changes, however, when Louise discovers Elegance, a fashion guide from 1964 written by Genevieve Dariaux, a legendary (and fictional) Coco Chanel-like arbiter of taste. Quoting liberally from the guidebook, Tessaro writes a lighthearted contemporary version of Pygmalion. In this case, Louise is her own Professor Higgins, and using Dariaux's amusingly anachronistic (is anyone wearing veils these days?) yet timeless advice ("being beautiful is no guarantee of happiness in this world"), she changes her appearance, her self-image and her entire life. The author introduces each chapter with a relevant excerpt from the manual. This structure sometimes seems a bit forced, especially when Louise's husband turns out to be gay (there is no worthwhile advice from Madam Dariaux on that situation), but on the whole the book is a lively, irresistible read.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
This finely wrought debut novel tells a Cinderella story of sorts about an unhappy thirtysomething woman who manages to turn her disastrous life around. Louise Canova hails from Pittsburgh but is currently living in London with her actor husband. Louise has severe self-esteem problems, a budding eating disorder, a complete lack of interest in any activity, and a growing sense that something isn't right with her marriage. One day, while browsing in a used bookstore, she comes across a style manual entitled Elegance, penned by a doyenne of Parisian style and grace. Captivated by the advice in the book, Louise begins to dress better (no more Birkenstocks and shapeless dresses), work out regularly, and sleep less, and she seeks more attention and respect from her husband. Tessaro is a skillful writer, and in her capable hands this subject receives the respect it deserves, with dark undertones from Louise's past rearing up unexpectedly throughout the story. Readers will enjoy following this harrowing journey of self-discovery, renewal, and reinvention to its uplifting conclusion. Kathleen Hughes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Avon A (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060522275
• ISBN-13: 978-0060522278
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #318,920 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate read!, July 12, 2003

By	Lee Mellott "www.SkinCareForWrinkles.com (my ... (Frederick, Maryland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Elegance: A Novel (Hardcover)

I rarely read fiction. But I was attracted to the this book when I saw it in the book store because of its title, "Elegance". I own an older non-fiction book by Genevieve Dariaux also called, "Elegance". So I decided to see what the book was about.

To my surprise much of the book is based on the non-fiction book by Dariaux.

The main character in the book finds a dusty copy of "Elegance" in the used book store. Using the books advice she slowly transforms herself from an unhappy housewife with a dull job and a packed closet but nothing to wear into a woman of style and substance.

Each chapter begins with quotes from the Dariaux book (most of which are in the original book, a few have been made up by the author or changed.) And as each chapter goes along our heroine learns something that relates to the quote about style or elegance. For example, weight, men, restaurants, underwear are among the topics covered. I especially enjoyed the chapter on lingerie. As I thought of my own worn DKNY nighties, our heroine Louise is learning that "everything you own should do its job with some semblance of grace and dignity." and that we tend to dress and look better for complete strangers than our loved ones. Hmmm time for a little shopping for me!
Our heroine also learns that a sparse closet with very fine clothes that you wear and wear and always look fresh in is far better than a wardrobe jam packed with tawdry items that don't last,or look good.

The book is a learning tool for the character, Louise and for the reader.

And of course the book is not only a tool that teaches elegance but it plots the ups and downs of Louise's life.

I love the book. Though I have read many pure fashion books, this fiction book rivals them. It had me pulling out my Dariaux book and rereading for what I missed.

A super read!

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Another Brit Chick Read, August 26, 2003

By	Jennifer Barger (Falls Church, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Elegance: A Novel (Hardcover)

Okay, I was going to swear off Brit Chick Lit. But the premise for this book appealed to me, and the fact that the author is a transplanted Yank gave me hope.

The main character, a transplanted Pittsburgher, is married but frumpy, and then she transforms herself and her life after running across a vintage style manual called "Elegance." The chapter heads, which go from A to Z, detail everything from "accessories" to "jewelry."

It's a cute premise, and some of Tessaro's writing is pithy.

However, this book suffers from the same plot, same lack of surprises and same plodding pace as other across the pond women's books like "Bad Heir Day," "Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field," and countless others.

It raises the same question: why can't any one of these authors think of another plot? In a nutshell, this book, and all its clones, has a slightly downtrodden, perhaps overweight or badly dressed heroine.

She starts to dress better/loses weight/gains self-confidence.

She dumps a horrible crush/boyfriend/husband.

She somehow gets out of her dead-end job/parent's house/work rut and achieves fabulous success working for a glossy women's magazine/the Royal Opera House/a hip PR firm.

She always gets some new, handsome boyfriend at the end, and she always ends up fabulously happy.

I'm all for fluff, but I'm sick of reading the same story over and over again. I'm done with Brit Chick Lit

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a 3 1/2 star read, June 19, 2003

By	tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Elegance: A Novel (Hardcover)

When I first read the blurb on the dustjacket, I thought that "Elegance" read like a "Bridget Jones" type of novel except that it revolved around an unhappy and unsatisfied married woman (Louise Canova). And then I wondered if we really needed another "Bridget Jones" type of book. Well, while I was a little wrong about the novel being a "Bridget Jones" clone (there are similarities but there are a lot of differences as well), my feelings about this novel are mixed -- there were some things I really liked (like how the heroine manages to take action, make changes and so achieve happiness), there were some things that really irritated as well (like the fact that for a 32 year old woman, Louise has the appalling habit of pouting and sulking whenever things don't really go as she would like them to).

The storyline is a very basic one: Louise Canova, a married 32 year old, suddenly wakes up to the fact that she's deeply unhappy, unsatisfied with the turn that her life has taken, and that she has become very frumpish. She has an elegant ex-model mother-in-law she really dislikes (even as she craves her approval and attention), and her husband (who remains nameless throughout the novel) seems more interested in housekeeping than in her. And then Louise, a used bookstore junkie (at least for the first few chapters of "Elegance") finds a copy of a book (circa 1950s/1960s?) that promises to teach plain Janes how to become the very epitome of elegance. Louise begins to take the lessons that the book offers very much to heart, hoping to become the elegant swan she craves to be, little expecting the actual impact the book will actually have on her life. For suddenly, Louise is confronted with some uncomfortable truths about her past, present and the possible future that is in store for her if she doesn't change things soon...

If you're looking for a laugh-a-minute, witty romp of a novel a-la "Bridget Jones," think twice before picking up "Elegance." "Elegance" is a little darker, sometimes rather sad and somber novel. There are, it is true, moments of great humour and warmth, and you cannot help but root for Louise to become the elegant swan, get the job, the man and happiness that is her due. But there were also the moments when I wanted to shake our heroine really hard for all her sulking and pouting when things didn't play out as she would have wanted them to.

So was "Elegance" a worthwhile read? For me, certain passages/descriptions (like where the authour describes used bookstores and the fascination that some of us have for them and when she describes that feeling of delicious exhilaration when you're not so much with the man as in love with his fascination/attraction with/to you) that really made this book for me. Storywise, you can more or less guess in which direction the novel (and Louise) is going after the first few chapters. But the prose style, the painful lessons that Louise learns, and watching her become the 'swan' she was meant to be, all made the book a somewhat worthwhile read. Though I'd advise either borrowing a copy of "Elegance" from the library, hinting like mad that a friend lend (or give you) her copy, or else waiting a year for the book to come out in tradepaper, as it is a bit difficult to justify spending the hardcover price for this book.