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The English Understand Wool
Maman was exigeante—there is no English word–and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.
Raised in Marrakech by a French mother and English father, a 17-year-old girl has learned above all to avoid mauvais ton ("bad taste" loses something in the translation). One should not ask servants to wait on one during Ramadan: they must have paid leave while one spends the holy month abroad. One must play the piano; if staying at Claridge’s, one must regrettably install a Clavinova in the suite, so that the necessary hours of practice will not be inflicted on fellow guests. One should cultivate weavers of tweed in the Outer Hebrides but have the cloth made up in London; one should buy linen in Ireland but have it made up by a Thai seamstress in Paris (whose genius has been supported by purchase of suitable premises). All this and much more she has learned, governed by a parent of ferociously lofty standards. But at 17, during the annual Ramadan travels, she finds all assumptions overturned. Will she be able to fend for herself? Will the dictates of good taste suffice when she must deal, singlehanded, with the sharks of New York?
Raised in Marrakech by a French mother and English father, a 17-year-old girl has learned above all to avoid mauvais ton ("bad taste" loses something in the translation). One should not ask servants to wait on one during Ramadan: they must have paid leave while one spends the holy month abroad. One must play the piano; if staying at Claridge’s, one must regrettably install a Clavinova in the suite, so that the necessary hours of practice will not be inflicted on fellow guests. One should cultivate weavers of tweed in the Outer Hebrides but have the cloth made up in London; one should buy linen in Ireland but have it made up by a Thai seamstress in Paris (whose genius has been supported by purchase of suitable premises). All this and much more she has learned, governed by a parent of ferociously lofty standards. But at 17, during the annual Ramadan travels, she finds all assumptions overturned. Will she be able to fend for herself? Will the dictates of good taste suffice when she must deal, singlehanded, with the sharks of New York?
69 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2022
417 people are currently reading
21.5k people want to read
About the author
Helen DeWitt
14Ìýbooks546ÌýfollowersHelen DeWitt (born 1957 in Takoma Park, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.) is a novelist.
DeWitt grew up primarily in South America (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador), as her parents worked in the United States diplomatic service. After a year at Northfield Mount Hermon School and two short periods at Smith College, DeWitt studied classics at the University of Oxford, first at Lady Margaret Hall, and then at Brasenose College for her D.Phil.
DeWitt is best known for her acclaimed debut novel, The Last Samurai. She held a variety of jobs while struggling to finish a book, including a dictionary text tagger, a copytaker, and Dunkin' Donuts employee, she also worked in a laundry service. During this time she reportedly attempted to finish many novels, before finally completing The Last Samurai, her 50th manuscript, in 1998.
In 2005 she collaborated with Ingrid Kerma, the London-based painter, writing limit5 for the exhibition Blushing Brides.
In 2004, DeWitt went missing from her home in Staten Island. She was found unharmed a few days later at Niagara Falls.
DeWitt lives in Berlin where she has recently finished a second novel, Your Name Here, in collaboration with the Australian journalist Ilya Gridneff. DeWitt had met Gridneff in an East London pub shortly before her departure for New York; impressed by the linguistic virtuosity of his e-mails, she suggested a book inspired by Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation, or Being John Malkovich, with Gridneff as Malkovich.
DeWitt grew up primarily in South America (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador), as her parents worked in the United States diplomatic service. After a year at Northfield Mount Hermon School and two short periods at Smith College, DeWitt studied classics at the University of Oxford, first at Lady Margaret Hall, and then at Brasenose College for her D.Phil.
DeWitt is best known for her acclaimed debut novel, The Last Samurai. She held a variety of jobs while struggling to finish a book, including a dictionary text tagger, a copytaker, and Dunkin' Donuts employee, she also worked in a laundry service. During this time she reportedly attempted to finish many novels, before finally completing The Last Samurai, her 50th manuscript, in 1998.
In 2005 she collaborated with Ingrid Kerma, the London-based painter, writing limit5 for the exhibition Blushing Brides.
In 2004, DeWitt went missing from her home in Staten Island. She was found unharmed a few days later at Niagara Falls.
DeWitt lives in Berlin where she has recently finished a second novel, Your Name Here, in collaboration with the Australian journalist Ilya Gridneff. DeWitt had met Gridneff in an East London pub shortly before her departure for New York; impressed by the linguistic virtuosity of his e-mails, she suggested a book inspired by Charlie Kaufman's Adaptation, or Being John Malkovich, with Gridneff as Malkovich.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,819 reviews
June 17, 2024
this reads like a Wes Anderson movie in the form of a book -- an interesting discussion about how trauma sells, and a fun allegory about the way people (especially in publishing) profit from other's stories / tragedies, sacrificing the truth in favour of sales
April 27, 2024
Everyone loves a good story, but nobody loves a story of high-profile trauma quite like agents who want to sell that story to the world. Helen DeWitt’s novella, The English Understand Wool, is a brief but uproarious criticism of profits and publishing through an investigation into ideas of good taste, such as avoiding �mauvais ton,� a term the narrator says looses quality in the translation to ‘bad taste� in English. But can good taste be bought, or is it earned? DeWitt juxtaposes those who obtain wealth legally—yet through tacky manipulation at the expense of others and their own honor and morality—with those who come by their wealth illegally but act with honor and use their wealth to enrich those beneath their status, creating quite the comedy of morals in a legal thriller pitting a freshly-orphaned 17 year old girl against a publishing giant. The wit and cynicism is sharp and DeWitt writes with a succinctly powerful voice that makes The English Understand Wool a charming little tale with plenty of teeth.
