The first time I came to visit Australia, this book was a big hit. Obviously because I am French and my husband Australian, people gave it to us. It was 6 years ago. Back in France I read it curious to see my country being described by one of my husband's compatriots.

Unfortunately, not only this book was a big deception regarding its style or lack of it but I was getting annoyed and frustrated. In fact, I thought with a journalist background, the author, Sarah Turnbull, would have been more incline to go beyond the usual stereotypes. On the contrary, her book is filled with articles of hers, describing the French bourgeois, having expensive wardrobe and $2000 pet dogs. Owners, of 400 years old farm, people dancing rock in line, frustrated woman who cannot dare to laugh, etc.

I thought I was taking it too personally and waited 6 years to read it again, but now that I am living in Australia I can understand why this book has this effect on me. I see how the French lifestyle is imagined in Australia, and I have to say distorted. But for a journalist living in France, I find incredible that Sarah cannot or doesn't dare to deepen her knowledge about French and the French culture. It is a superficial, badly written book about a capricious girl's experience in Paris. In a way it is very Australian as she doesn't try to go beyond the generics. All French are the same from one extreme to another, all French are unhappy and frustrated, all French are old (no mention of youth in her book!), all French are tied with conventions. A part from one trip in the centre of France and her regular trips in the North, never does she mention going and travelling around France, meeting other people that her bourgeois surrounding. Never does she mention, that France is NOT Paris.

But let me tell you that all French are NOT Parisians, that 4 millions live in the centre of Paris but 56 millions lives all around France. Not everyone is from a bourgeois' background and has a lawyer for boyfriend to answer to every caprice the girlfriend might have. Most of the people in France laugh loud (and when I do so here in Sydney I am badly looked at!), drink a lot, dance randomly, enjoy life, love to share with others, are curious minded and love to learn about others' experiences and culture, furthermore, love to meet new people.

This time I am not going to finish the book. I know very well how she described becoming the ones she once disliked deeply.

I am now a languages teacher in Australia and among others languages teacher I am trying to fight stereotypes. For me, it is the cause of too many misconceptions and misunderstandings and above all, the cause for a lack of interests about others in Australia. When people mention this book as an example of a French experience, I cannot stop myself of imaging a capricious little girl who gets easily frustrated when her wishes are not granted. Definitely, this book is not the work of a woman who embraces her new experience with a wide open eyes.

This book is NOT a good and truthful description of the French and their cultures.
I just want to mention that my Australian husband read the book 6 years ago and got really shocked by the degree of superficiality. I may say, we have the same idea about the book.

I loved it, simply because Sarah Turnbull captivates the reality of so many people who end up living in another country and even though they start a new life, with new people and new meaning around them, is never quite the same... You find yourself in the new place wishing you were somewhere else, and when you return to your country you wish you were back in the other one. It explains the struggle of culture integration and the differences that may seem to drive you crazy, but in the end those things become part of your every day life. The book inspired me to make the best out of my personal situation, I felt so identified with her and so encouraged to embrace who I am and at the same time embrace my new life in another country. I loved it!

I loved it, simply because Sarah Turnbull captivates the reality of so many people who end up living in another country and even though they start a new life, with new people and new meaning around them, is never quite the same... You find yourself in the new place wishing you were somewhere else, and when you return to your country you wish you were back in the other one. It explains the struggle of culture integration and the differences that may seem to drive you crazy, but in the end those things become part of your every day life. The book inspired me to make the best out of my personal situation, I felt so identified with her and so encouraged to embrace who I am and at the same time embrace my new life in another country. I loved it!

Our family lived in France from 1992-1995. Though it has been a few years now, all the memories of trying to adjust, fit in, make sense of France and the French, came flowing back through my mind as I read Sarah's book. Very well written, easy and enjoyable to read, she nails the frustrations, the puzzlements, and the occasional delights of living in this special European country.

Our family lived in France from 1992-1995. Though it has been a few years now, all the memories of trying to adjust, fit in, make sense of France and the French, came flowing back through my mind as I read Sarah's book. Very well written, easy and enjoyable to read, she nails the frustrations, the puzzlements, and the occasional delights of living in this special European country.

I really enjoyed this book. The author gives the reader
a taste of what it is to live in Paris. I highly recommend
this book for anyone who is interested in France, Paris,
culture, or people.

