The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

(Paperback)

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Why do the French like talking about the decline of France '' Why does broaching a subject like money end all discussion' Why do the French become so aroused debating the merits and qualities of their own language' Julie Barlow and Jean- Beno t Nadeau spent a decade travelling to and living in Paris. Yet one important lesson never seemed to sink in: how to converse comfortably with the French, even when you speak their language. Through encounters with school principals, city-hall civil servants, old friends and business acquaintances during their time living in France with their twin daughters, Julie and Jean-Beno t explain why, culturally and historically, talking to the French is not about communicating or being nice. It's about being interesting. After reading The Bonjour Effect, even readers with only a smattering of French will be able to hold their own the next time they are in a bistro on the Left Bank, on a wine tour in Bourdeaux or on a beach on the C te d'Azur.

Reviews

'This book confirms what the English have suspected for many years, that French is not so much a language as a dance, a ritual, a code to be cracked.The Bonjour Effectcracks it'David Boyle, author of How to be English

'An indispensable linguistic roadmap. A highly enjoyable romp through French culture and its language, written with wit and aplomb'Debra Ollivier, author Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl

'Whether you're an expat in France, or simply dream of living there one day,The Bonjour Effectis a helpful resource to cracking the arcane cultural code. Engaging and often funny, filled with examples drawn from the authors' experiences, this is a guide to the most essential of French arts: conversation'Ann Mah, author of Mastering the Art of French Eating

'Whether 'bonjour' is the beginning or the end of your French vocabulary, you'll find something fascinating, surprising, or just plain fou on nearly every page. Before reading this invaluable codebook to French language and culture, I feared that I'd somehow insulted every French waiter, shopkeeper, and clerk between Paris and Nice. Now I know I did, but at least I know why!'William Alexander, author of Flirting with French

'The ability to speak French doesn't mean you know how to have a conversation in French in France. Journalists Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau break down the 'rules' of French conversation in their new bookThe Bonjour Effect'CBC

'A lively and informative description of the country's cultural habits...'Lysiane Gagnon, The Globe and Mail

'Julie Barlow and Jean-Benot Nadeau unravel the mysteries of French conversation. They take readers beyond what the French are actually saying to explain what it is they really mean'Shannon Broderick, Gonomad.com

'Very funny'Rudy Maxa's World with the Careys

'Packed with fascinating insights'49th Shelf

Author Bio

Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau are the award-winning and bestselling authors of The Story of French, The Story of Spanish, and the bestselling Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong. They currently work as journalists based in Canada.