�Maman was exigeante—there is no English word–and I had the benefit of her training. �
Helen DeWitt is a master of language, one who values the dexterity of being multilingual, and an author who herself is genius enough to write characters who are believably a genius as in . That is all on display here in this short tale that had me stifling laughter to not upset my fellow flight passengers as I read, which would surely be mauvais ton. The English Understand Wool has a bit of a kinship with the aesthetics of Wes Anderson, with a quirky and rapidfire delivery from characters that place extreme emphasis on good taste, connoisseurship, and international travel. The story is told from 17 year old Marguerite, telling of her life brought up in Marrakech by her mother that impressed upon her not only cultivations and high tastes in arts and lifestyles but also generosity and the importance of taking care of those who take care of you. Her staff became highly sought after hospitality workers under her care. Marguerite’s life is happy, rich, full of music (she receives top notch piano lessons), and a luxurious social life (by the age of 10 she is a sought after Bridge partner). But what if one day Maman was gone? What if Maman was never her mother? What if Marguerite was an orphan with a $100million trust fund that a servant who understands good taste might find tolerable to raise? What publisher wouldn’t want this story, and wouldn’t pay handsomely for it?
�If the object is not merely to entertain, but to instruct, those in need of instruction will feel the benefit. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.�
The publishing industry, particularly large publishers who grapple for celebrity memoirs, is put on blast by DeWitt and every moment of it is utterly delightful. DeWitt asks us to consider how the persuasion of profits will inevitably poison any project as entertainment and marketing overrides authenticity. The editor begging Marguerite to add more emotion, to get angry, to call Maman cold only to be met with confusion had me in stitches.�I do not understand this grievance you expect me to feel,� she says, she had a delightful life (she insists her infant self couldn’t have picked a better caregiver, why is everyone so upset?). �They relied,� she tells us of her publisher, �on the inexperience, the financial weakness, the presumed emotional fragility of the author to push through a contract which stood to her disadvantage.� Is this any worse than Maman who, sure, might have stolen her, but at least had her best interests in mind. The publishers are only out for themselves, and while it might be legal, don’t they seem to be taking far more advantage of a teenage girl than the actual crimes committed by Maman?
I love the way DeWitt shows that wealth is wasted on the wealthy who can buy anything they like but have not cultivated good taste. �This was precisely the sort of idiocy one would expect from someone who wore white patent-leather shoes,� she snaps at one point, at all times looking down on the wealthy executives of New York as bumbling swine when it comes to matters of taste. To her, the crime of mauvais ton far outweighs any legal crime, the type of character who would call someone a philistine to their face and make it hurt like a knife wound. and I loved all of this so much. There are some fantastic twists that play on the idea that truth is something to be earned and how those who talk about trust the most often only do so because they are screwing you over. DeWitt throws punches like a prize fighter here, it’s a thing of beauty to witness.
�Bad masters breed bad servants.�
So if you are ever concerned about being on the run, perhaps get in good graces with those who run the finest hotels, who’s jobs are to take care of you and value discretion, people for whom a good paycheck is vital and respect those who respect them. There is a lovely working class consciousness here, something that recalls Anderson’s both in hospitality camaraderie and overall aesthetics, and made me feel proud that my resume has a strong history in hospitality work. The English Understand Wool has a delightful playfulness that reminds us of the beauty in storytelling as well as how useful an understanding of language and the arts can be. It is a quick tale that is end-loaded with some jaw-dropping moments that will have you cackling at the 17-year old somehow being served wine in a fancy restaurant as she serves a legal ass kicking to those who hoped to profit off what they perceived as her misery and trauma. I’m delighted by this new from New Direction publishing that offers �the pleasure of reading a great book from cover to cover in an afternoon,� and The English Understand Wool is a perfect way to pass an afternoon or, as I did, a flight home. A biting satire of capitalism with plenty of humor, this was a blast.
