Ollivier's 'Entre Nous' is a fun book to read; its akin to being Sabrina, rushing off to a mental France to learn a little sophistication and buy some wonderfully chic clothes that will never go out of style. All the stars awarded for this book are mostly due to the wonderful compendium of "asides" that the author sprinkles magazine-wise throughout the text in the form of French Girl Biographies (Audrey Tatou and Edith Piaf come to mind), French films which exemplify certain French lifestyle traits to the max, recipes, and a colorful melange of other varied topics which range from 'what a French girl has in her closet' to 'what she keeps in her refrigerator.' Every one of these little sidebars are a delight to read and will fuel your own need to make the little things in life memorable and full of the joy of knowing that what you do is well done.
However the main text which categorizes such priceless accoutrements to a life well lived as French strikes me as unrealistic, albeit still fun. Many women of varied ethnicities can be attributed with that charismatic 'je ne sais quoi' that can be as heady and delicious as plunging your nose in a thousand fresh roses. Ollivier directs most of her admonitions to her Anglo-Saxon compatriots--but to think that all American women are of Anglo Saxon descent or worse, to think that all American women are Anglo Saxon wannabees, sadly misrepresents the majority of women in the United States. As an Italian American New Yorker, many of the tips and secrets Ollivier defines as solely 'French' are second nature to me--yet I am still an American. Comparing the stereotype of a svelte French woman, cigarette dangling, beret, striped leotard, tight-black skirt-wearing to the stereotype of the All-American cheerleader who would kill for football tickets is fine for those of us who were all American cheerleaders and love sports--I, for one, was not and do not, and I find it amusing, and charming that most of the things dictated in this book are now not considered foreign or too different, but actually desirable and exotic!!!! I guess our pluralistic society does work in that it offers choices rather than conformity.
I also find it strange that even though Ollivier demands that we 'be ourselves' proudly, she benchmarks 'French' traits as those to which every woman would wish to aspire. Again, I find it okay to agree or disagree--if Madame B. accepts her husband's indiscretions, why should I care? What I do is my own business and not for public consumption--is this a French idea? NO, I am not French, simply wise enough to know that you cannot change people. Ollivier's stereotypical French girl exists in all of us in bits and pieces. Yet, let's face it, she conforms to her idea of what she needs to be in her own environment. If we are comfortable enacting a repressed Anglo-Saxon persona it is probably because this is what was taught from the cradle and what our neighbors enact--does Ollivier expect an instant resolution to change? How can one be oneself and change due to advice given in a book? Impossible unless an environment change actually results.
The section I enjoyed the most was the one dedicated to food. I know the French enjoy eating with gusto; many courses of rich food all washed down with large quantities of red wine. Fat and cholesterol are never considered and certainly not mentioned---why ruin a good meal? Can you imagine a French woman measuring her food to adhere to the principles of the Zone? Or not eating certain foods because of her blood type? Yet, as the author states, the French woman looks nothing like her American counterpart as she ages; she may change with time, but not in the dramatic way an American does. Why? What is the secret? In a nutshell, food enhances one's life--but one does not live to eat. Ollivier states that food shopping is done everyday--not as a chore, but as a way of life--socializing with those who provide food for your table. No cars necessary, walking, conversing and choosing are leisurely activities--no stress associated with 'running errands'. Only the freshest food is purchased; the ensuing meal revolves around what is seasonable, fresh and readily available. Little is left over or stocked in the refrigerator; the French woman buys only what she needs, never more. Portions are then only portions; no meals-in-a-box with preservatives are utilized at all. Although this explanation has been pointed out before by many other writers, dieticians and health care providers, Ollivier encapsulates the concept with fun food for thought.
Bottom line: This book is fun to read and provides many enjoyable suggestions for film-viewing ideas and other streamlining projects (closet and refrigerator in particular). I do not think it is meant to be taken very seriously. Perhaps, you, like me, will enjoy the tribute to individuality and rather than adapt to so-called French ways, celebrate fully what is different about yourself---you never know, you may be writing your own book someday sharing all your own personal secrets!
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