Williamsburg Regional Library

Au revoir, Tristesse, lessons in happiness from French literature, Viv Groskop

eng

Includes bibliographical references

autobiography

no index present

non fiction

Au revoir, Tristesse

bibliography

1157209096

Viv Groskop

lessons in happiness from French literature

"A lighthearted look at how to bring more humor, happiness, and joie de vivre into our lives through French literature. Like many people the world over, Viv Groskop wishes she was a little more French. A writer, comedian, and journalist, Groskop studied the language obsessively starting at age 11, and spent every vacation in France, desperate to escape her Englishness and to have some French chic rub off on her. In Au Revoir, Tristesse, Groskop mixes literary history and memoir to explore how the classics of French literature can infuse our lives with joie de vivre and teach us how to say goodbye to sadness. From the frothy hedonism of Colette and the wit of Cyrano de Bergerac to the intoxicating universe of Marguerite Duras and the heady passions of Les Liaisons dangereuses, this is a love letter to great French writers. With chapters on Marcel Proust, Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Stendhal, Honoré de Balzac, Albert Camus, and of course Françoise Sagan, this is a delectable read for book lovers everywhere."--, Publisher marketing

1.Don't judge yourself for being young and foolish: Bonjour Tristesse / Françoise Sagan -- (Or: Interfering in your father's love life can have dire consequences) -- 2.When memories visit you, soak them up: A La Recherche du Temps Perdu / Marcel Proust -- (Or: Find excuses to eat your favorite cake) -- 3.Sometimes you've just got to make the most of what you've got: Gigi by Colette -- (Or: Don't let someone publish your work under the name Willy) -- 4.No one can be truly happy while others suffer: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo -- (Or: There are times when you need to write in your underpants) -- 5.Self-deceit is the surest path to misery: Les Liaisons Dangereuses / Choderlos de Laclos -- (Or: Do not use your naked lover as a writing desk) -- 6.Do not judge your own happiness -- just let it be: L'Amant / Marguerite Duras -- (Or: Avoid excessive alcohol consumption)7.True happiness may involve quite a lot of hypocrisy: Madame Bovary / Gustave Flaubert -- (Or: Beware people who dump you by leaving a note in a basket of apricots) -- 8.Our greatest weaknesses conceal our greatest strengths: Cyrano de Bergerac / Edmond Rostand -- (Or: Be proud of your huge nose) -- 9.It's all very well to be ambitious as long as you are willing to pay the price: Bel-Ami / Guy de Maupassant -- (Or: The bigger the moustache, the greater the fall) -- 10.Social climbing rarely pays off, but you'll probably want to do it anyway: he Rouge et he Noir by Stendhal -- (Or: Don't flirt with the woman who pays you to teach her children Latin) -- 11.If you're going to behave badly, then do it in style: La Cousine Bette / Honore de Balzac -- (Or: Use your disappointing looks to fuel a campaign of revenge against your more attractive cousin) -- 12.Freedom matters more than anything: L'Etranger / Albert Camus -- (Or: Don't take a gun to the beach)

adult