4/5
�When I speak of these forms of understanding I do not mean that they are instantiated in every individual of a nation, a culture. I think of this thing which in France is taken so seriously, the terroir, the importance of a particular soil in conjunction with the water, the sun, the aspect of the land, and how this affects the grape. How this affects decisions concerning the grapes to be grown there. We see this likewise in the cheeses� It is as if certain qualities flourish in certain social conjunctions.�
�Maman was exigeante—there is no English word–and I had the benefit of her training. �
Helen DeWitt is a master of language, one who values the dexterity of being multilingual, and an author who herself is genius enough to write characters who are believably a genius as in . That is all on display here in this short tale that had me stifling laughter to not upset my fellow flight passengers as I read, which would surely be mauvais ton. The English Understand Wool has a bit of a kinship with the aesthetics of Wes Anderson, with a quirky and rapidfire delivery from characters that place extreme emphasis on good taste, connoisseurship, and international travel. The story is told from 17 year old Marguerite, telling of her life brought up in Marrakech by her mother that impressed upon her not only cultivations and high tastes in arts and lifestyles but also generosity and the importance of taking care of those who take care of you. Her staff became highly sought after hospitality workers under her care. Marguerite’s life is happy, rich, full of music (she receives top notch piano lessons), and a luxurious social life (by the age of 10 she is a sought after Bridge partner). But what if one day Maman was gone? What if Maman was never her mother? What if Marguerite was an orphan with a $100million trust fund that a servant who understands good taste might find tolerable to raise? What publisher wouldn’t want this story, and wouldn’t pay handsomely for it?
�If the object is not merely to entertain, but to instruct, those in need of instruction will feel the benefit. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.�
The publishing industry, particularly large publishers who grapple for celebrity memoirs, is put on blast by DeWitt and every moment of it is utterly delightful. DeWitt asks us to consider how the persuasion of profits will inevitably poison any project as entertainment and marketing overrides authenticity. The editor begging Marguerite to add more emotion, to get angry, to call Maman cold only to be met with confusion had me in stitches.�I do not understand this grievance you expect me to feel,� she says, she had a delightful life (she insists her infant self couldn’t have picked a better caregiver, why is everyone so upset?). �They relied,� she tells us of her publisher, �on the inexperience, the financial weakness, the presumed emotional fragility of the author to push through a contract which stood to her disadvantage.� Is this any worse than Maman who, sure, might have stolen her, but at least had her best interests in mind. The publishers are only out for themselves, and while it might be legal, don’t they seem to be taking far more advantage of a teenage girl than the actual crimes committed by Maman?
I love the way DeWitt shows that wealth is wasted on the wealthy who can buy anything they like but have not cultivated good taste. �This was precisely the sort of idiocy one would expect from someone who wore white patent-leather shoes,� she snaps at one point, at all times looking down on the wealthy executives of New York as bumbling swine when it comes to matters of taste. To her, the crime of mauvais ton far outweighs any legal crime, the type of character who would call someone a philistine to their face and make it hurt like a knife wound. and I loved all of this so much. There are some fantastic twists that play on the idea that truth is something to be earned and how those who talk about trust the most often only do so because they are screwing you over. DeWitt throws punches like a prize fighter here, it’s a thing of beauty to witness.
�Bad masters breed bad servants.�
So if you are ever concerned about being on the run, perhaps get in good graces with those who run the finest hotels, who’s jobs are to take care of you and value discretion, people for whom a good paycheck is vital and respect those who respect them. There is a lovely working class consciousness here, something that recalls Anderson’s both in hospitality camaraderie and overall aesthetics, and made me feel proud that my resume has a strong history in hospitality work. The English Understand Wool has a delightful playfulness that reminds us of the beauty in storytelling as well as how useful an understanding of language and the arts can be. It is a quick tale that is end-loaded with some jaw-dropping moments that will have you cackling at the 17-year old somehow being served wine in a fancy restaurant as she serves a legal ass kicking to those who hoped to profit off what they perceived as her misery and trauma. I’m delighted by this new from New Direction publishing that offers �the pleasure of reading a great book from cover to cover in an afternoon,� and The English Understand Wool is a perfect way to pass an afternoon or, as I did, a flight home. A biting satire of capitalism with plenty of humor, this was a blast.
4/5
�When I speak of these forms of understanding I do not mean that they are instantiated in every individual of a nation, a culture. I think of this thing which in France is taken so seriously, the terroir, the importance of a particular soil in conjunction with the water, the sun, the aspect of the land, and how this affects the grape. How this affects decisions concerning the grapes to be grown there. We see this likewise in the cheeses� It is as if certain qualities flourish in certain social conjunctions.�
Read
November 20, 2022The English understand wool is the first and the last sentence of this short novel. That neat sentence fits well with the message I took from the story: just as the English understand wool, and the warp and the weft of the cloth made from it, so a person must understand the people they are dealing with—and cut their cloth accordingly. The heroine of this novella, for whom good taste is the best possible measure, has learned how to cut her cloth very much to suit that measure. But she has also learned, to make a long story short, that when dealing with people not cut from the same cloth as herself, she must read the small print, make her actions speak louder than her words, and basically, have her cake and eat it too—no matter that it may be in very poor taste.
I know Helen DeWitt will forgive me for my poor taste in using so many clichés to describe this book. When all's said and done, clichés were the bread and butter of her which I read ten years ago. I hope I will not have to wait another ten years for more of her witty treats.