This is not a book I would have picked up on my own; and I only grudgingly ordered it from amazon.com because it was the selection for out next Book Club meeting. I'm loving it! I'm only a tiny way into it and am enjoying the chuckles that are ellicted throughout; well, so far, anyway. Turnbull writes very well, she has a marvelous sense of humor, and she is able to laugh at her own foibles. Can't wait to finish the book, can't wait for our meeting.

This is not a book I would have picked up on my own; and I only grudgingly ordered it from amazon.com because it was the selection for out next Book Club meeting. I'm loving it! I'm only a tiny way into it and am enjoying the chuckles that are ellicted throughout; well, so far, anyway. Turnbull writes very well, she has a marvelous sense of humor, and she is able to laugh at her own foibles. Can't wait to finish the book, can't wait for our meeting.

The French are a fascinating people, their culture sometimes mysterious, sometimes frustrating. Having lived in France for a while myself, I was very drawn to this story of a young woman living and loving in Paris and other parts of the country. Having first gone to Paris on a whim (since she was in Europe anyway, and the young man who invited her was so attractive, why not?), she then decides to stay. It does seem remarkable that someone would do that in these days of madmen and terrorists.

Her story starts out somewhat disjointed and jerky and parts of it continue that way. There are gaps in time that aren't quite transitioned. And some events are incomplete. For instance, when her friend Sue comes to visit from London, the reader expects a life changing or confirming event. The build up to it certainly leads one to think that this is a big part of the entire experience. However, Sue comes, leaves, and that's that. We're given no reaction on her part to Frederic, the French lover, no discussion between the two on Sarah's decision to stay in Paris, nothing.

Sarah's visits with Frederic and some of his friends are, of course, awkward. Unless one has experienced the same thing, it is difficult to believe how important things are in social intercourse, but how no one ever thinks to explain them ahead of time. Being Australian, Sarah had certain expectations when it came to dinner and parties, but the French people she met had different expectations. It always seemed that she was expected to conform to their expectations, but whether that was only her perception is not clear. Perhaps she should have learned from the first and following experiences to ask more questions each succeeding time.

The edition of the book that I read is the 2002 edition, published either in Australia or Great Britain and I do not know if the 2004 edition was edited differently. I'd hoped to enjoy this book and to learn how to enjoy living in another country. The most important lesson seems to be to try to not have expectations.

I bought this book, I am ashamed to say. I am also reluctant to review it as I do not really want my name associated with it. However, just to keep someone else from the painful experience of reading the book, I will write a few words.

I will never be dining with Suzy Gershman, shopping with her, or visiting her in Paris. We would not run in the same social circles. Both of us are (or would be) glad that our paths will never cross. No matter where we each live, we would never understand each other, nor would we share any common interests.

This is the most shallow and self-satisfied non-fiction (?) book I have ever read.

Save yourself the cost of even a used copy of this book. Instead, get a few copies of "People." then imagine spending the rest of your life hanging out in stores and buying things you hope to use to impress your "friends." You will not need to read the book.

The relationships with people and things described in this book make shallow seem deep. I have not read anything like this before. I kept wishing that I could hit the author in the head and I am NOT a violent person. I plan to avoid anything that is even remotely similar to this book in the future and carefully shunning all the recommendations Amazon has for books I would theoretically like if I would have liked it.

"Almost French," ha! This book should be titled "Almost Human." I only wish that Amazon would allow me to give it a NEGATIVE star rating.

Very well written. Entertainingly true story of an Austrailian journalist who moved to Paris and eventually adapted to her new life with the help of her French boyfriend. Of course, there are many missteps and misunderstandings along the way. Turnbull presents these in a way that shares both the frustration of the moment and the amusement of looking back from a more enlightened future. Provides an interesting outsider turned near-insider's perspective of French culture.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It is true that it might not have been very deep, but Sarah's comments on Paris made me feel like I was there again. Very therapeutical. Also, I recommend reading this book slowly, a couple of pages at a time, so you can really absorb every comment. If you read it all at once, it is easy to overlook small details. Read a page, laugh at her comments, think about how they are very true. Put the book down. Pick it up an hour later. I think you will get the most out of it if you pace yourself. In all, I recommend this book to anyone who longs for Paris.

