The French Art of Living Well, Cathy Yandell
The French Art of Living Well, Cathy Yandell
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The French Art of Living Well
Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World

Author: Cathy Yandell

Narrator: Kim Niemi

Unabridged: 7 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/23/2023

Synopsis

Cathy Yandell's The French Art of Living Well is a delightful look at French culture, from literature to cuisine to humor and more, showing how the French have captured that magic elixir known as joie de vivre.

What is joie de vivre, and why is it a fundamentally French concept?

In search of those ineffable qualities that make up the joy of living, this lively book takes listeners on a voyage to France through forays into literature, history, and culture. How does art contribute to daily life? Why is cuisine such a central part of French existence? Why are the French more physical than many other cultures? How do French attitudes toward time speak volumes about their sense of pleasure and celebration? And finally, to what extent is this zest for life exportable? These and other questions give way to a dynamic sketch of French life today.

Peppered with anecdotes and humor, this book uncovers some of the secrets of the celebrated French art of living well. Drawing from her years of living in France as a student, professor, and mother, Yandell crafts an honest and profound appraisal of French culture and how la joie de vivre can be developed in anyone's life.

About Cathy Yandell

Cathy Yandell is a professor at Carleton College, teaching courses in French Renaissance literature and culture, contemporary cultural and political issues in France, and the French language. Having published articles on writers from Louise Labe to Montaigne, she has also authored, edited, and coedited several books, including Carpe Corpus: Time and Gender in Early Modern France, Vieillir a la Renaissance, and Memory and Community in Sixteenth-Century France. In 2019, she was knighted by the French government into the Order of Academic Palms. When not buried in books, she loves dance, yoga, and flying trapeze. The French Art of Living Well is her first book for a general audience.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Huda

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Often, when you pick up a title that’s a personal account touching on a country or a culture, it can be a bit textbook-ish, where the author is so concerned with getting the facts just right, they forget to tell a good story. Yandell does a beautiful job of we......more

Goodreads review by Lisa

The French Art of Living Well is a tremendously enjoyable read of all things French, their culture, history, literature, food and much more, written by a woman who has lived there and immersed herself in trying to understand and live and understand the life of joy they all seem to have, and how they......more

Goodreads review by Noreen13

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this vicarious little trip to France! I wish this informative and delightful title was available when my sons were attending university in Paris and in Rennes. It is an excellent gift for anyone studying or working in France. I also would re......more

Goodreads review by Kristin

Love this book! Oh, so..... French. I've been obsessed with French culture since I was a kid and this book confirms what I've believed all along. I'm heading back to Paris this autumn for the first time in a few years and I can't wait to soak in the joie de vivre!......more

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