I know Helen DeWitt will forgive me for my poor taste in using so many clichés to describe this book. When all's said and done, clichés were the bread and butter of her which I read ten years ago. I hope I will not have to wait another ten years for more of her witty treats.
November 18, 2024
Seventeen-year-old Marguerite comes from a wealthy family. Her parents are determined to teach their daughter everything she needs to know about high society in order to be successful in it. At least that is our first impression. But we know that things are not always what they seem. Horseback riding and tennis lessons, fine dining and playing musical instruments, traveling the world and staying in luxurious hotels are all part of the young girl's everyday life.
The girl's mother seems to be an excellent guide in all matters relating to a high-profile lifestyle.
Not only is she impeccably elegant and polite, but she also knows how to communicate with people from all walks of life.
But one day the woman disappears leaving Marguerite alone to navigate this life. The young girl learns unspeakable things about her past and becomes the focus of public attention. People want to know more about her previous life and how she is coping with what must have been a trauma. Publishers are curious if Marguerite is interested in writing a memoir.
Who knows, if she opens up and strikes the right chord, she might make them a lot of money.
Would you like to get to know our heroine better? I do not want to give anything away, so I will just say that Marguerite's main concern is to avoid mauvais ton in everything she does or says.
The story exposes the exploitation of trauma by publishers and, more broadly, by the general public. Why are so many people attracted to survivors' stories? Do they really care? Can we expect authors of autobiographies to be authentic in the pages of their books? Can Marguerite just be left alone? She has a right to privacy after all. Can writing or talking about her experiences help her move on? Anyway, Marguerite is the one to decide what to include in her own story and what to keep to herself.
This elegant short novel raises all these questions in a subtle way, leaving the reader to judge for themselves.
The girl's mother seems to be an excellent guide in all matters relating to a high-profile lifestyle.
Not only is she impeccably elegant and polite, but she also knows how to communicate with people from all walks of life.
But one day the woman disappears leaving Marguerite alone to navigate this life. The young girl learns unspeakable things about her past and becomes the focus of public attention. People want to know more about her previous life and how she is coping with what must have been a trauma. Publishers are curious if Marguerite is interested in writing a memoir.
Who knows, if she opens up and strikes the right chord, she might make them a lot of money.
Would you like to get to know our heroine better? I do not want to give anything away, so I will just say that Marguerite's main concern is to avoid mauvais ton in everything she does or says.
The story exposes the exploitation of trauma by publishers and, more broadly, by the general public. Why are so many people attracted to survivors' stories? Do they really care? Can we expect authors of autobiographies to be authentic in the pages of their books? Can Marguerite just be left alone? She has a right to privacy after all. Can writing or talking about her experiences help her move on? Anyway, Marguerite is the one to decide what to include in her own story and what to keep to herself.
This elegant short novel raises all these questions in a subtle way, leaving the reader to judge for themselves.
October 7, 2022
A fantastically crafted short story. Helen DeWitt managed to pack a lot in here (money vs time point for example) and delivered it with an acerbic wit. I'm not spoiling anything, go read this farce (heist?) yourself. Oh no, I've said too much!
July 24, 2023
When I went to university, one of the girls in my dorm invited us to her father's house to work on a project together. The "house" turned out to be a mansion in a gated community. Not McMansions but multimillion dollar houses designed by internationally recognised architects.
When we arrived, she gave us a house tour. In the dining room, I stared at the walls and ceilings and thought, "this looks like a copy of early Italian renaissance frescoes. It must have cost a huge fortune." (I was minoring in art history, and attending college on student loans and scholarships.)
She noticed me staring and said, "a bit much, isn't it? Daddy had it removed from an Italian villa and installed here. It was painted by a 14th century master."
This is the world the 17 year old narrator was born into. She thought nothing of flying with her mother to the far north of Scotland to buy tweed then to Ireland for linen and then to London to have bespoke suits made. She was tutored in several languages, taught both classical and jazz piano, instructed in how to conduct herself in society, and how to manage servants...until one day she learned her whole life was a lie.
The rest of the story is what happened next.
I found the telling of this story frustrating. Too much time was spent on the bespoke lifestyle of the European 1%. The meat of the story was hurried, with few details, and was loosely sketched without the sumptuousness of the first part of the story. It was unbalanced. It should have been either much longer or much shorter. The ending seemed abrupt to me, leaving me wondering why I wasted my time with this.
Be prepared for lots of French and a bunch of Arabic terms for objects. The author purposely chose French terms that don't translate neatly into English. Google Translate won't help you much. (Shout out to the French that I learned for the art history minor.)
If you want a benign snapshot of how the very rich, old moneyed crowd think, read on. They are very different from the new money "Succession" crowd. Beyond that, I'd recommend reading something else.
This was written by the same author who wrote "The Last Samurai". I guess everyone has an off day.
