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    Elegance
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    Elegance
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    Elegance
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    Elegance

    Written by Kathleen Tessaro

    Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    An enchanting novel brimming with poignancy, humour, enchantment and insight, this is a stunning debut. Imagine an Audrey Hepburn film in the present day…

    It was a slim, grey volume entitled Elegance…

    Louise Canova is at a crossroads in her life. Her marriage is faltering and the insecurities of adolescence have returned to haunt her. Browsing in a second-hand bookshop, she stumbles across a faded grey volume. Written by the formidable French fashion expert, Madame Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, Elegance is an encyclopedia of style. It promises to transform plain women into creatures of poise at all times. And from Accessories to Zippers, there is nothing that Madame Dariaux can’t advise upon – including inattentive husbands, false friends, and the powerful bond between mothers and daughters.

    When Louise vows to follow Madame’s advice, her life is transformed in ways she never imagined. Within the book’s pages lie clues to her own past. And as she begins to unravel them, she discovers a courage she never dreamt possible.

    However, everything, even elegance, has its price.

    Starting with A and finishing with Z, Elegance is a unique journey of timeless fashion, true friendship, and the rare, unexpected gift of love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 23, 2015
    ISBN9780008141615
    Unavailable
    Elegance
    Author

    Kathleen Tessaro

    Kathleen Tessaro is the author of Elegance, Innocence, The Flirt, The Debutante, The Perfume Collector, and Rare Objects. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and son.

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    Reviews for Elegance

    3.5/5

    249 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      I wish I could remember where I read a short blurb about this book that intrigued me enough to purchase a copy to read. I don't know what I expected but I just didn't expect what I read. The reading of this novel was quite a disappointment so would have enjoyed going back to read the blurb again that originally caught my attention to figure out the attraction.
    • 2/5
      I wish I could remember where I read a short blurb about this book that intrigued me enough to purchase a copy to read. I don't know what I expected but I just didn't expect what I read. The reading of this novel was quite a disappointment so would have enjoyed going back to read the blurb again that originally caught my attention to figure out the attraction.
    • 3/5
      This is definitely chick-lit, but funny chick-lit. It's not anything new but I enjoyed it thoroughly and laughed out loud. It's also full of great fashion advice.

      In most modern books, movies, etc. people state what losers they are and describe their bad behavior with no shame. This is supposed to be OK somehow, as if your faults are forgiven if you point them out yourself, and and it's even cute since "we all do it". The difference in this book is the main character learns from her mistakes, and actually changes. Isn't that what's supposed to happen in stories, and in real life?
    • 3/5
      Haven't we all, at times, wished someone would just give us some rules for living that would relieve us from the need to make sensible decisions for ourselves? In a dated used book store "find" titled "Elegance," Louise believes she may have found just such a guide. Her marriage is failing, her job is not challenging and her sense of self is reeling as she tries to make over her own life. There are some delightful touches of humor here, blended with pathos and an understanding of how difficult and complex life can be in the 21st Century.
    • 4/5
      I liked this story. It was unusal as it was written as a book based on a book.The story basically follows a dowdy woman in an unhappy marriage who finds a book called Elegance, written by a Parisian style guru from another era. We follow the main characters life as she ditches her saggy joggers and husband for more stylish clothing and friends, whilst also looking for the right man. The storyline was fun to read, but the stylish hints were also handy, making this even more enjoyable. I may even try to find the book that inspired this story.
    • 5/5
      Louise is a 32 year old living in London with a closet full of shapeless brown garments, romance-free marriage and a job where nobody even notices she exists. One day at a second-hand book store she finds a slim volume entitled Elegance and decides to regain control of her life. I don't keep books. In fact, I've decided to read everything in my book case and not buy anything new unless the library doesn't have what I want. And on the rare occasion that I do decide to keep a book it's because I've absolutely fallen in love with it. Guess what, about 3/4 of the way through I knew that this one is a keeper. It hit all the right notes with its combination of humor and sadness, realism, insightfulness and beautiful writing. The language fit with the story, the characters were alive and relatable, Louise's best friends felt like your own best friends, when she succeeded to cheer and in the end it left me with a smile on my face. What can be better?
    • 2/5
      makes you want to toss out your cargo pants and turn elegant too. great tips and the push to be more feminine and special. But why she picked a guys at the end who didn't care about being elegant after she left her husband because of that ( besides that he turned gay) is beyond me. And if the husband actually was guy, he would have had a better opinion about her change.
    • 3/5
      I don't like the very standard chick-lit, but Kathleen Tessaro writes very well. Elegance is funny and a nice read in between. I can easily see this book made into a funny and better than average chick-flick.
    • 3/5
      A well-written, escapist romance with clever dialogue and a sympathetic heroine. Many contemporary romance authors could take lessons from Kathleen Tessaro.
    • 3/5
      Happy ending.
    • 5/5
      I found this account of a woman finding herself with the aid of a mid-twentieth century Parisian style guide to be warm, funny, and credible. That the heroine is also an expat American in London made me wonder which elements might be autobiographical but mostly I was sucked into the woman's journey out of a hopeless marriage.
    • 4/5
      Classic story of a woman seeking change in her appearance and life ending up with a lot more than she bargained for. Great writing.
    • 3/5
      Amusing story set in London. Inspired me to buy Elegance, the book that inspired the novel.
    • 5/5
      One woman's voyage of self-discovery fraught with love, loss, and low self-esteem spurred by a little book on elegance. Depressed and dowdy housewife Louise Canova finds a slim volume on elegance in a second-hand bookshop and resolves to turn her life around. As she sheds her old lifestyle, she discovers that looking the part is only half the battle. Protagonist Louise must deal with toxic friendships, a failed marriage, and her own deep-rooted childhood insecurities and neuroses; this version of Bridget Jones entertains greater depth and more character development. As her exterior look evolves, Louise deals with a latent eating-disorder, a perpetually depressing therapist, and a loss of comforting self-identity that leaves the protagonist whirling through several personality changes that end in something resembling happiness. The writing style is a curious blend of middle class Britishism tempered by classic French aesthetics as pages from Louise’s secondhand copy of “Elegance” are scattered throughout the book. The frank look at the intersection of gender and culture is less than kind at times but never facetious as the female protagonist works her way through its impact on her life. Half a star for occasional gender stereotyping.
    • 3/5
      I liked the heroine's progression in this book. Her husband realizes he's gay and leaves her. In her depression she discovered the book, Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux her guide to self improvement.Her begeoning sence of style allows her to discover her inner worth. She is then able to find her real love and true happiness.Now I want to read "Elegant" the how to guide that inspired this novel
    • 4/5
      It's funny. Light. Good for brainless reading. Cute, really.
    • 2/5
      Fitting in is for school girls. Being differeing is not a crime, my dear, but an asset."
    • 4/5
      I was surprised at how much I liked this. I like how the author used bits of another book and used them to flesh out (somewhat) the story of her life/past.