Being French, but having moved to The US when I was young I wanted to see if I could relate to this book. And yes I could. Sarah Turnbull really hits it right on. It is so refreshing to read a book that is fun, easy and accurate in it's description of a different culture. I really enjoyed reading this book.

I raved about this book to all my friends! Sarah's account of her trials and tribulations adjusting to life in France is so descriptive and humorous. When she describes any aspect of the Paris scene, I feel like I am right there with her. If you love to travel and love a good narrative, read this!

This book actually annoyed me. The author finds herself moving in on a seemingly charming Frenchman and then complains about what her life is like with him. I still don't understand what the couple were doing together in the first place. It doesn't feel like there's any love between them....it seems that this was the opportune moment for her to try out what it would be like to live in Paris. I don't really see what it she brings to the table.....she's demanding, is not earning a living and does nothing to make their life together more pleasant....she just complains. She convinces him to move from a very comfortable (but boring) apt to a much better situated and much more expensive one. I don't hear that she helps him pay for this in any way....just expects it. That certainly has not been the way my life has been and if it had been I don't thing I'd be complaining. It just rubbed me the wrong way. She seems spoiled and he seems to play into it. I thiink he is far too patient with her. There were not enough cute and funny stories that could have been a part of this story.

Expecting a romance type story, it's needless to say I was somewhat disappointed that it did not go too much into the relationship. I was even more put-off with her constant whining about things that did not go exactly how she pictured.
There are so many unanswered questions that I wondered if she bothered making a seconded drafted of her story.
There is too much whining and too little about the people around her, especially about Fredrick. I think she expected too much and did not give enough of herself. True, there are some funny moments, but to put it bluntly, I'm glad I only checked this out of the library instead if buying it like I was intending to.

I read this quickly; it's a fast read. I've studied French and have been to Paris (2 week vacation in '00). This book should be required reading for all students of French; you get a ton of insights into French culture. What is missing is everything about her relationship with the guy she lives with for several years and, in the epilogue(!) finally marries. You know more about his friends and family than him when the book ends. There is no basis for their love, no reason given for why she lives with him, nor why he wants her to. That is really strange!!!

Good book - a bit slow in spots; others were quite amusing. I enjoyed reading about the cultural differences and how the author coped with those differences.

Good book - a bit slow in spots; others were quite amusing. I enjoyed reading about the cultural differences and how the author coped with those differences.

This book is so true! I also live in Europe, and a lot of things in the book hold true for Europeans, not just the French. Sarah Turnbull tells both the highs and lows of living in France. I learned a few things from the book too, for example, how to select cheese, fish, and a few dishes. Also, I have always wondered why French women are always dressed in their "Sunday Best" clothing when I see them in a cafe' or in the supermarket. Now, I know. Wonderful book, very light hearted and informative.

Almost French tells the story of Sarah Turnbull, an Australian journalist who makes an impulsive decision to move to Paris after falling for a Frenchman while on assignment in Bucharest. This book chronicles her fish-out-of-water experience as an Aussie in Paris, and how she comes to love and appreciate this beautiful but frustrating city. As months stretch into years, Sarah delves deeper into the history and culture of Paris. She makes decisions about what she will and won't do to fit in with her French counterparts. She discovers that even though she will never be French, she can be truly happy in Paris.

I've read a number of books about the expatriate experience in Paris, my favorite being Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik, but Turnbull's book is a welcome addition to the genre. She isn't afraid to detail all of the things that drive her mad about Paris, and she also isn't afraid to openly adore the city. It's a very honest account of her experience, and fortunately one that's entertaining to read. Definitely recommended!

After reading several reviews of this book I was surprised to see how many people misinterpreted it. The woman in the memoirs is AUSTRALIAN not American.

I acutally read this book while I was living in France on an exchange program and was terribly homesick. The memoirs kept me engaged and I laughed outloud at some of the French mannerisms that I ran into every single day and could totally relate to the author.

The book held my interest and at times is extremely funny and lighthearted. I'm almost hoping the author moves somewhere else and writes another book about that. Fans of Bill Bryson will enjoy this book immensely.

