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A review by jemimaslife
My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine by Kate Betts
4.0
I bought 'My Paris Dream' in Australia back in January but I have saved it until now as I wanted to have it fresh in my brain for when I go to Paris in September. I read the entire book on my week-long trip to Paris in June of this year. I whizzed through this read and got through about half of it on the Eurostar over. I did have to pace myself with this book as I had only brought one novel with me on my holiday!
While the pink book cover and the title may make this account seem feminine and bright, in reality the negatives of Betts' life are not sugarcoated at all. The writing is very personal, so much so that it almost makes you feel as if you are intruding into Betts' diary entries. I liked how sincerity was put alongside humour and how the author laughed at her younger self.
Being in a similar position to young Kate Betts, having just left school and on a quest to "find myself", some moments in the novel did frighten me. Betts' comments on how her 'Dream' was not all unicorns and rainbows, documenting her daily struggles and homesickness, worried me a little but I am hugely grateful that she was so honest about her time there.
The fashion side of her story really struck a chord with me. Kate Betts' inside knowledge of the industry fascinated me. I loved how she kept name dropping designers such as Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld as being some of her closest friends. One scene that I particularly liked (and chuckled to myself about!) was Kate Betts' relationship with Christian Louboutin. You'll have to read it for yourself to find out what I mean...
A particular moment that I would like to mention is Betts' account of one of her meetings with Yves Saint Laurent. This scene is so beautifully written, opening up a side to Saint Laurent that you wouldn't know about unless you spoke to someone who knew him personally. I feel that now I have read this book, I know some of fashion's greatest secrets.
I did really enjoy this book but it does not quite make 5 stars in my ratings. 1. I am pretty fussy, I'm not going to lie, and 2. I was disappointed that Betts made it seem like she'd "made it" in life despite only being 51 years old when the book was first published. I felt that she had learned more in her life in Paris than just how to be successful in terms of her career. As the novel progressed, I just found that something didn't quite fit. There is plenty more in life than fashion and career but I guess that's the difference is between a Memoir and an autobiography.
While the pink book cover and the title may make this account seem feminine and bright, in reality the negatives of Betts' life are not sugarcoated at all. The writing is very personal, so much so that it almost makes you feel as if you are intruding into Betts' diary entries. I liked how sincerity was put alongside humour and how the author laughed at her younger self.
Being in a similar position to young Kate Betts, having just left school and on a quest to "find myself", some moments in the novel did frighten me. Betts' comments on how her 'Dream' was not all unicorns and rainbows, documenting her daily struggles and homesickness, worried me a little but I am hugely grateful that she was so honest about her time there.
The fashion side of her story really struck a chord with me. Kate Betts' inside knowledge of the industry fascinated me. I loved how she kept name dropping designers such as Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld as being some of her closest friends. One scene that I particularly liked (and chuckled to myself about!) was Kate Betts' relationship with Christian Louboutin. You'll have to read it for yourself to find out what I mean...
A particular moment that I would like to mention is Betts' account of one of her meetings with Yves Saint Laurent. This scene is so beautifully written, opening up a side to Saint Laurent that you wouldn't know about unless you spoke to someone who knew him personally. I feel that now I have read this book, I know some of fashion's greatest secrets.
I did really enjoy this book but it does not quite make 5 stars in my ratings. 1. I am pretty fussy, I'm not going to lie, and 2. I was disappointed that Betts made it seem like she'd "made it" in life despite only being 51 years old when the book was first published. I felt that she had learned more in her life in Paris than just how to be successful in terms of her career. As the novel progressed, I just found that something didn't quite fit. There is plenty more in life than fashion and career but I guess that's the difference is between a Memoir and an autobiography.