No comments about Edouard Baldus at the Chateau de La Faloise.

4 comments about Chasing the Horizon: Our Adventures Through the British Isles and France (Journeys of Light).

1. This book is nicely written and makes you feel as though you are along as a silent partner on the journey. The pencil sketches and the oil paintings within are such an added bonus! The comradeship between the brothers and the father is simply to be envied....and the new abbreviations for the foibles of the father are hilarious--we all know them! It makes you want to grab your bags and book an adventure of your own (or at least go on their next one!)



2. A mini, armchair vacation by Thomas Kinkade, the painter and sketch artist,and his brother Patrick, the writer and professor, recounting the travels with their father through the England, Ireland, France, Belgium, and Germany. This literary trip traces many of the sites their father saw during his World War II tour of duty. Each chapter is short and perfect for a brief, relaxing, and often humerous escape to another part of the world. This is one of those rare books that one will want to keep in his library for future re-readings.



3. I read MANY books in a year and so many of those miss the mark of giving me exactly what I want from a story. This book simply and sweetly went straight to my heart! It was a pure joy to read and was made so much better in that it was REAL! I not only envy the Kinkades for the depth of talent that runs in that family (Patrick is an exceptional writer!) but their closeness and love as a family is very inspiring. Everyone should read this book!



4. Ignoring the typo's and the reminders of dad's knee replacements, this is a fun way to explore some of Europe and learn about WWII from an aging veteran as he passes his legacy on to his talented, albeit delightfully juvenile, sons. One can relate to many of the author's memories of his youthful pranks and escapades, appreciate the beautiful sketches and oil paintings included by his famous brother, Thomas Kinkade, and appreciate and admire his father's service to his country. The misadventures of these 3 on their trek through Europe had me laughing out loud while also encouraging me to "go off the beaten path" that tourists normally take, appreciate the stories of the locals, and experience what's down the alley and over the wall.

No comments about Coming Down the Seine (Lost & Found: Classic Travel Writing).

4 comments about The Philosopher's Demise: Learning French.

1. No, this is not a book about "learning to speak French", as the subtitle indicates -- rather it is a book about a man trying to overcome his linguistic shortcomings in fluently speaking the French language, while skewering the Alliance Francaise (language school), French scholars of Descartes, and French bureaucracy, all in one extended essay (too short to be dignified as a "book", really). It passes all understanding that the author believes that anyone other than his nearest and dearest care about his traumas in taking French lessons or being snubbed by his fellow scholars in Paris (or being stung by a yellow jacket in the good old U.S. of A., for that matter). A total waste of a long afternoon. Watson and the reading public would have been better served had he just bought a set of Pimsleur CDs and then shut up.



2. When Richard Watson tries to learn to speak French decades after having learned to read it fluently, he has trouble. He tries very hard, hires a tutor, labors hours every day over exercises and audio tapes, but it just won't come. He spends months in France and still, he can't pass his exam.

   Watson is a philosopher, therefore he must analyze the situation to death. He dissects his failure, perhaps it is because French sounds un-masculine, maybe he doesn't like the French, perhaps it is something deeper. Well, seeing as how he has evidence that his French really has improved by the time he leaves France, maybe he just set his goals unrealistically high.

   The self-analysis gets tedious sometimes, but the story is interesting and understandable. Everyone has difficulty learning something, no matter how smart they are. And the observations of different cultures are eye-opening. Watson's story about an American who speaks fluent Japanese, traveling in Japan, being refused lodging in an inn because he didn't speak Japanese, even though the lengthy conversation with the proprietor took place entirely in Japanese, was amusing.




3. What I particularly love about Richard Watson is that his francophobia has the breadth to include the French language itself: "The poem played on tape was about how to paint a bird. First you paint a cage, then you paint flowers and plants around it, a beautiful sky, and so on. You wait. Your painting is bad if a bird doesn't come and land in the cage. If one does, it is good and you can erase the cage and sign your name to the painting of the bird. Putting aside the cuteness of all this, what made me realize how much I disliked the sound of French was the continual, unctuous, caressing repetition of 'l'oiseau' ('the bird'). It is a word the French believe to be one of the most beautiful in their language. It is a word that cannot be pronounced without simpering, a word whose use should be restricted to children under five."
   
