Paris Letters

#Unreadshelfproject2020. Loved this. The Paris Letters is such a windeff idea. I would love to get one of those letters. It would be great to be able to pick up and move to Paris. She has some good money saving ideas. Great book, great art. ( )

I think this is the type of memoir you really have to be in the right mood to read. And when I started I may not have been in the right mood, as I found it extremely difficult to empathize with the writer AT ALL. I really do get tired of reading about 30-something women who whine and moan about not having a boyfriend, and is there something wrong with them that they don't. Blah blah blah.

However, this did eventually turn into more than just a woman's quest to find true love. And granted, I'm probably not being all that fair to being with. I was also skeptical about her ability to save up enough money in 1 year to be able to live in Europe for any amount of time without working. That could just be jealously speaking, though, as I have enough debt in student loans to fund a more-than-comfortable year in Europe. Sigh...I wish I had the kind of drive it took for this author to just get up and go. Very admirable.

I also really liked the formatting of the book (if that matters to anyone). I received the paperback edition, with both covers being copies of her watercolors. Really beautiful.

Overall I enjoyed the book, even with the already mentioned caveats. I think I will recommend this to people who are looking for inspiration in making some kind of major change in their lives, whether it be personal, professional, or whatever. It's good to know that it really is possible.

I received this from Goodreads First Reads. ( )

I read this book in one sitting. It was incredibly charming and addictive. I felt as if Janice was the little voice in my head speaking over my shoulder. I know it's a memoir, but it's so refreshing to hear her thoughts and concerns and have them mimic my own. Her sense of humour is wonderful, and the whole story was filled with romantic fantasy with just enough reality to fill the blanks. I was immensely excited to find out at the end that she is Canadian like myself, and currently living in my city! ( )

Janice MacLeod quits her job and moves to Paris. She travels through Europe but falls in love with the butcher in Paris. She tells of how she got there, what happened, how she fell in love, and the red tape to stay there and marry there.

This is not a book to read all at once. It should be sipped and read leisurely to truly appreciate it. It was fun to see what she had to do to quit her job and move. I enjoyed her solution to a "job." ( )

A charming "living your dream" memoir - how to ditch your life as a successful US advertising exec and become a romantic Paris artist. The prose is simple and clear, and the story is allowed to wind out slowly, with beautiful digressions into the authors painted letters - her means of making this particular dream pay. Gentle, light and enjoyable. ( )