Paris Mon Amour

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More than anything, we feel for Alexandra – her marriage has lost its sparkle and passion and whilst that doesn’t justify her actions we can see why this may have influenced her decision to cheat on her husband.

When you say “my” ( mon/ma) before the word then it is more likely to be the more intimate version!Mon is usually the masculine form of “my” in French, but you also use it before any word that begins with a vowel, even feminine words. It talks about love. About solitude. About relationships we have with our mothers. About choices we make, and how they influence us even if we avoid them as much as we can. About life. I didn’t love Paris Mon Amour. I found that the story was too slow paced for me. However, I did appreciate it for what it is – a story about the dysfunctional lives of people; about how people act and behave on impulse often to detrimental consequences. In France, you can use mignon/mignonne pretty much how you would use “cute” in English: to describe a cute animal, toy, or even a cute guy or girl you like.

Whether or not you believe in a deity (hmm, the word “deity” suddenly looks familiar, doesn't it?), it's a nice, warm sentiment to be sent off with. I was hooked by the story right from the very first chapter and raced through the book. I just couldn’t put it down til I knew how Alexandra’s situation would be resolved. As her relationship with Jean-Luc started to spiral out of her control, I found that I was completely unable to put the book down and finally finished it late at night. Hello, beautiful”: Bonjour mon beau (to a man) and Bonjour ma belle (to a woman). This phrase isn't generally as common in French-speaking countries as it is in English countries. But it's not generally used as a romantic term. It's more often used by an adult toward a young child such as a grandchild or niece/nephew. You can say it to a boy or a girl. How to say “Party” in FrenchAlexandra is headed to a therapist she has never met at the beginning of the book. As the book unfolds, Ms Costello periodically reminds us that Alexandra is relating her experience to the therapist. She tells it with an urgency and desperation that pulls us into her life immediately. She is an exPat married to a frenchman, Philippe; her American mother lives in California and visits when necessary; her British father left the family when Alexandra was 10 years old and moved to Brazil. The Why is a trauma that has changed each member of the family and is only told in full towards the end of the book. A candid and seductive debut from a writer with plenty more to give based on this emotional but ultimately uplifting tale. Alexandra is a 40 year old woman who has suffered tragedies in her past which continue to impact her present. When her visiting mother suggests her husband Phillippe is having an affair, it is a niggling thought which begins to preoccupy her. Bowled over by the appearance of Jean-Luc, a troubled and beautiful young man, Alexandra is soon embroiled in her own passionate affair. Another term you're sure to hear often in French-speaking countries is mon chéri (said to men) and ma chérie (said to women). This means “my dear” or “my darling”, and is a more general term than mon amour. Though I would have preferred a greater exploration of Jean-Luc's troubles, Alexandra's journey though, is one of discovery, of self-understanding and realisation of what she is capable of. I imagine the thrill of an illicit affair is pretty good escapism for many of us right now. Overall, a convincing and enjoyable read.

A popular term of endearment in English is “my heart”. In French, this translates as mon cœur or sometimes mon petit cœur (“my little heart”).

I was initially drawn to this by the cover and when I then read the blurb, it sounded an intriguing read that raised a lot of questions. What was the accident in Alexandra’s past? What caused Philippe to have an affair and more specifically what was it about Jean-Luc that induced such powerful attraction. Well now I know the answers, and with regards to Alexandra’s affair, I didn’t feel the lure of the all encompassing passion that I expected. I felt that rather than Alexandra and Jean-Luc being drawn into an all consuming passion they were actually escaping their own damaged pasts. Would Alexandra have been so susceptible if she hadn’t discovered that her husband was having an affair of his own, would Jean-Luc have been so attracted if Alexandra wasn’t so wrong on so many levels. For me, I feel the answer was no and I just didn’t feel the ‘passion’ which I will admit influenced my view of the affair This makes quite a bit of sense when you think about it. In fact, there's a ready-made mnemonic for you! The masculine word for “beautiful” in French is beau (or bel before a word starting with a vowel), and the feminine is belle. Extincteurs, Caméras de surveillance dans les parties communes, Détecteurs de fumée, Alarme de sécurité, Coffre-fort