   Confere Anthony Burgess's hatred of the consonant deficiency of French: "The French seem determined to destroy their Roman inheritance by chopping up words until they become as short as possible, and as capable of being confused with other chopped-up words as only a genuinely morbid condition of language can allow. Even when a French word or name bears some visual resemblance to its classical original, the spoken form submits to the axe. I can never grow used to pronouncing 'Jesus Christ' as 'Jezu Cri', and I feel that if the French could cut the holy name down to something like 'Je Cr', they would."



4. Richard Watson's book was an entertaining read -- it was hard to put down once I started reading it. It is not just about his struggle to learn French -- it is about how it feels to be on the outside looking in, and about how it feels to face unprecedented, inexplicable failure. The author is introspective, and he relates his experiences in an amusing and thoughtful way. Although he gives us a peek into a world most of us will never encounter (that of Parisian philosophers specializing in Descartes), we can easily empathize with his feelings of frustration, humiliation and cultural confusion. Since I am also struggling to learn to speak French for the first time, I was gratified to see I am not alone in my frustration.

No comments about Michelin Local Map Number 318: Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, Blois, Orleans and Surrounding Area (France), Scale 1:150,000.

No comments about Explore Cape Breton: A Field Guide to Adventure (Maritime Travel Guides).

No comments about Essex Churches.

2 comments about Provencal Tales.

1. In 1959, De Larrabeiti (then a young guy out to discover and experience; now, to judge by the book jacket, very much the Renaissance man) accompanied traditional French shepherds on their week-long, annual trek from the winter grazing on Riviera meadows to mountain pastures in the Alpes de Provence. The book is a gorgeous, insightful combo of regional history and traditions, the shepherd's life, the journey itself over an astonishing terrain, De Larrabeiti's physical toughening and mastering of century-old skills... But, most of all, the ancient stories and legends he heard... Night after night around the campfire, each man telling his favorite as a bottle of brandy passed from hand to hand. We're not talking tepid fairy tales here. Rather seiges, irony, betrayal, tragedy, acts of faith, Saracen raids, hand-to-hand combat and fatal love. Last but not least, De Larrabeiti writes really stylish prose. Can't wait to read the rest of his stuff.



2. I read it many years ago, can't believe it's listed on Amazon. The stories are all wonderful, but most of them have a sad ending, perhaps due to the harsh nature of life during that era? The story about the coffins floating down the river was particularly heartrending.

No comments about Life In Mexico.

1 comments about Just Enough French: How to Get By and Be Easily Understood (Just Enough Series).

1. Picture it. An American teenage girl, helplessly wandering the streets of Paris, unable to find her hotel, a bus station, or even a police officer. Unfortunately, the girl took Spanish in high school. After speaking to several non-English speaking French people, she sits at a bench and cries. But, wait a moment! It is then she remembers the Just Enough French book her foreign language teacher gave her before she left! Hi, my name is Amanda and I was that 16 year old American girl. And yes, this is a true story! Just Enough French practically saved my life! Whether you are a business person or traveller, this book can help you communicate effectively to native French speaking people. Just Enough French is the best French book for beginners. It contains different sections tailored towards the person on the go. It gives great conversation pieces including: to meet people, to get around, to get a hotel, to shop, to order a meal, and to change money. I used every section of the book as I travelled without having a translator by my side! Having never spoken French in my life, I was a little afraid no one would understand me. Luckily the Just Enough French book provides pronunciation directly under the phrase. It was easy for people to understand what I wanted. Another feature of Just Enough French that I love is the "what they will probably say" part. I was always prepared for the follow-up on my questions via this sub-section. Otherwise, I would have never understood the directions or information the Parisians were sharing! Thanks to Just Enough French, I survived a week long journey in France, made good friends, and learned part of the French language. The taste of language that this book provided has encouraged me to further delve into the French language. I highly suggest it for the beginning French student or traveller. Awesome, awesome, awesome book!