Jamais Je Ne Serai Français: J'aurai Beau Faire (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
To paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald's wry comment about the rich being different from the rest of us, the experiences and adventures of humans in middle age differ from those of our youthful days. For one thing, we know ourselves better and are more resilient to change, perhaps more forgiving. For another, we don't take it all so seriously. That wisdom is the great gift Mark Greenside shares with us in this delightful book. Whether or not we've had the same experiences as he, we can follow along without holding our finger underneath the words. There are moments of humor, wisdom, insight, naivete, joy, and yes, DUH! - it's all here, cast in the French countryside, brimming with life and beckoning us to give it a try, not to remain stuck in our usually boring, often dreary, day-to-day "la vie sans passion." Give it another go, Mark signals us in sharing his own adventure. I haven't regretted it, and neither will you, he advises. The book works as perfectly as an armchair travel narrative as it does a do-it-yourself guide.Another distinctive feature is that Mark's adventure takes place in Brittany, which is a little under the radar for most Americans who think of France as either Paris or its southern regions. We learn a bit of this Western region's geography and scenery, but I found myself on the web because I wanted to learn more, see more. I wished Mark's ancient stone house were on Zillow because I would love to see it. Once Mark buys his maison, he begins experiencing many of the contractor relationships familiar to any homeowner, but with a French-cultural difference: apparently the contractors aren't out to take advantage of him. I was reminded of my first experiences touring Germany: when buying something, I had no idea the amount the clerk was asking for, so I stuck out a handful of money and he or she removed the [ostensibly] correct amount. So it was with Mark, where the costs were always fair and the work quality always excellent. In the process, he shares a great many wonderful relationship experiences, which I shall defer mentioning and instead urge you to read about herein. One spoiler alert: iin the course of events, Mark does become pretty fluent in French!One more thought. Traveling together as a test of a relationship is a popular truism. Mark goes to France on a vacation with a woman he's been dating, but their relationship doesn't survive. I couldn't help thinking of how I had the same experience, traveling with a woman to Paris for a week. I thought I was crazy about her, and she about me. We went everywhere, did everything: the Rive Gauche, Sacre Coeur, Louvre, opera, countryside - but then, toward the end of our trip, a most bizarre event drove a spike through the heart of our relationship and it was over. Perhaps if Mark and I had been French we would have laughed, poured another glass of wine, forgotten the rift and kept the relationship on a steady course, but we did not. And so we carry this shared memory and life-lesson learned as older, wiser, middle-aged men. While I wasn't quite as deliriously enthralled with this book as some other reviewers, I found it humorous and satisfying. What a dream situation...buying a second home in the French countryside. Less than dreamy? Not being able to speak or understand the language very well, but having to deal with workmen, repairmen, insurance men, who do. But as an American bumbler and writer, Mark Greenside does quite well.
What do You think about Jamais Je Ne Serai Français: J'aurai Beau Faire (2010)?
I would not have finished this book except my book club is reading it. Nothing happens.
—Shelly
Great book. Enjoyed all of it. Makes me want to move to France.
—Jess
This was a "Laugh Out Loud" book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
—Shaiiguy17
