Elaine Sciolino was advised to find herself a French lover for research purposes; as far as it’s possible to tell, she didn’t, but this may be the only stone left unturned in this extraordinarily thorough study of French seduction.
Elaine Sciolino was advised to find herself a French lover for research purposes; as far as it’s possible to tell, she didn’t, but this may be the only stone left unturned in this extraordinarily thorough study of French seduction. Sciolino, a correspondent and former bureau chief for the New York Times, has managed to turn the mysterious process of seduction into a thesis.
Armed with a seemingly unassailable volume of evidence, she argues that life in France is about process rather than results, charm rather than truth, pleasure rather than toil. She has a broad definition of seduction:
The tools of the seducer — anticipation, promise, allure— are powerful engines in French history and politics, culture and style, food and foreign policy, literature and manners.
She meets France’s grands séducteurs — not just the skirt-chasers, but also the purveyors of other kinds of pleasure — chefs, diplomats, lighting engineers, underwear designers, gardeners, her butcher.
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