I reccomend this book for anyone who is going to live in or visit Europe. It gives insight into many of the classic Eurpoean/French stereotypes and reminds us all that while different, everyone is human with basic human needs and feelings.

This book gives you an inside view of what is it like to be an American living in Paris. As the main character makes her way through parisian society - you walk along with her. As someone who hopes to live in paris at some point in my life - it gave me an honest perspective of parisian culture and society.

As an American with shoddy French skills who has been living in the Il de France for the past six months, I found this book incredibly superficial at best and whiny and self-indulgent at worst. First of all, to call this book a love story is ridiculous. Frederic has less presence in the book than her pedigreed dog (or was THAT the "love story"?). From what I read, poor old Frederic seemed no more than a ticket to stay in France, rent free, because she had nothing better to do.
And let me see, what were her insights? That French is difficult? That French people like meat? Wow, great journalism, there. One day in France is all you need to figure that out. As far as her assessments on the psychology of French women (they're threatened, which explains their lack of friendliness towards her), what self-serving balderdash is that? Let me propose a few alternate theories: A) threatened and rude women come in every nationality; B) maybe they weren't talking to her because it's difficult to communicate with someone with lousy French skills; C) Maybe they just didn't like HER.
For the life of me, I don't understand the positive reviews of this book. But maybe in an age of CNN, MTV and people who travel no further than to the other side of their living room to search for their lost remote control, this is what qualifies for insightful journalism/entertainment.
Now, Ms. Turnbull might attribute my negativity towards her book to some sort of jealousy since I have had none of the advantages she had while living here. I pay rent. I knew no-one when I got here. I was forced to communicate without the convenience of a fluent boyfriend to translate for me. I had to make friends based on personality, wit and mime skills. But I'd like to suggest that if she'd had some of those "disadvantages" (and a little depth) her book might have been less annoying, more interesting and worth the short time spent reading it.

I LOOOVE this book, it has made me laugh to tears. I am half French-half Latina, leaving in the US with my American husband, so I totally relate to Sarah as an uprooted expat. But also, as a French, I find her analisys on French people really accurate. This book is a MUST read for bicultural couples, it can shed a - often desperatly - needed light on their struggles, plus it is deeply entertaining, Sarah's style is witty and fun, and her analisys is profound. This is one of my favorite books! But, I must add that people that have never lived abroad may not get it...

This is a wonderful book. Anyone who has ever been to France, plans to go, thought you could emulate the French style or ever thought you could be mistaken for a French person (not possible), or loved two countries, this is the book to read. I wish it were longer so that I could have stayed with Sarah to learn more of her experiences in that beautiful country. As a result of reading it I will pay more attention to the clothes I wear and get rid of some schmockties (sp) I thought were OK. This book is a little gem. I will recommend it to all my friends but I will keep my own copy to read again.

This is a great read for anyone who loves travelling or has lived in a culture other than their own. I had never been to Paris when I first read it, and I read it when I got back and enjoyed it even more the second time around. Have passed it around my friends and family also, and everyone loves it. The cute stories about the difficulties adjusting are humorous and universal. The writer neither glamorises nor puts down her life in Paris, she simply offers an honest story. Great read!

This book was very disappointing. I would return it, had I kept the receipt. I was perplexed about why she didn't just focus on making a book about her love life. Maybe that would have been more interesting, but she hardly makes her French boyfriend sound the least bit important to her. I am an American young woman, so maybe I don't understand her humor. Most of the time I felt like the French had to put up with her, and her lack of sophistication,than the other way around. Yet another whiny book about someone living in Paris and complaining about it, which I find completely rude, and sort of seems to justify the French people's animosity towars Americans (though the author is more like the Brits).