When we arrived, she gave us a house tour. In the dining room, I stared at the walls and ceilings and thought, "this looks like a copy of early Italian renaissance frescoes. It must have cost a huge fortune." (I was minoring in art history, and attending college on student loans and scholarships.)
She noticed me staring and said, "a bit much, isn't it? Daddy had it removed from an Italian villa and installed here. It was painted by a 14th century master."
This is the world the 17 year old narrator was born into. She thought nothing of flying with her mother to the far north of Scotland to buy tweed then to Ireland for linen and then to London to have bespoke suits made. She was tutored in several languages, taught both classical and jazz piano, instructed in how to conduct herself in society, and how to manage servants...until one day she learned her whole life was a lie.
The rest of the story is what happened next.
I found the telling of this story frustrating. Too much time was spent on the bespoke lifestyle of the European 1%. The meat of the story was hurried, with few details, and was loosely sketched without the sumptuousness of the first part of the story. It was unbalanced. It should have been either much longer or much shorter. The ending seemed abrupt to me, leaving me wondering why I wasted my time with this.
Be prepared for lots of French and a bunch of Arabic terms for objects. The author purposely chose French terms that don't translate neatly into English. Google Translate won't help you much. (Shout out to the French that I learned for the art history minor.)
If you want a benign snapshot of how the very rich, old moneyed crowd think, read on. They are very different from the new money "Succession" crowd. Beyond that, I'd recommend reading something else.
This was written by the same author who wrote "The Last Samurai". I guess everyone has an off day.
August 16, 2022
Could have easily read hundreds of more pages of this story
May 24, 2024
Strange and off-putting wealthy child attempts to write a book
October 28, 2022
An inventive short read that makes fun of publishing and ‘mauvais ton�. It is a story that defies any useful summary, and you probably should just dive in and discover it for yourself. It’s gently funny at times and a little insightful. A fairly good read which I enjoyed without feeling it was a masterpiece of fiction.
November 14, 2022
Maman was exigeante—there is no English word—in matters of protocol.
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt is the 2nd, for me, of the first 6 of the new New Directions Storybook collection, kindly sent to be by my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friend Wendy.
The full collection is:
DeWitt's contribution is more of a short story than a novella. But its a deliciously told tale with a memorable, verging on psychopathic, narrator, a 17 year old girl bought up by her mother to have impeccable good taste, with a very definitive view of what is "mauvais ton" (e.g. tweed must come from Scotland but must be made into a suit by an English tailor).
The story is very funny if improbable. There is a movie type nature to the story - clues to the twists aren't really there on a 2nd reading, and in such a carefully constructed tale, the ending was a slight disappointment - but (see the comments) in a way that makes it a perfect book to discuss with friends.
The main plot concerns a publishing contract, and from others' reviews I understand this may reflect DeWitt's own publishing travails. The narrator apologises for what she suspects may be a tedious tale by quoting Stendhal's Le Rouge et Le Noir, je n'aurai pas la barbarie de vous faire subir la longueur et les ménagements savants d'un dialogue de province, claiming that the phrase "les ménagements savants" is lost in translation, proferring by way of proof four unsuccessful attempts from classic English renditions of the novel. She then goes on: If the object is not merely to entertain, but to instruct, those in need of instruction will feel the benefit. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.
In practice I'm not sure this is, or is intended to be terribly instructive (other than perhaps to those signing legal contracts) but it is very entertaining, the brevity, in contrast to Stendhal's parler de la province pendant deux cents pages key to its success.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt is the 2nd, for me, of the first 6 of the new New Directions Storybook collection, kindly sent to be by my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friend Wendy.
Created and curated by the writer and translator Gini Alhadeff, Storybook ND—our new series of slim hardcover fiction books—aims to deliver the pleasure one felt as a child reading a marvelous book from cover to cover in an afternoon. The series, beautifully designed by Peter Mendelsund, will feature original works by beloved New Directions authors, and will also introduce new writers to the list. As Alhadeff notes, “There’s nothing sweeter than to fall, for a few hours, between the covers of a perfect little book! And the image on the front, by a contemporary artist such as Francesco Clemente or Kiki Smith, will draw you in. Longer stories or shorter novels with a beautiful face: that’s Storybook ND.
The full collection is:
DeWitt's contribution is more of a short story than a novella. But its a deliciously told tale with a memorable, verging on psychopathic, narrator, a 17 year old girl bought up by her mother to have impeccable good taste, with a very definitive view of what is "mauvais ton" (e.g. tweed must come from Scotland but must be made into a suit by an English tailor).
The story is very funny if improbable. There is a movie type nature to the story - clues to the twists aren't really there on a 2nd reading, and in such a carefully constructed tale, the ending was a slight disappointment - but (see the comments) in a way that makes it a perfect book to discuss with friends.
