i normally hate oprah but i have to admit i owe her one. auntie tracey has a subscription to her magazine and while reading the june issue in the water closet, i came across a recommendation for rosecrans baldwin's "paris, i love you but you're bringing me down." i normally would not trust oprah but my love for lcd soundsystem is stronger than my hatred of oprah, so i decided to judge a book by a title and give it a go.
and yes the title is an lcd soundsystem reference. how could it not be? for you purists, it was confirmed when baldwin mentioned running to "north american scum" and thanked the band in the acknowledgements. also here's the video for the inspiration for the title "new york, i love you but your bringing me down":
so i was a little hesitant about the book. though i have never been to paris, i am in love with it. thanks to "midnight in paris" (and of course cole porter, hemingway, the fitzgeralds, and gertrude stein), "an american in paris" (the gershwin definitely helped), "funny face" (i want to do a fashion shoot with balloons), "amelie" (and maybe bring a gnome with me), "je'taime paris" (i want to visit oscar wilde's grave) and of course "sex and the city" (though carrie did realize paris was not all it was cracked up to be), i am nostalgic for a paris that i have never experienced. so when i saw the title i was worried it might crush my love. but it didn't. i mean an lcd reference and sloan crosley (love her book "i was told there'd be cake") gave an endorsement quote for the back. it couldn't bring me down.
though baldwin did not have the easiest time in paris, it still filled me with a desire to go. for every shitty experience he had, there was an amazing one. and even he admitted that, a bad day in paris is still kinda great because you are in paris. it seemed like the worse part about his life there was the langauge barrier. but i think i could deal with that, i mean the french would hate my bad accent and my inability to speak french but everything else would make up for it.
his book actually made me wish i was married. well more like married to someone who would have an opportunity to find work in paris, so i could move with them. or maybe just to married to a french. oh and before i go on, i'm glad that baldwin discussed how his friend charlie's gaydar was thrown off by the french. i have the same issue. i always wonder, is he gay or is he french?!?!? lol glad to see that i'm not the only one with that issue. but back to marrying a french, in a perfect world, he would be a french chef, i mean reading about the food baldwin ate was driving me insane. every italicized macaron mention made me sad that i was not eating one. i mean i was jealous of his description of french air economy food! but back to this imaginary french chef, he would also have to be childless. the book discussed that every french man has a child, so i must magically find one that is childless. so aside from dreams of going to paris, it also gave me this lofty goal in life. lol
random sidenote. not really because marriage would be the link. but i enjoyed how baldwin included stories of sarkozy and carla bruni. it reminded me about a discussion i had with a friend's cousin from france one night. i alluded to bruni, who i had just discovered on the "(500) days of summer" soundtrack. he told me the french hated her, but i didn't understand because i liked her music (kinda like baldwin's co-worker) but after reading this book i got it.
actually, marrying a parisian or living there would not be enough. after reading this novel, i kinda wish i had been born a parisian. i always tell people that i'm extremely grateful to have been born in california. i believe that we do have a sunnier look out on life. i mean imagine growing up in the midwest. gag me with a spoon. (that reference was intended). but to have been parisian would have been exciting. i want to to be a coquette by blood like little adele from jane eyre (who was described as "coquetry runs in her blood, blends with her brains and seasons the marrow of her bones.") to have a french look on love, to be have wild love affairs, and be crazy. it all seems so romantic and a little neurotic. and at the risk of sounding insane, i would also be french since it is apparently acceptable to make black jokes, jew jokes and comments about penis size. i hate how americans are so pc. i like dave chapelle, am a equal opportunist when it comes to make fun of people. also i would want to be french for the work day. i mean how often did baldwin's day end in a random potluck with drinks? though that could be an advertising thing.
but enough of my odd dreams and back to the book. i thorougly enjoyed this book. i had to interrupt my reading of "war and peace" because i was unable to renew it, so started after reading part 1 of "war and peace." i found it interesting how both works have a french theme. but baldwin's work was a nice break. it was a great read and i couldn't put it down. i finished it in a weekend. baldwin is a great story and i would totally be friends with him in real life. i share stories here but you should really read it for yourself. my only regret is reading this after "eat pray love" cos now i want to add paris to my list of places to travel. i also plan on putting in a request for a "how to speak french" book. and last but not least, seriously, when is picard coming stateside?
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