I bought this book because I myself am an expat...but not living in Paris. I am an American who moved to Australia to be with the man I love who happens to be aussie. It was easy for me to relate to Sarah's difficulty in trying to fit into a culture completely different to her own. I could write my own book about the difficulties I have faced (not with the Australian people) including adjusting to the metric system, the different taste of the food (close but not the whole enchilada), how to tell a good cut of meat from the bad (finding a decent steak is nearly impossible for me as a "spoiled" American)...the list goes on and on.
What I would have liked to have read more about was the relationship between Sarah and Fred, how the love and support he obviously gave her, but is not expounded upon in the book, must have been the foundation of her being able to adjust to a world so different from her own. I would have liked even more dialogue between the two lovers.
In my own experience in dealing with a culture so similar, yet so different to my own, I have found that without the patience and empathy of my husband I would not have been able to overcome my culture shock after moving to OZ. When I couldn't find grape jelly (jam as the aussie's call it)on the shelves in Safeway, I almost broke down and cried! How can a country that has acres and acres of vineyards that produce some of the best wines in the world, and produce grape juice for breakfast, not have grape jelly (jam)? How can I make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich without grape jelly? But then again my aussie husband had never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his whole life until he met me!
But I do digress...back to Sarah's story...for those who are contemplating a visit to Paris, this is a great little book to read, because it does give an accurate portrayal of the way the French view the "anglo-saxons." A wonderful insight into the love-hate relationship outsiders seem to have with the French and which keeps Paris at the top of the list of cities travellers want to visit at least once in their lifetime.

Trumbell's witty account of adapting to life in Paris in Almost French, Love and a New Life in Paris is a wonderful read. Her portrait of Parisians is remarkably humouring, from snobby shopkeepers, uptight cocktail parties and unrelenting remarks and "eyeballs" on her dress, speech and mannerisms-Trumbell's account of living and adjusting to societal demands and attitudes is utterly fascinating. The book is more travel and experience oriented rather than finding love with her boyfriend, `Fred'-and while I longed for that element to surface at any moment-I grew fond of her reactions and struggles in Paris. Great read, romantic, good history, well developed story.

This novel started a bit slow for me, but I soon got into the rhythm of Paris and enjoyed it. Her descriptions of the people of Paris were spot on and while they were sometimes exasperating, they were always true to themselves and their image of what 'outsiders' think of Parisiennes. A good armchair travelogue of Paris Life through the eyes of an Aussie.

Overall, I was only mildly impressed by the insights that Sarah Turnbull shares in this book. Although she aims to contrast the lifestyle and drive of the average Parisian with her more laid-back Australian upbringing, I found that Turnbull spends more time whining about her own personal need to earn a sense of belonging than in presenting her new aquaintances in a fair and balanced manner. She does not even describe the character of her Parisian boyfriend/husband with any depth, instead characterizing him through French stereotypes. Yet, this book is not completely without value, as Francophiles will still relish the author's descriptions and insights on everyday life in Paris, such as her description of neighborhood life, dinner parties, the French love of country and heritage (particularly in relation to their ancestral homes), and may even render a chuckle over her many committed faux pas. It's just that the reader will have to sift through all of Turnbull's sour grapes in order to objectively assess her many keen observations. Although full of detail and action, this can be a slow read at times, primarily since she fails to credit any of the characters with a modicum of depth, except in perhaps extolling her own misery. I kept having to question why she ever stayed in Paris after all of her less than ideal encounters with snobbery and humiliation. You assume, of course, that it is for her love of Frederic. But she never discusses their relationship- period. They go from being awkward friends to (one would assume) lovers with absolutely no transition or reference to their falling in love and/or blooming romance. Hence "Almost French" reads much of the time as the story of an insecure, twenty-something, feminist Australian journalist who falls unexplainably for an eccentric, artsy, clueless, one-dimentional stereotype of a French man who seems to possess no inner life. It is virtually impossible to relate to either one of them and I absolutely could not invoke any sympathy for Turnbull at any point. At one point she asserts that she has discovered a very serious insecurity common to French women, which I can honestly believe in light of her experiences with them. However, it would have been nice if she also acknowledged her own faults and insecurities as well! In Turnbull's defense, she definitely does not glorify or gloss over Parisian culture in the slightest, which makes her story a bit more palatable for us laid back and casual Americans, Aussies, and Brits. Yet she still opens a window for us to enjoy and discover a very rich, formal, elegant, and surprisingly conservative (perhaps bourgeois?) French cultural tradition.

...but overall, not a book I would recommend. Though the anecdotal information is amusing, and a few of her observations about the French (for example, their underlying self-conscious nature and their need for things to be aesthetically pleasing) are interesting, I must say that this book left me wanting more.

My impression of this book was a woman who, after embarking on new territory and life, decided to write a book about it, but never truly decided where she wanted it to go.