The main plot concerns a publishing contract, and from others' reviews I understand this may reflect DeWitt's own publishing travails. The narrator apologises for what she suspects may be a tedious tale by quoting Stendhal's Le Rouge et Le Noir, je n'aurai pas la barbarie de vous faire subir la longueur et les ménagements savants d'un dialogue de province, claiming that the phrase "les ménagements savants" is lost in translation, proferring by way of proof four unsuccessful attempts from classic English renditions of the novel. She then goes on: If the object is not merely to entertain, but to instruct, those in need of instruction will feel the benefit. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.
In practice I'm not sure this is, or is intended to be terribly instructive (other than perhaps to those signing legal contracts) but it is very entertaining, the brevity, in contrast to Stendhal's parler de la province pendant deux cents pages key to its success.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
August 16, 2024
An intriguing short story.
November 17, 2022
Clever, sharply written. A great novella that skewers the publishing industry and looks at the ideas of decorum and etiquette, especially regarding ‘transactional� relationships (particularly in the business world). Capitalism sucks!
November 24, 2024
5 stars
short review for busy readers:
A phenomenal longer short story/novella about a girl who was raised as a modern day aristocrat...only to find out at the age of 17
in detail:
Publishers try to capitalise on the girl's "grief" (their words) by getting her to write a memoir they'll make bank on. They know the reading public is hungry for tear-soaked stories of abuse and trauma, so they egg her on to bare her soul, constantly asking her to tell the world "how she feels" -- something she's been raised to see as 'mauvais ton' or those things one simply does not do as it makes others uncomfortable.
(And indeed, how many of us have never been unsettled by the public screaming or crying fit of someone who cannot control their emotions? It's unpleasant. And unpleasant is mauvais ton.)
Not only is the writing excellent, the twist at the end is a lot of fun, too.
One thing I found interesting. The mother is described by the girl's publisher as "cold". I thought she was *wonderful*. I'd so love to have had a mother like that! In fact, I'd strive to be that mother (if I had kids).
But through that one statement, you can see the difference between how someone from a working class background vs someone from an aristocratic background views the nature of "mother". It's these subtle differences in opinion and expectations -- how class differences prompt us to interpret the same events in vastly different ways -- that make this story shine and gives it its bite.
Highly recommended for short story or fans of REAL aristocrats (vs fictional or real life bad examples of incompetent ones).
Thanks to my GR friend Nika for putting this on my radar!
short review for busy readers:
A phenomenal longer short story/novella about a girl who was raised as a modern day aristocrat...only to find out at the age of 17
in detail:
Publishers try to capitalise on the girl's "grief" (their words) by getting her to write a memoir they'll make bank on. They know the reading public is hungry for tear-soaked stories of abuse and trauma, so they egg her on to bare her soul, constantly asking her to tell the world "how she feels" -- something she's been raised to see as 'mauvais ton' or those things one simply does not do as it makes others uncomfortable.
(And indeed, how many of us have never been unsettled by the public screaming or crying fit of someone who cannot control their emotions? It's unpleasant. And unpleasant is mauvais ton.)
Not only is the writing excellent, the twist at the end is a lot of fun, too.
One thing I found interesting. The mother is described by the girl's publisher as "cold". I thought she was *wonderful*. I'd so love to have had a mother like that! In fact, I'd strive to be that mother (if I had kids).
But through that one statement, you can see the difference between how someone from a working class background vs someone from an aristocratic background views the nature of "mother". It's these subtle differences in opinion and expectations -- how class differences prompt us to interpret the same events in vastly different ways -- that make this story shine and gives it its bite.
Highly recommended for short story or fans of REAL aristocrats (vs fictional or real life bad examples of incompetent ones).
Thanks to my GR friend Nika for putting this on my radar!
December 16, 2022
What a delightful way to spend an afternoon! No glimmer of a spoiler from me, that would be "mauvais ton". The physical book is as charming as the story - it looks like a children's board book, shiny and colorful. I'm excited to read all the books in this series.
June 30, 2024
Hiding in the Lands Without Plot, you forget how fun suspense and payoff can be. Very enjoyable read.
January 31, 2023
This is a short story (just 69 pages) that is making the rounds here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Many readers have liked it more than me.
The story is about cold-hearted people and though clever, left me feeling cold.
Almost always, real life is more interesting than fiction.
2.5 stars
Additional: The heroine, Marguerite, lived in a riad with her parents in Morocco. Since I was unfamiliar with even the word "riad", I looked it up. Here are pictures.
The story is about cold-hearted people and though clever, left me feeling cold.
Almost always, real life is more interesting than fiction.
2.5 stars
Additional: The heroine, Marguerite, lived in a riad with her parents in Morocco. Since I was unfamiliar with even the word "riad", I looked it up. Here are pictures.
May 29, 2023
An exquisite gem of a story.
July 17, 2024
Not sure if this qualifies as a novella or just a longish short story - but it's both odd and kinda clever. I had a bit of difficulty following along in places - and am still not sure if Marguerite's Maman was the one who became her guardian at 18 months or not - that part remained unclear, despite multiple readings of that section. Still quite witty and different. Makes me want to read more DeWitt - perhaps her debut novel - which I have avoided thinking it was the basis for that dreadul T. Cruise movie of the same name! :-O!
