I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany

I laughed out loud at some of Mark's attempts to win over his French neighbors and townspeople in this wonderful story of a mature man falling in love with a grace-filled area and trying to make a life for himself there. Originally, Mark and his girlfriend Kathryn (both writers) rent a house in Brittany for the summer for work and relaxation. Their relationship doesn't survive, but Mark's connection with the town do and before he knows it, he's a homeowner in a foreign land. Don't let a lack of knowledge of French stop you from dipping in to this great tale.

Charming little book about one man's adventure in changing his life. Despite Greenside's tongue-in-cheek observations, it's very clear he is enamored with France and his new neighbours and friends. While he may never be French, he has a deep respect and admiration for all things French - perhaps to the detriment of true observation. I'm a little suspicious of this unending generosity, common sense and joie de vivre: like everything, yes, all in good dose and never in all circumstances!
Nonetheless a fun, light read which will bring nostalgia to anyone who has enjoyed France.

I must confess that I do not read a lot of travel books, but I was impressed with I’ll Never be French (no matter what I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany. Despite the lengthy title, the book is actually a rather brief literary romance between a man and his coastal French town. Against Greenside’s best efforts, he and a girlfriend plan a vacation to France. The relationship doesn’t last, but Greenside’s growing affection for Brittany and the populace does. In the rashest move of his forty some years, Greenside is coerced into the purchase of a house. Comical miscommunications, anxiety, and miraculous good fortune ensue.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the total debunking of the myth that the French show more hate Americans. Total. Debunking. Instead the charming and ridiculously polite strangers, neighbors and friends that Greenside meets, go above and beyond to help him out. They come across as near saints because it turns out that Greenside needs a lot of help. Self styled throughout the book as an incompetent, he spends a few chapters of the book in dirty ripped pants, repeatedly falling out of his window and buying things he has no way of paying for. Greenside effectively bumbles his way through life in France reconciling his bi-continental lifestyles. He compares himself to a three year old an apt description that endears himself to the reader and French alike.

It’s worth noting that Greenside speaks and understands very little French. And his way of communicating such frustration with the reader, is to include a lot of French dialogue that he doesn’t translate. So unless you have a working knowledge of French, Greenside leaves you as lost in the conversation as he was. While it is an effective technique and does incorporate the reader, it can also be irritating to traverse.

Injected with humor, I’ll Never be French, transports with its descriptions. For those of us who will never make it Brittany, or who have been and are interested in Greenside’s take, it is a delightful arm chair travel experience. Diane Johnson of L’Affaire, Le Mariage and Le Divorce fame calls it, “one of the nicest of the trillions of books about France.” And I’d agree with that. show less

Yet another place on earth to visit on my "bucket list"! :) I'm going to need to hit the lottery!

Mark Greenside writes a hysterical memoir of living and loving Brittany. As a bumbling, fumbling middle-aged American man who is discovering a new world so unlike the one he has known.

a refreshing look at the recent phenomenon of american's discovering the life style offered by the western european countries so much that they pruchase old houses and then go about refurbishing and rennovating them. What sets this book apart from the others I have read, (and I admit that I like reading about refurbishing old houses) is that the author is honest about how much it costs him to do every little thing and how much of a struggle it is to get things done. He also honest about his astonishment that things actually work and get done when it seems impossible or inefficient to do it that way. It is clear that he loves brittany and his life there, but what makes his life in brittany so pleasant is the people. He makes friends with show more them and learns to care about them. he is also honest about his struggles with the language as much as the culture. problems with the language and culture could have made him hate France, but it didn't. it is clear that the life style contributes to his love of his neighbors and the place he has chosen to live. The only downside to this book is that he does tend to get a little whiney and sometimes comes across as chintzy and obtuse. show less

A Bay Arean who goes to Brittany with a girlfriend with whom he breaks up, but part of his heart stays in Brittany. Buys a house, becomes a villager... but not French. Self-deprecating humor, amazing experiences, lovely. Would love to see more from him.

Having a friend who purchased a house in Normandie and having visited her and experienced some of the comedy of trying to accomplish basic living in France I feel completely competent to judge this book. Mark Greenside does a wonderfully fun job of poking fun at himself as he bumbles through falling in love with a small French village, an ancient house needing much TLC, and his laughable adventures. This is a fun book which I recommend to any one interested in France.