I'm late for Tuesday Intros and Teaser Tuesdays because I hadn't even begun this book when I would have been writing this post ordinarily. But the book is so laugh out loud funny and it's the final Tuesday of July - which is also the final Tuesday of #ParisinJuly - so what choice do I have?
It's either be late or miss out on sharing this delight with fellow readers and Paris in July partyers.
And I don't want to miss out on either!
So, here's the opening paragraph from Mark Greenside's,
I'LL NEVER BE FRENCH
(no matter what I do)
Published by Free Press [Simon Schuster] 2008
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[First Paragraph First Chapter for Tuesday Intros
hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea]
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Getting There
"It begins with a girl. It always begins with a girl, and even though we don't make it through the summer ---- through even half the summer ---- she gets me there and changes my life. It doesn't matter what happened or why, it's one of the best gifts I've ever been given.
It happened like this."
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And the Teaser ?
"I tiptoe down the stairs and turn the key I left in the lock. Nothing, I turn the key the other way, clockwise, thinking maybe the French do it backward, like calling the second floor the first. More nothing.. There's no way to open the door. I'm stuck.
... I sit on the windowsill, spin around with my legs facing out, and jump---almost landing on a woman walking by. She has a baguette in one hand and a dog's leash in the other.. The woman doesn't say anything, she doesn't even blanch---
as if this is the way French people leave their houses every day..."
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[More Tuesday Teasers at A Daily Rhythm hosted by Jenn.]
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Inside Cover Synopsis ~
"Tired of Provence in books, cuisine, and tablecloths? Exhausted from your armchair travels to Paris? Despairing of ever finding a place that speaks to you beyond reason? You are ripe for a journey to Brittany, where author Mark Greenside reluctantly travels, eats of the crêpes, and finds a second life.
...dragged by his girlfriend to a tiny village in Brittany at the westernmost edge of France, in Finistere, "the end of the world", his life begins to change.
In a playful, headlong style, and with enormous affection for the Bretons, Greenside tells how he makes a life for himself in a country where he doesn't speak the language or know how things are done. Against his personal inclinations and better judgments, he places his trust in the villagers he encounters.. and is consistently won over and surprised as he manages and survives day-to-day trials; from opening a bank account and buying a house to removing a beehive from the chimney--
learning the cultural ropes, living with neighbours, and making new friends...
It is a memoir about fitting in, not standing out; being part of something larger, not being separate from it; following, not leading. It explores the joys and adventures of living a double life."
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Hoping you've enjoyed the intro and scenario.
A brief headsup on some minor language exclamations for those who might want to know
ahead of reading.
Many more TTs and Intros to be found at the blogs linked
where you're welcome to add your own each week.
May your month end reading be a pleasure and August bring more sunshine than rain!
I'm gathering Jane Austen related books for #AusteninAugust reading.
Have a great reading week...
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Sharing with -
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* Book Nook 12 * Literacy Musing Mondays * Paris in July * Dreaming of Paris *
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