Pardon My French: Unleash Your Inner Gaul |
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Charles Timoney
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Pages: 256 (Paperback)
ISBN: 1846140528
Pub: Allen Lane
Pub date: 2007-08-02
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 15462
Reader Reviews:
it's okay, but not that interesting (0/0 people found this helpful)
Basically, this is a book with a few useful phrases and a lot of anecdotes which I personally didn't find very interesting.
There are better examples of each genre for sale on this site.
Unputdownable (0/0 people found this helpful)
I'm about to pass this around our French further studies class - it's a gem. Very funny and it's absolutely true that if you use the phrases within when in France you will appear fluent - be prepared for French to be spoken back at you at full belt! Oh it's entertaining for any friends & family to watch your face as you go from smug to 'what the...' in about 5 seconds!
Aside from that it really is handy at learning more about La France.
Could have been much better (2/3 people found this helpful)
This has some interesting nuggets, but as other reviewers have mentioned it's quite insubstantial. What doesn't seem to have been mentioned is the mean-spirited tone of the book, which becomes harder to ignore the further in you read. Whether this reflects Mr Timoney's character, or just that his attempts at humour are unfortunate, is hard to tell (though I suspect the former).
He comes across as pedantic (livid at the misuse of certain words), a location snob (pointing out that he lived in a chic part of Paris, and regretful that his daughter wasn't born there; he also reports - with apparent approval - that Parisiens routinely express their blanket contempt for the inhabitants of a slummier part of the city), prudish (about swearing, as others have noted) and petty (he insists on pointing out that he lives in a "maison" not a flat, and likes showing up the poor English of French people). There are also side-swipes at immigrants (lumped in with the homeless - ironically since he is himself an immigrant), the elderly, and stupid English tourists (a "tautology" apparently).
The unfortunate effect of all this is that if (like me) you haven't spent a lot of time in France you can come away from this book with the impression that the author likes the French because he shares with them a nasty 1970s outlook on life, which doesn't encourage one to learn the lingo and visit the place.
A Must for all Francophiles (1/1 people found this helpful)
This highly entertaining and informative book is a "must read" for all Francophiles. Whether just loving the country, visiting on holiday, or like me, actually living in France, it explains so much of the nuances of French life and language in style which no-one would find hard to enjoy. I just wished I had read it before I emigrated, to have prevented several "faux pas" in my time here!
C'est bonne (1/1 people found this helpful)
Informative while managing to stay entertaining - an insight into French society, stuff that can't normally be learned from books. If you are learning French it's a 'must read'.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Humour -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Languages -> By Language -> Bestsellers
Books -> Subjects -> Languages -> By Language -> French -> Bestsellers
Books -> Subjects -> Languages -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Reference -> Language -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Reference -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Society, Politics & Philosophy -> Social Sciences -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> Countries & Regions -> Europe -> France -> General AAS
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Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> Travel Writing
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