July 22, 2024
All I can say is WOW! I waited for ages for this book to come in from the library, and the wait was well worth it. The narrator is a posh teenager whose life is enmeshed with that of her glamorous French mother. When her mother goes missing, she discovers long-buried family secrets. The main character is the best part of this book. Raised extremely wealthy and quite isolated from her peers, she is almost anachronistic with her formal way of speaking and love of pursuits like bridge. It makes for a super unique narrative voice and some delightful encounters once she starts interacting with people outside her mother’s world. I devoured this book in one sitting. 100% recommend.
March 5, 2024
3.5
I especially enjoyed this amusing story’s send-up of big-house publishing contracts, though there’s more to this clever (does De Witt write any other way?) story than its circular punchline.
I especially enjoyed this amusing story’s send-up of big-house publishing contracts, though there’s more to this clever (does De Witt write any other way?) story than its circular punchline.
November 25, 2023
I mean... so much to unpack in terms of ethics, details of a lifestyle, and first of all very good style of writing, but also... so much left out, the transformation of key characters that must have taken place at some point, the unrealistic power of nurture, the voice that is interesting, but becomes "interesting"... I can see the appeal, but 3 stars from me.
I also am quite taken aback by what appears to be an attack on good manners, breeding and taste; surely this could not have been the author's intention? And don't tell me it's trauma, I don't see any trauma in the psychological construct presented.
I also am quite taken aback by what appears to be an attack on good manners, breeding and taste; surely this could not have been the author's intention? And don't tell me it's trauma, I don't see any trauma in the psychological construct presented.
January 10, 2025
3.25 stars
its just a good story... i don't understand the hype, i mean i kinda get it, a young girl trying/wanting to write & express her feelings in a way she wants but then getting manipulated by the people around her and the publishing industry, i honestly didn't find it that fascinating cause i believe its a pretty known fact how these content driven industries works specially when it comes to biopics and when a client as a rich aristocratic backgrounds and stuffs, i don't know man... the richer you're the more drama you'll have in your life ( totally unnecessary ), but nonetheless it was a good story and i guess that's what matters.
its just a good story... i don't understand the hype, i mean i kinda get it, a young girl trying/wanting to write & express her feelings in a way she wants but then getting manipulated by the people around her and the publishing industry, i honestly didn't find it that fascinating cause i believe its a pretty known fact how these content driven industries works specially when it comes to biopics and when a client as a rich aristocratic backgrounds and stuffs, i don't know man... the richer you're the more drama you'll have in your life ( totally unnecessary ), but nonetheless it was a good story and i guess that's what matters.
February 1, 2024
You've got to be carefully taught. A great little short story that looks at a mother-daughter relationship with lots of surprises and really a wonderful payoff. Well written and just a delight to finally get to. Really a great example of what a short story can be when in the right hands. Seems unforgetable but time will tell.
June 16, 2024
Brilliant short novel. I'm very much looking forward to reading more of Helen DeWitt's work.
November 25, 2022
I loved this book, the first of the New Directions Storybook series of novellas that I’ve read.
The book begins with our 17 yr old narrator sharing the lessons in good taste she learned from Maman: the best country from which to get certain fabrics and where best to have clothes made, the best producers of cheese, wine, etc., how to play bridge, tennis, and the piano, how to ride a horse, how to travel comfortably, how to treat staff at home and abroad, and how to treat those one contracts with for goods and services, in sum, she has been taught how to live a cultured life; the lesson most stressed by Maman is to avoid mauvais ton at all costs.
These delightful lessons on culture are interrupted every few chapters with emails from Bethany encouraging Marguerite to share more of her emotions on the page, what was her relationship with her mother like? With her father? How did she feel when it happened. Does Marguerite want to share her feelings about everything with a woman Bethany can send over? When we learn who Bethany is and what it is that has happened we learn that Marguerite is now in an unfamiliar situation and now dependent on the good will of others.
Now we and Marguerite will see if Maman has properly prepared Marguerite for life. Happily, we discover that Marguerite, like Maman, is exigeante in matters of protocol, which bring Marguerite comfort in these strange new circumstances, and Maman’s insistence on avoiding mauvais ton serves Marguerite well in the end.
I highly recommend this novella.
The book begins with our 17 yr old narrator sharing the lessons in good taste she learned from Maman: the best country from which to get certain fabrics and where best to have clothes made, the best producers of cheese, wine, etc., how to play bridge, tennis, and the piano, how to ride a horse, how to travel comfortably, how to treat staff at home and abroad, and how to treat those one contracts with for goods and services, in sum, she has been taught how to live a cultured life; the lesson most stressed by Maman is to avoid mauvais ton at all costs.
