In preparation to move my family to Paris, I was pleased to pick up The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed. Veteran authors and journalists Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau moved to Paris with their two daughters to spend a year in 2013-2014 researching the cultural and linguistic ques a family like ours would greatly benefit from upon French immersion. Although the book is slightly dated (St. Martin’s Griffin: 2016), the majority of the content is still quite applicable.
The Bonjour Effect is divided into two parts: Form (How to talk with the French) and content (the do’s and don’ts of French conversation). Well researched and chock-full of practical illustrations, it is essentially a one stop handy guide to French culture, especially for the one preparing to dive into French culture.
As a complete newcomer to the sounds of the French tongue and French culture every chapter contained helpful tips. The most insightful concept is bound to the title (although the book goes far beyond its catchy title). The importance of a well-placed Bonjour can make or break a foreigner’s experience in France. Barlow and Nadeau unravel the mysteries of Bonjour, elaborating on the hidden nuances that make it much more than a greeting, but a contract of communication, a tool of respect, and a mechanism of equality.
Part 2 contains chapters that at times get bogged down in unneeded and outdated details. Culture is dynamic, and only several years after publishing some of the issues and examples used on politics and culture have begun to shift.
A helpful guide can be found in the Epilogue which contains all of the key points elaborated in the book. These condensed points are an ideal pocket guide for both the short-term tourist and immigrants. To highlight just a few:
- The French correct others all the time. It’s normal public behavior.
- The French say no even when they mean yes.
- If a French person talks to you, it’s a sign he or she wants some kind of relationship. So talk back (if they don’t want to talk, they don’t open their mouths).
- The point of talking in France is to show you are interesting, not merely to convey information (as such disagreement is welcomed).
- Don’t ask for stranger’s names, joke about yourself, ask where one is from, ask about one’s work, or talk about money.
On a 1-10 scale of difficulty, The Bonjour Effect comes in at a 3 – an easy read, yet informational, interesting, and helpful. I recommend this book to anyone interested in French language and culture, and especially for those living in or planning to move to France.