Is it a love story? No, not really. The reader is never given an inside look at the relationship between Frederic and Sarah, their love is hardly touched on. We just know that Frederic exists, but he is secondary to stories about her dog.

Is it a novel? No, not really. And it doesn't read like a novel, or biography either. It reads like Sarah, who happens to be a journalist, composed several articles and then pieced them all together in chronological order.

Is it good for tips if you're going to France? Again, no, not really. While a few of the images presented are mildly funny, the book is mostly full of Sarah embarassing herself (and frankly, she never gained my sympathy or support, her actions were often very annoying, even in English).

So, if you would like a book comprised of several dinner ordeals which caused the author some brief embarrasment, then this is the book for you.

This book by Sarah Turnbull is absolutely wonderful. First, she has a gift of choosing just the right words and/or phrases to express a thought and, you get a perfect sense of what life is in France and, especially, in Paris. She does not skimp on detail, but does not elaborate so much that it becomes tedious. She is honest about her experiences - both good and bad - and one appreciates the fact that she is not trying to impress, but simply to recount. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who would like to know what it would be like for a foreigner to enter into the tightly-woven world of Paris and the French.

Within the past two and a half years I have become not so much a Francophile, but rather a Parisia-phile. I've been searching for books about ex-pats in Paris. Sarah Turnbull's memoir Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris fulfilled my need for reading a text about an ex-pat in Paris.

Turnbull's account of meeting the lovely Frederic and deciding to return to Paris for him is the catalyst for this memoir. She recounts her days of being bored and stuck at home with no one aside from Frederic with whom to interact; how difficult it was to get a job; and all of the things about Paris (and France) that confounded her. Turnbull's memoir is both funny and heartwarming. Of the many anecdotes she writes, I find myself remembering, a year later, her trials and tribulations with her dog.

Although many of her anecdotes were funny and telling, I did find that she complained a lot about the fact that French women didn't just open up to her, and accept with her welcoming arms. Sometimes, as Turnbull finally came to understand, things are simply that way -- unflinching.

Within the past two and a half years I have become not so much a Francophile, but rather a Parisia-phile. I've been searching for books about ex-pats in Paris. Sarah Turnbull's memoir Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris fulfilled my need for reading a text about an ex-pat in Paris.

Turnbull's account of meeting the lovely, Frederic and deciding to return to Paris for him is the catalyst for this memoir. She recounts her days of being bored and stuck at home with no one aside from Frederic to interact; how difficult it was to get a job; and all of the things about Paris (and France) that confounded her. Turnbull's memoir is both funny and heartwarming. Of the many anecdotes she writes, I find myself remembering, a year later, her trials and tribulations with her dog.

Although many of her anecdotes were funny and telling, I did find that she whined a lot about the fact that French women didn't just open up to her, and accept with her welcoming arms.

I had just finished a number of fast-paced reads and found it hard to get into the slower pace of this book. I'm glad I did and enjoyed the author's various stories about Paris and France. I learned a lot about French culture in a personal voice. At first, I had a difficult time getting a clear picture of Frederic and what the circumstance of their meeting was and what inspired her strong feelings etc. (Feeling strong enough to relocate to France.) It wasn't until the move into central Paris that I saw Frederic as a living breathing person. I give the book 3 stars because I feel something missing--that feeling one gets when many "ah-ha" moments are acheived in a book. I did not experience that kind of satisfaction upon finishing it.

In her Prologue, journalist Sarah Turnbull summarizes her memoir, ALMOST FRENCH: "Put a very French Frenchman together with a strong-willed Sydney girl and the result is some fairly spectacular--and sometimes hilarious--cultural clashes" (p. ix). At twenty-seven, Turnbull left her job as an Australian television reporter, "hoping to cram a lifetime of adventures into one unforgettable year" in Europe, but ending up instead with a new life in Paris (p. vii) after meeting her future husband, Frederic, in Bucharest. Frederic is a Paris lawyer with a quirky love for comic books.