These delightful lessons on culture are interrupted every few chapters with emails from Bethany encouraging Marguerite to share more of her emotions on the page, what was her relationship with her mother like? With her father? How did she feel when it happened. Does Marguerite want to share her feelings about everything with a woman Bethany can send over? When we learn who Bethany is and what it is that has happened we learn that Marguerite is now in an unfamiliar situation and now dependent on the good will of others.
Now we and Marguerite will see if Maman has properly prepared Marguerite for life. Happily, we discover that Marguerite, like Maman, is exigeante in matters of protocol, which bring Marguerite comfort in these strange new circumstances, and Maman’s insistence on avoiding mauvais ton serves Marguerite well in the end.
I highly recommend this novella.
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December 24, 2022oh this was so fun.
January 13, 2023
One must not expose adults to childish prattle. She (maman) insisted that I should learn bridge at the age of seven because one cannot always assume that a child can be kept out of sight.
It is important to play tennis. If one is invited to a chateau or country house one must not put one’s hosts to the nuisance of arranging entertainment, one must be prepared to make up a party.
As satirical as this small book is, more than that, it is a wonderful character study of protagonist 17 year old Marguerite’s quirks, which drive the plot and provide an abundance of humour.
I have a confession to make. I hadn’t read DeWitt before. But what better way as an introduction to an author than a short sharp immersion into her talents.
It’s the unblemished straight face that DeWitt gives potential author Marguerite’s prim and polished voice that enable the shots she takes at the publishing industry to be so stinging.
To be appreciated fully, media reviews should be avoided, or at least skimmed over. This is a novella easily spoilt by the revelation of seemingly innocent compliment. Even to assign it a genre gives clues away as to the delightful twists in its last pages.
It may take criticism for being too short, but read it slowly, and to appreciate it best, when reaching page 64, turn back to page 1 and go at it all over again. It’s well worth it.
June 10, 2023
Helen DeWitt reviles the publishing industry. And with good cause. In this quick little number, part of New Directions's ND Storybook collection, which looks to put out hardback editions of one-sitting reads, DeWitt tells the traumatic story of a young woman's upended life while skewering the ravenous blood lust of modern publishing.
There are some echoes here with her strongest work, The Last Samurai; namely a erudite and precociously wise-beyond-their-years youth, and an intersection of problematic parentage, with a soupçon of commercial critique.
The wryness of the characters, the cynical nature of the publishing industry who preys upon (and potentially re-traumatizes victims it purports to uplift), the nuance and pomposity of the erudition all meld together beautifully in this story. I liked this much more than I did pretty much any of the tales in Some Trick, DeWitt's most recent collection of short stories--hopeful for more to come from this talent, whether the publishing industry will let her or not.
There are some echoes here with her strongest work, The Last Samurai; namely a erudite and precociously wise-beyond-their-years youth, and an intersection of problematic parentage, with a soupçon of commercial critique.
The wryness of the characters, the cynical nature of the publishing industry who preys upon (and potentially re-traumatizes victims it purports to uplift), the nuance and pomposity of the erudition all meld together beautifully in this story. I liked this much more than I did pretty much any of the tales in Some Trick, DeWitt's most recent collection of short stories--hopeful for more to come from this talent, whether the publishing industry will let her or not.
October 3, 2024
What a splendid little novella! Pages fly in this quick and thrilling story narrated with verve and panache. A long commute is enough to gobble it up. The author's note at the end has intrigued me into checking out Edward Tufte's books. Also, I love the concept of Storybook ND (which aims to deliver "the pleasure one felt as a child reading a marvelous book from cover to cover in an afternoon") and I am gonna read all the other ones.
Fun fact: the protagonist was inspired by Danaerys from Game of Thrones.
Is Helen related to Patrick - another De Witt whose delightful novels I love - by any chance? Unlikely.
Some fascinating context about this book:
Fun fact: the protagonist was inspired by Danaerys from Game of Thrones.
Is Helen related to Patrick - another De Witt whose delightful novels I love - by any chance? Unlikely.
Some fascinating context about this book:
February 16, 2024
Wow.
I loved this. Everything about it. A young bankable woman trying to write something the way she wants to, in her own voice, clashes with the impersonal world of publishing. It’s a brilliant story, perfectly executed. The writing is immaculate and I took pleasure in every sentence. The narrator is an incredibly intelligent, indomitable seventeen year old, and her odd sharp calm voice was a delight. I loved DeWitt’s spirit and her wit, her comedy and righteous anger. This is my kind of fiction! The ending was very satisfying, just perfect.
I loved this. Everything about it. A young bankable woman trying to write something the way she wants to, in her own voice, clashes with the impersonal world of publishing. It’s a brilliant story, perfectly executed. The writing is immaculate and I took pleasure in every sentence. The narrator is an incredibly intelligent, indomitable seventeen year old, and her odd sharp calm voice was a delight. I loved DeWitt’s spirit and her wit, her comedy and righteous anger. This is my kind of fiction! The ending was very satisfying, just perfect.
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