On my last day on earth--I hope to spend a part of it enjoying a good vintage black and white movie from the 1940s or 50s. Maybe it will have Olivia de Havilland acting in it. I was highly anticipating receiving my copy of the book Every Frenchman Has One, which is the reissue of the humorous memoirs of de Havilland first written in 1953.
The 143 page small scale book was re-released this year to honor de Havilland turning 100 years old. One small chapter is added at the end that was not in the original release.
The book contains anecdotes of the humorous and sometimes nerve wracking challenges of de havilland when she moved to Paris in the early 1950s to marry her second husband.
The book tries too hard to be funny. Maybe it is just dated or old hat to read snippets about Paris traffic, or visits to doctors, social etiquette or women's fashions. Foreign countries are just that--foreign to your homeland. Her stories are not that unusual or humorous. De Havilland has embraced France and has lived there ever since--but it just seems that reading about her "misadventures" just does not strike a clever cord today. It was written for a post war audience of Americans who most probably had never been abroad.
De Havilland is a brilliant actress and forever etched in iconic movies to be enjoyed for many future generations. Please explore her films if you have not before--you can pass on the book.
Thanks to Blogging for Books who provided me with a copy to review.
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