French Milk Paperback – Illustrated, October 14, 2008

The Glass Castle author Jeannette Walls once told me that memoir should be universal, and I've kept that in mind ever since when I read them. What I think she meant is that while a memoir is specific to the storyteller in the details, anyone should be able to relate to it, somehow. As I read Lucy Knisley's French Milk, I was struck by her storytelling, but also her age, use of photography, and that I could never write such a book, though I too have traveled to Paris with my mother.The fact that her divorced parents are on good terms, a fact she casually drops in, resonated with me, especially when her father comes to join them for a brief visit during their six-week trip. This would never happen in my divorced family, and it made me, briefly, jealous--again, this goes back to Walls's maxim; my life circumstances may not be the same as Knisley's, but hers caused me to reflect on my own. She also exhibits a particular pride and faith in her work (with the occasional doubts), one that I still struggle with in my early thirties. Her dedication to her art and the creation of this book are apparent. Other moments are brief but powerful, such as going up the Eiffel Tower on a particularly windy day, where Knisley writes, "You could feel the tower move in the wind and see the birds blown off course."I was torn as to the value of the photographs she included; at first, I thought there was something unfair about it, but then I came upon one of her kissing a wall and realized there was no other way to capture that moment, at least, not so thoroughly. The photos are used sparingly, without comment, filling in gaps in her story, fleshing them out and creating what feels more like an intimate scrapbook than a memoir, albeit an accessible one.French Milk is a travelogue, and as such, sometimes the details of each meal become less interesting toward the end. But it's Knisley's personality, and little details that make this book so charming, whether it's the odd characters she meets or her feeling low on a particular day or railing against a piece of bad art, going so far as to name the artist, who's made a rendition of Paris Hilton, by name.I finished the book a bit jealous of Knisley's closeness with her mother, and impressed that she managed to finesse both the details and the bigger picture, a portrait of a young woman just starting out in "the real world," but taking a detour to a city full of pastries, lush dinners, cemeteries, art and adventure before she does so. French Milk will appeal to Americans who've, like Knisley, fallen for Paris, and those looking to recapture their college traveling days. As for me, I'm giving a copy to my mom, and hope that our travels are as fruitful.

About a month ago I read Relish by Lucy Knisley and instantly became a huge fan of her work. After I read Relish I had to get her earlier, French Milk; and I'm so glad I did. Lucy has a way of telling her life experiences with a sharp wit that you just want to know more about her life. You can completely empathize with her.The entire book is about her trip to Paris with her mom. When I was twenty-two, my mom and I went to Europe. We had such a great time. But, at the same time, we had those mother/daughter spats and so did Lucy and her mother. This book brought back such great memories for me. The mom/daughter bonding is something that you will treasure forever. Lucy is hardly ever critical of her mom which I find rather refreshing. They had such a great time in Paris. I thought that Lucy really illustrated how close her mother and her really are.Another thing I really loved was how Lucy was able to show her angst on her soon to be graduation from college. I rememeber when I was twenty-two and trying to figure what I was supposed to do with my life. Her depressive fits were fitting for her time in life. To me, every college-graduate feels the uncertainty after graduating from college. It's scary and depressing.I loved Lucy's Paris. It was all about food and art. She is a milk and foie gras affionado. She loved the milk in Paris so much that she named her book for it and I totally get it. I remember when I was in Paris and I thought the vegetables never tasted better. It's probably all the nasty preservatives Americans use. But the food DOES taste better in Paris! Most of her memories centers around food. She documents most of her meals during her trip. I loved that her most favorite meals were at their apartment. Lucy and her mom have such a great bond over food.Lucy's illustrations are fun and fairly simple. I liked how she attempted to portray some classic pieces of art. I found it really amusing.French Milk is a fun graphic memoir about a twenty-two year women coming age in Paris with her mom. It is funny and sweet. I highly recommend it!

I loved this little book. I like anything that's a little different, and this illustrated travel journal definitely caught my eye in the bookstore. I bought it some time ago but I actually didn't want to read it right away, because, you know, then I wouldn't have it to read anymore; I would have to put it on my shelves with books I have already read, and I always think I am running out of special books I really want to read ...I related completely to Lucy's trip with her mom! My husband and I stayed in a hotel in Paris in the very same area, saw the sights and ate in the restaurants and took the same walks, went to the museums, and all of the rest. The food, oh my gosh, the food! Like Lucy I loved it all and every meal and every snack was delicious! Even the food served on Air France was great.But the clincher for me with this book was her comment on page 189, almost the very last page where she has drawn a picture of herself in a crowd and comments: "At the airport in Albany, I am shocked by how ugly and huge Americans can be. The fashion and aesthetic differences between Paris and America are vast!" I kept a journal of my trip to Paris and wrote almost the exact same thing when we had to change planes in Texas: about how utterly tacky Americans are in their turquoise shorts and tank tops (and they are all so fat!) and how truly awful the food was. It's true! And we went to Paris in 1992, fifteen years before Lucy went. Obviously, some things do not change.I'm looking for another book by Lucy Knisley but don't see one. Maybe her mother could take her to London. They would also love London.

Cute book.

Après la lecture de "Délices", que j'avais beaucoup aimé malgré un dessin quelconque et une colorisation fâcheuse, je me suis jetée sur "French Milk", autre récit autobiographique de Lucy Knisley non traduit en français celui-là. Paru en 2007, il raconte le mois que l'auteure passa à Paris avec sa mère pour célébrer respectivement leur 22ème et leur 50ème anniversaires. Surprise: ici, les dessins sont en noir et blanc, beaucoup plus agréables à l'oeil (de mon point de vue). S'y mêlent des photos également en noir et blanc prises par Lucy Knisley durant son séjour.En tant que journal de voyage, et vu que je connais bien Paris, j'avoue que "French milk" ne m'a pas spécialement vendu du rêve. Par contre, c'est toujours amusant de voir la réaction des Américains face à certaines différences culturelles, notamment - mais pas que - dans l'alimentation. Lucy Knisley était encore très jeune au moment où elle a rédigé "French milk", et ça se sent: je n'y ai pas trouvé le recul ou la faculté d'analyse dont elle fait preuve dans "Délices". Au lieu de ça, la jeune femme pas encore diplômée de sa prestigieuse école d'art s'inquiète pour son avenir et passe son temps à râler sur tout et rien (un effort d'adaptation réussi à la culture française!). J'ai tout de même lu "French milk" avec un plaisir certain.

A lovely simple drawing style and simple cute annecdotes. The only bit I didn't like was when she talks about all the food she ate. It's in black and white, most of it looks like abstract swirls, I know it was major part of the trip but it didn't really enhance the story.

Malgré les clichés parisiens de ce livre (titre de l'œuvre oblige), Lucy Knisley a toujours une plume séduisante et des dessins agréables à regarder ... c'est un coup de cœur !

This book is really neat, a story that shows how perception changes through travel. I really liked the fact that she talked about everything through her characters, from the mundane to the marvelous and everything in between. This is truly a story that is worth exploring!