The French Art of Living Well

Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World

By: Cathy Yandell

Narrated by: Kim Niemi

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.

©2023 Cathy Yandell (P)2023 Tantor

Author Trying to Prove Her French Language Skills

I don't usually write reviews but this book was so annoying. and the narrator did not have a very good French accent which made it even more annoying. I know I'm over exaggerating but it felt like 20% of the book was in French and it was the author trying to prove how much French she has learned. I would have loved just to hear what she's learned about the French culture in English especially when the narrators French is so poor. I feel bad for writing a negative review. I am so glad the book was short because once I started it, I wanted to finish but it was not pleasant. maybe you could try again Cathy.

I almost didn’t listen. The cover of the book seemed very calm, compared to the stories inside.

I will listen to this again and again, enjoyed listening to the French words. And the stories were very personal like you are there.

Good read with a few .

Overall, I enjoyed the organization of the book and many of the stories. It’s more of a memoir than a “how to” kind of read. Narrator is very good though some of the accents and voice impersonations can be a bit over the top, but it didn’t detract much from the message. I found myself getting stuck during reading just because memoirs are not my favorite genre, but that’s more a reflection of me than the author. If you like living with French flair, then the stories will give you some content to chew!

Not what I expected

Great insight into how the French live. I guess I was hoping for something else, how can I apply their experience into my American way of living. Don’t get me wrong there are parts where that is mentioned but it’s maybe about 5% of the book.