My Life in France by Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of My Life in France
Book Review: Kitchen caper
Summary: 5 Stars
Things that Julia Child loved most in life included her husband Paul and the country France. After marrying in 1946 and living in Washington, D.C. for two years, Julia and Paul Child went to Paris. Paul was to work for the government, the USIS, at the French embassy.
Before arriving in Paris there was Rouen. The couple ate at La Couronne. The waiter advised them that the Dorin family, the owners of La Couronne, had a restaurant in Paris, La Truite. Julia signed up for French classes at Berlitz, (she liked to talk and was frustrated). Paris was walkable. Le Grand Vefour was one of the more famous old Parisian restaurants. It had been in business since 1750. Service was deft and the food was spectacular. The restaurant kept a special seat for Colette.
Julia arrived at the Ecole du Cordon Bleu in October, 1949. She signed up for a year-long course. Eleven former GIs were in the class, under the auspices of the GI Bill of Rights. The professor was Chef Bugnard, a gem. He had enthusiasm and thoughtfulness. Shopping for food with him in Paris could be a life-changing experience. Introductions and the instruction were important to Julia Child since the French are sensitive to personal dynamics.
Paul called their kitchen Julia's alchemist's aerie. Julia met both Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle in 1951. They had been trying to produce a cookbook of French cooking for the U.S. market. They had been told by Dorothy Canfield Fisher that their efforts were too dry. Also, Americans ate a lot of meat and used a lot of processed food in their cooking. They were told to collaborate with an American who was crazy about French food.
Simone, Julia, and Louisette began a school called L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes. Right from the beginning they had three students. Julia Child found that in explaining French cooking chauvinism and dogmatism were deeply engrained. She had an urge to say that the word was not the thing.
In 1953 Paul and Julia moved to Marseilles for Paul's work. The first flat they had in an Art Deco building overlooked the old port. It was learned that McCarthy's investigators, Cohn and Schine, were in Paris in search of evidence of disloyalty. It was a shame and a disgrace. They sought to interview people about the contents of the embassy library.
The USIS changed to the USIA had trimmed Paul's staff of twelve to four. After a year and a half in Marseille, Paul was transferred to Bonn. The couple moved to Germany in 1954. In 1955 Paul received notice to report to Washington, D.C. immediately. He was being investigated.
In 1956 the Childs returned to the U.S. for good. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING was published by Knopf. James Beard helped with the launch. Julia was interviewed on WGBH, a book program. Retiring from the USIA Paul and Julia planned to live in Cambridge, MA. In 1962 three experimental half hour shows were taped for WGBH. The experiment was called THE FRENCH CHEF.
Eh voila, (here it is)--this is a good book! One learns reading this memoir that Julia Child loved using a lot of exclamation points. The book contains a number of fine photographs, too, serving to enhance the lively text.
Book Review: Love Julia, hated the book
Summary: 2 Stars
It is hard to reconcile the delightful and generous Julia Child who codified and introduced French cuisine to American audiences on TV and in books with the boorish, petty and whining character found on these pages.
Her reminiscences of long gone establishments, great meals and day to day adventures makes for enjoyable reading. It is her constant carping and complaining that gets tiresome.
She has haughty disregard for her coauthors of MAFC. She complains about the British people. She complains about the German people ("Land of Monsters"). Italian food is "tasteless." She complains about Americans. She loathes her father's conservative middle class status (but her ethics still allow her to take his money and lavish trips). She complains about G.I.s living in Paris. She complains about having to have her picture taken for the cover of a magazine... her TV production schedule... her career bureaucrat husband's superiors... her publishers... it goes on and on and on.
I am going to choose to believe this was not the real Julia Child. Rather the result of an elderly and infirmed woman's musings edited posthumously by her grandson, who writing career consists largely of writing a bio on Rosie O'Donnell.
For now, I am going to put in a DVD of the Julia Child and Jacques Pepin home cooking series and clear my palette from the bad taste this book left in my mouth.
Book Review: Love to watch Julia cook....
Summary: 3 Stars
but, really...the only time this book came alive for me was when Julia was describing food or cooking. Paul Child's photographs were quite charming, however.Book Review: Makes me want to move to France!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book chronicles Julia's amazing life in France. I feel inspired by Julia's story. It truly shows you can find your calling at almost any time in life.Book Review: Mostly a delight
Summary: 4 Stars
Julia Child jumped into life with both feet. It was a pleasure to read about her adventures in France and in cooking. I just with the book had English translations for all of the French she used in the book.