ALMOST FRENCH not only tells the seductive love story between Sarah and Frederic, but the story of Sarah's love-hate relationship with the less-than-friendly French. "France is like a maddening, moody lover who inspires emotional highs and lows," she vents. "One minute it fills you with a rush of passion, the next you're full of fury, itching to smack the mouth of some sneering shopkeeper or smug civil servant" (p. ix). Turnbull describes her never-ending difficulties in making friends, finding work, visiting Frederic's family in northern France, surviving dinner parties, adapting to the day-to-day life of her lover, and in attempting to assimilate herself into the perplexing Parisian culture.

G. Merritt

In her Prologue, journalist Sarah Turnbull describes ALMOST FRENCH: "Put a very French Frenchman together with a strong-willed Sydney girl and the result is some fairly spectacular--and sometimes hilarious--cultural clashes" (p. ix). At twenty-seven, Turnbull left her job as an Australian television reporter, "hoping to cram a lifetime of adventures into one unforgettable year" in Europe, but ending up instead with a new life in Paris (p. vii) after she meets her future husband, Frederic, in Bucharest. Frederic is a Paris lawyer, and a very French Frenchman with a love for comic books.

ALMOST FRENCH not only tells the love story between Sarah and Frederic, but the story of Sarah's love-hate relationship with the less-than-friendly French. "France is like a maddening, moody lover who inspires emotional highs and lows," she vents. "One minute it fills you with a rush of passion, the next you're full of fury, itching to smack the mouth of some sneering shopkeeper or smug civil servant" (p. ix). Turnbull's entertaining memoir not only recounts her never-ending difficulties in making friends, but in finding work, visiting Frederic's family in northern France, surviving dinner parties, adapting to day-to-day life with Frederic, and ultimately in attempting to assimilate herself into the perplexing Parisian culture. ALMOST FRENCH is an irresistable tale of French seduction that will live its reader craving a Gauloise.

G. Merritt

She's an Australian, but Americans and British can easily relate to her experiences in France.Her experiences made me laugh out loud, and see a new perspective by someone who has been there. Great to read if you are traveling to France and are confused about the culture, as it is good to know who has been through (along with millions of others) to France and experienced it for the real Frane it is, not the ultracivilized equal, and ethical country it likes to tout itself as.

She's an Aulstralian, but Americans and British can easily relate to her experiences in France.Her experiences made me laugh out loud, and see a new perspective by someone who has been there. Great to read if you are traveling to France and are confused about the culture, as it is good to know who has been through (along with millions of others) to France and experienced it for the real Frane it is, not the ultracivilized equal, and ethical country it likes to tout itself as.

She's an Aulstralian, but Americans and British can easily relate to her experiences in France.Her experiences made me laugh out loud, and see a new perspective by someone who has been there. Great to read if you are traveling to France and are confused about the culture, as it is good to know who has been through (along with millions of others) to France and experienced it ungarded.

She's an Aulstralian, but Americans and British can easily relate to her experiences in France (an alien would be able to relate to her on the otherworldliness of France).Her experiences made me laugh out loud, and see a new perspective by someone who has seen hell, and written a travel book about it.Great to read if you are traveling to France and are confused about the culture, as it is good to know who has been through (along with millions of others) to France and experienced it without it's "face" on.

This honest, humorous account of an Aussie expat in Paris is a highly entertaining, quick read.

That's the problem: the pages flew by, and now I want to find out more. For example, did the author ever have children? If so, those tales would be perfect sequel material.

The author excels at relating personal anecdotes of her cultural lessons and her efforts to become "Almost French." The other Amazon reviews of this book highlight her dinner party gaffes, which, I agree, provide for some of the most entertaining paragraphs.

I also enjoyed reading about the author's increasing skill at nasty retorts and her feelings of conflict about this necessary public skill.

What didn't I like? The constant references to her terrier are in one way annoying, but in another, completely genuine and even cute. I realize pet dogs are ingrained in many people's lives, and not just in Paris, but around the world. Even so, as a former dog owner I grew tired of the perhaps excessive time spent on this subject.

In addition, I wish the author would have gone into more detail about her attempts to become fluent in French. She did note, repetitiously, that the French enjoy wordplay, but it seems as though one day after many chapters about struggling to comprehend the language, out of the blue, she could suddenly speak fluent, nuanced French.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book and I recommend it to anyone planning to visit Paris or anyone interested in exploring the trials and tribulations of expatriate life.

