Cover Image: VIVE LA DIFFERENCE!

VIVE LA DIFFERENCE!

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Member Reviews

thank you NetGalley! This book was amazing . Really different from what o normally read , but I loved it. Will definitely read more from the author.

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Full disclosure: I am neither French nor American, so I don't have firsthand experience of what the author discusses. However, I am quite up-to-date on American feminist issues, and consider myself a reasonably well-informed feminist. I was intrigued by the premise of the book, and the chapter titles seemed quite promising. Indeed, it does offer insight into issues such as men's perspective on women in the US. I also enjoyed the French sayings (liberally) sprinkled throughout.

However, when I got into it, I realised that though the topics covered were quite broad, the material doesn't go in-depth enough on any topic to do it justice or address all the different issues involved. The research did not come across as thorough. For this reason, complex issues such as marriage, infidelity, the second shift, women in the workplace, sexuality and parenthood were addressed in an oversimplified manner. A lot of the information was things that women already know. It made me wonder who the audience is, too. A lot of the information would be more relevant to men and the book does address men at some points, but it seemed to mainly focus on women.

Furthermore, it often seemed that writing rambled, and was disjointed at times with several non-sequiturs. It seems that the author comes from a privileged background, and that definitely comes through in his perspective. At times, the writing came across as preachy and patronising.

It's clear that the writer has the best of intentions, with a fair bit of decent points included throughout. The chapters on domestic violence and abortion rights were particularly well done. If you're interested in getting some insight on differences between French and American culture, you may enjoy this. It is a quick and easy read. However, if you're expecting deep and thoughtful insight into feminist issues, this does not deliver.

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VIVE LA DIFFERENCE! explores gender roles, sexism, and misogyny in both French and American cultures. It was very interesting to see hear his perspective on the differences in gender dynamics in these countries, as nations considered to be part of the Western world are often treated in the conglomerate, when in reality, many nuances are present that impact lived experience.

I agree with other reviewers who found Blaise to be a bit harsh in his dissent. His passion is very clear, but the tone of the writing a bit harsh for the average reader, who will likely find him to be somewhat abrasive. Negating the delivery, I think his message is a good one and this book offers an interesting insight into the cultural norms and attitudes around women in France and America.

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An interesting read, with a lot to keep the reader occupied. I recently read a book about the special philosophical appeal of the French. It's great to see the reverse here.

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As a French teacher, I was excited to read about a different cultural lens I haven’t explored. I found the comparison of male mindset extremely intriguing, and learned many phrases that I intend to keep in mind. The theme of self-value and setting expectations for equal respect are critical.

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This was an interesting read. As a french woman who lives in North America myself, I didn't agree with everything the author said, but I think it might be due to our different experiences of the French culture - some of the experiences of American women described as new to the author were not new to me at all, as I have lived through sexual harassment and misogyny in France too, for example. Our views also differ on french chivalry - I think a good addition to reading this book, for American women who might be interested to know what french women think of it, would be "Une vulture du viol à la française", by Valérie Rey-Robert.
However, it is still a very good book that exposes some important differences between American and french culture, and challenges the reader to put into question their own view of romances, relationships, and sexuality.

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I am very, very glad to have read this book. As a half-French new adult who has grown up on the American continent, I had never realized before how my views of romance and relationships between men and women are precariously balanced between the Western-European and North/Latin American cultures.

Through essays based on the evaluation of facts, #ownvoice interviews, exposition of personal values, history facts, and personal anthropologic studies, Guy Blaise (father of four girls, who comes from France but has lived in America for two decades) gives modern women some valuable advice to shape their path in life and become independent, confident, and conscious that they happiness and rights are as important as any other person's.

This quick book is a very strong wake-up call for submitted women and an eye-opening read for young girls who need to be properly educated before trusting the world with their heart and life. Even if it only skims the surface of some topics (like the relationship between older men and younger women), it goes in deep with others (such as violence against women in the household), presenting statistics and drawing conclusions from facts but also feelings and testimonies.

It did surprise me that such a book could come from a man (sorry for the incredibly stereotypical and sexist assumption/prejudice, but #experience). Blaise puts himself in the shoes of women and gives us a window to the way men treat their other half when the latter are not looking/hearing. It shocked me how some of the things he mentioned (men describing their wives with slur words; unsatisfying sex life for women in favor of their husbands' commodity; the taboo around sexuality, sexual talks, and violence against women, etc.) are widely known about in our society, and yet we still manage to somehow accept them and almost consider them a 'normality' (which shouldn't be talked about too much).

Many topics discussed by Blaise have made me understand that I was going out in the world with the wrong ideas about romance and relationships. For example, I expect that when a man pays for a woman's dinner, he wants something in exchange; this is why one of my golden rules when it comes to social life is always to decline any offer of gifts and pay for my own things (don't most of 'feminist' pop songs teach us this? 'Woman', by Key$ha, is an example).
However, upon discussion with my French mother, I was very surprised to hear that, as VIVE LA DIFFERENCE explains, the vast majority (if not all) men in Western-Europe does not expect a woman to give anything in exchange for being offered dinner; they instead see paying dinner as a must, an act of chivalry that would wound their honor and good values if not practiced. It kind of did blow my mind a little.

After reading VIVE LA DIFFERENCE, I feel much more prepared to go out in the world and fend for myself. It is a short, quick read that didn't even take me a day to complete, but it gave me a sense of power and understanding that makes me more confident in myself and my right to defend what I think, want, and deserve as a woman.

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