Ensemble, c'est tout - Recommendation for Paris in July

by Sabrina

I just browsed my bookshelf which harbors my most beloved books. I stumbled over the fantastic novel Ensemble, c'est tout by Anna Gavalda. The English translation of the work is Hunting and Gathering.

I would like to post my review of this book here, which I read about one and a half year ago when I had to stay in bed because of a flu. With about 500 pages this book is a big one but really deserves to be read and loved by Paris fans.

"Four different people are brought together by fate as life made them unhappy alone. There is Philou a nice young aristocrat, who stutters; Camille, who is anorexic but a passionate artist; Franck, a fabulous cook and his grandmother Paulette who needs assistance in daily life routine. Those four come to live together. Camille cares for Paulette, Franck cooks for Camille and falls in love with her and Philou decides to become an actor. Every single one of them makes his way out of his or her misery and finds family in strangers. This is what it is about.

It's an amazing book by an incredulous French author. Gavalda's style is enchanting. She shows us the world of each of the four by changing the point of view once in a while. With that she creates a cheerful and realistic portrait of people who once were very miserable. This book contains a lot of the Parisian way of life. If you like irony and characters, who are natural or seem to be real this is defineately a book for you."

I think Paris in July is a great chance to read this book and I envy all of you, who have the delight to read it a first time.

By the way this book was also made into a movie with my favorite actress Audrey Tautou, who also was grand in Amélie.