I picked this book up on a whim......lucky me!!
This is an honest story of a young woman's desire to fit in to a different culture and her triumphs, defeats and at times her utter confusion at the inability to understand the actions and reactions of the French natives. Sarah Turnbull decides to take a year away off from her profession as a journalist and to take the year traveling through Europe. Sarah meets an interesting man and decides to meet him in at his home in Paris and the visit turns into an extended stay. Sarah's inability to "fit in" is both confusing and aggravating to her, and then she begins to unravel the cultural differences that stand in her way. Her love of France glows through-out the story, and even in her darker moods, she has an underlying appreciation for it all. Her explanations of getting official paperwork done, of having renovations to the apartment done and her vignettes of the neighborhood microcosm and the eccentric personalities plying their trade are intimate and oddly familiar.
If you have never been to Paris this would be good to read beforehand.....if you have been, this will surely have you laughing!!! This is truly an enjoyable and revealing love story of an Aussie girl and France!!

Sarah captures the French personality and traits in a personal journey whilst she is trying to blend into a new life. French mannerisms, style and habits are not rude just different. Sarah learns to accept that she is an Australian living in France and will never become French. The book takes you through her travel to discovery. Sarah has opened the country of France to reveal its wonders and quirks woven amongst her daily life and unfolding love.

A young Aussie journalist charges into France, determined to win it over. France resists.

Some of the best non-fiction of any kind is written by journalists. Turnbull's open and straightforward style works well here. Her narrative reads like a series of letters from a good friend, but the writing is too good for it to have been dashed off.

I loved reading about her dinner parties (disaster), getting along with her future in-laws (disaster), and learning to reconcile Australian casualness with Parisian attention to appearance (less of a disaster once her boyfriend talked her into ditching the sweat pants).

I was especially taken with how Turnbull managed to re-start her career in a country whose language she had flunked in college. What determination!

I think this should be required reading for anyone planning an extended stay in Paris (like a semester or Junior year abroad). I spent my Junior year of college in Paris and I wish I'd been able to read "Almost French" first, so I wouldn't think it was my fault that the French were cold and unfriendly to me and I couldn't make friends with anyone except other expats. Or that I was the only person in the world who thinks the French are too obsessed with appearances. Yes, it's true that there is not much about Frederic and their relationship in the book -- and not a scrap of sex anywhere -- but juicy, sexy books are a dime-a-dozen. I think Ms. Turnbull is just too classy and discreet to get into those details, and frankly, for me, it didn't detract from the book at all. She comes across as someone I could be friends with. Bravo!

Entertaining for francophiles, but the Anglo stranger in the strange land of the French has been done to death. Alright already, we know about the endearing French characters who sell you provisions and remodel your house. We've read Peter Mayle and a host of others who've done it with more humor and bite.

Almost French is billed as a memoir, but there is no emotion or passion or personal reflection at all. The author has fallen in love and moved to Paris and we haven't a clue as to why. Instead it is a well-written piece of journalism, as indeed she is a journalist, explaining to the reader French culture and recent history framed by her loosely told story.

But how did she become an expert? By living there? Research? And what about the legalities of her living and working in France, all the paperwork and the red tape she must have gone through? What about her French? Suddenly she's proficient and we have no hint of her struggle with the language. A big point, barely mentioned, is that her fiance speaks English, which must have helped enormously with her adjustment. But we are left wondering about it all. First she's a fish out of water and then she's swimming at the head of the school. Too easy, too slick, too unreal.

I wanted to know about Fred, but he's only a cypher. I wanted to know about their relationship, which is barely mentioned. I wanted to know if she ever got homesick and cried at midnight as she looked out their new picture window at the Eiffel Tower. Heck, I wanted to know if they had sex the first night when she came to visit him in Paris, or what she thought about that. Something with some juice. After all, she's writing about PARIS!

I got this book to read on a business trip and it went almost too fast. Sarah has a great style of writing to make the sentences disappear. I'm one of hundreds of poor Americans who love Paris and dream of living there.
I wanted to write this review only to point out that her mention of the movie Ridicule is inaccurate in saying it is about Louis XVI's court: it is Louis XIV's court. (a full II Louis's earlier) That is when the cult of the bon mot was developed and became so important in establishing one's position in society.
Having visited France a few times, I am grateful for the insights Sarah provides.