Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste by Carl Wilson

This little book is more than a book about Céline Dion. It is a discourse and meditation on art, aesthetics, taste, and culture generally. It covers much ground in such a small package, and I really would read it again. I recommend it for those of us who question why we like the things we do and why others do the same or not. It’s a book about being open and about being human in culture. It’s about perception, sociology and individuality.

This was another book from Nick Hornby’s column, and I love that we love the same things. Anyway, the premise is that Wilson, a Canadian music critic, wanted to explore the fame of and backlash against Céline Dion. Doing so, he explored how we feel about our art, cultural assumptions and personal taste.

Personally, I am mostly indifferent Céline. I do not really like her English music, and I had one of the worse experiences with restaurant service at her Nickels chain, but I have nothing else against her really. Her existence does not perturb me as a human being so much as war criminals or intolerant people do. I have never really liked how much people have hated her. It seems over the top. As Wilson described, a lot people could not stand her and she became this a symbol of trite and overproduced music. People disliked her without really knowing her and articulating why they disliked her.

As a Canadian like Wilson, I have grown up with Céline in the media, but not being Québécois, I have not been as exposed to her as they are. I do admit my Dad loves the Titanic soundtrack and to my knowledge does play the album at least once a year just for “My Heart Will Go On” which is not fun. I have seen her on Quebec TV singing to Montreal concert goers in French. Her voice and songs are completely different in French. She is much more soulful and that is the

I do think the author understands why Céline is successful. He also how her success is largely attributed to the smart business sense of catering to various cultures: singing their languages, being open, and generally being Canadian abroad. She and Shania Twain seem to share this view of wanting their music to be enjoyed by others, but not putting too much of themselves in it. Still, Céline’s work is full of raw sentimentality and it makes us wonder how that viewed down upon by society . Wilson also conducts interviews with some of her fans which were somewhat interesting, but the core of the novel is the wider discussion of taste.

While writing about Céline’s career, Wilson also discussed musical genres, history, philosophy and more. This part feels a little more dense and serious, but I think he brings up many different perspectives about taste and aesthetics. It was provocative, and I enjoyed this book’s scope.

Read March 2nd-4th 2013.

Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman

First off, I am not a parent, but I am a francophile and I am interested in culture and psychology as well. I quite enjoyed this book as it outlines a few key and interesting things about about French parenting such as (but not limited to):

• setting boundaries
• babies sleeping through the night in a few weeks
• treating children with respect and trust
• baking weekly with children
• the idea that being a mother is not an absolute and one is encouraged to have a life separate from one’s children; the woman and the mom are fused rather than the mom is the only thing.
• achieving balance and not feelingly guilt
• encouraging children to be children and letting them be themselves.
• marriage after kids
• encouraging children to eat vegetables and not be picky eaters

The book also reminded me to read Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Emile at some point. Nothing ever surprises me about the French anymore though. A few things addressed in this book such as the creche and the importance of “Bonjour” was addressed in another insightful book on France that I own Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong.

The book did make me laugh though and make me really think about the role of women in their child’s lives because it addresses authority, guilt, and being a person aside from being a mother. I think it is really important to cultivate a life and identity as a woman that is not just about being a mother. The author is correct in that it is not easy and the French state does make it easier.

Overall, I agree with a lot of the things the author observed and while I am not French, certain tenets of their parenting style were familiar in my own Chinese upbringing: the lack of effusive praise, the emphasis on the woman at work, encouraging kids not to be picky eaters, and having the child be their own person. I was not able to take music lessons or sports growing up, but I had books and an active imagination so this relied heavily one me as a child on self-discovery.

It would be excessive to use this book as a guide or bible to parent children. I did not agree with everything namely the lack violence between children bit and the French view of breast feeding. Though, I was mostly raised on formula so it’s not like it ill equips humans for life.

I do think the book is interesting from a psychological perspective and addresses a lot of issues that many Westerners and anglophone parents have with their children: entitlement, childhood obesity, attachment issues, and guilt. The book also emphasizes the relationships they have with their spouses and partners separate than that of the children. It was an engaging read, but not an ostentatious parenting book. I recommend it to francophiles and people interested in parenting from different cultures.

Read February 23rd to 24th 2013.