I am Finally Finally French: My Accidental Life in Brittany does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a gentle meander through the author’s experiences in France leading up to him feeling that he has finally integrated into local life in Brittany. It is something of a stream of consciousness, starting with a long yarn about what colour to paint the shutters on his house in France. White, white or white?
It is not the most gripping start to a book. But then this is not a gripping book. It is a relaxing, slow-paced read which gives you the same feeling as listening to someone talking while you are sun-bathing. Once the topic of shutters has been thoroughly explored via a sidetrack to his wife’s house in California, he moves onto a description of the front door...
Mark Greenside has been going to his house in Brittany for 30 years, always hoping to integrate into local life so well that he really feels French. On the way, he has written Not Quite Mastering the Art of French Living and I'll Never Be French, also about his experiences in Brittany. But you do not have to have read them to enjoy this book, the third memoir in the series.
It's a meander through gentle excitements including the arrival of bees in the chimney, and the purchase of a tumble drier, until the afterword – some thoughtful, almost nostalgic remarks about ageing and death. It is the perfect companion for a sleepy afternoon on the canapé.
Memorize French
Memorize FrenchIndependent
Nigel Middlemiss
Independent, €16.16
ISBN: 979-8282356540
If you are struggling to make headway with your French, this book offers a new approach which might be worth trying. The idea is to make mental links to whole lists of French words by seeing their links to English.
It also gives helpful tips on creating your own memory-jogging mnemonics for words you cannot remember. Remember abeille (bee) by memorising “obey the Queen Bee”, for example. There is also a simplified guide to pronunciation.
To memorise swimming pool the author says, “Pea Seen - swimming pools began in Roman times as fish pools, where later both fish and people swam. (The star sign Pisces is a fish / Latin piscis).”
There is also a guide to dividing French words into four categories according to how similar they are to English words. Once it has explained the method of giving words memorable characteristics, it provides lists of French vocabulary in a whole series of different topics such as cooking, in the countryside, pets, travel, work, moving, and saying no!
Packed with random snippets of history, culture and factoids, it makes for magnetic reading, even if you are not attempting to learn the language or even if you already speak French. It would be difficult to see how anyone could read it without picking up at least a smattering of new vocabulary for the slightest effort.
This book will not replace the slog of learning grammar, but it will give you a nice quick push towards French fluency.
Murder in a French Village
Murder in a French VillageBookouture
Merryn Allingham
Bookouture, €10.54
ISBN: 978-1837907533
The author has subtitled this novel ‘Murder in a French Village: A completely unputdownable cozy murder mystery novel’ which just about sums it up.
This is the seventh in a 13-part series of novels featuring lady detective Flora Steele and her handsome sidekick Jack Carrington. Up until this book, the sleuthing duo have stayed in Sussex. But in this book they jaunt over to France, making this mystery perfect for bookworm Francophiles.
This is France seen through gauzy sunshine, filled with improbable rich aristos who all have reasons to want to knock each other off, but who cares? A little escapism never hurt anyone and this is written with great imagination and verve. Fans devour these novels whole in one sitting. You might even find yourself reaching for another in the series. (Book 11 goes to Venice!)
Stop Press:
In other book news, the 20th Anniversary Edition of The Dictionary of French Building Terms by Richard Wiles (reviewed in The Connexion in September 2025) has just been published by Plátanos Publications. Updated and expanded with brand new sections, it is essential reading for anyone doing DIY in France.
