Merci beaucoup Laurent....

Ton livre Le Mystere Lagerfeld c'est 

arrivee! Hooray!

I do really appreciate Laurent Allen-Caron because he gives trust to an italian bookblogger reading compulsively in english, reviewing in english and now, launched, hopefully, also in french literature. 

I studied french for seven years, there is to add, starting when at the third year of elementary school 'till to the first year of high school. Later it was a tragedy when they said me that I would have studied english. I didn't know anything of english, just what's your name, where are you from? and answers. It was a tragedy because during that year I would have also met along my way The Dubliners by James Joyce. Just the idea of that book and author, sorry Sylvia Beach, I know that you can't understand me, still gives me panic.

French to me became a mixture of good and unpleasant memories. I remember my belgium correspondent from southerner italian origins. My french wasn't good enough, my handwriting horrible to him. I thought that maybe english would have given me best satisfactions. I found wonderful correspondents, real friends, with which we are still in contact. Per decades I wrote, read, in a daily base in english.

Paris: I have always loved the idea of being there once because it must be beautiful, but I do truly started to "feel" the essence of Paris thanks to movies by Woody Allen as Everyone says I love You, Midnight in Paris, or Forget Paris by Billy Crystal or French Kiss with Meg Ryan: books I read, and of course, Shakespeare and Company. That bookstore has been a magnet for me per decades.  That authors; that period, that people. They seem to ask me to continue to write about them. They don't want to let me go, and honestly I don't want to let them go away. Reading sporadically in French thanks to social media these months meant a question: why not a book? 

I know that for starting  a good topic was crucial. You read with more joy and happiness. It means a lot. The book needed to treat a beloved subject that I would have loved, appreciated.  A book means the knowledge of a large amount of words. French is similar to italian and I count on me and...  my numerous french dictionaries  if I will need them. Karl Lagerfeld is dead just few weeks ago and Laurent Allen-Caron had written a book about him. I love fashion. Per years I have been a subscriber of the italian version of Elle France. A distant world for someone like me living in a countryside. Elle meant to me the biggest inspiration in particular for the realization of interviews. It's also their fault :-) if I became  a reporter. I considered Lagerfeld, like Coco Chanel, but also like still living people as Valentino, Armani, iconic characters in the universe of fashion.

I thought that this one would have been the best book that I could pick up, for starting. I contacted Laurent explaining him that I was also interested to read his book because I wanted to practice my french. As well. He was enthusiastic by my good idea.

A little story for telling to all my readers that yes, in the future maybe you will also find french books reviewed by me and mainly for thanking Laurent. 

I count to start to read Le Mystere Lagerfeld next week. I am currently reading a book by Columbia University Press and I am concluding a wonderful, stunning biography about  Chopin. Then it will be the turn of Lagerfeld. I read the first two pages. Clear, vivid.  I am optimistic!

I thank the french publishihng house Fayard, for their trust, warm and collaboration.

Anna Maria Polidori