Petite Anglaise [Paperback]

Petite Anglaise is a memoir by Catherine Sanderson based on her blog of the same name. In 2004, on a whim, Catherine decided to start up a blog about a thirty-something British woman living in Paris. A year after she started the blog in 2005, she left her then-partner Mr Frog (with whom she had Tadpole) for a commenter on her blog. Then in 2006 she got dumped, dooced (fired from her job because she mentioned it in her blog) and outed but landed a bookdeal. Thus, Petite Anglaise.

When I started the book I wondered how on Earth I'm supposed to review a non-fiction book. I still don't know so I'm going to wing it! I apologise if my review causes offence, and there's a good chance it might, but I have to be honest and admit: I really disliked Catherine and thus, I really can't say I enjoyed the book.

It was interesting is as much as I enjoyed Catherine's honesty. I didn't like what she did but I admired her honesty. Apart from that I didn't like Petite Anglaise at all. Catherine was just too difficult to warm to - she came across selfish and very self-absorbed. Her treatment of Mr Frog and Tadpole really wasn't great. I couldn't have cared less if her relationship was failing, she should have broke it off before having her affair with James. The way she and James got together was beyond belief. She met him online in the comments of her blog - it sounds so unreal.

There also didn't seem to be much between James and Catherine in relation to their relationship. Sure they talked about what they might do but it never really seemed as if anything would come of it. (And ultimately, it didn't.) I was with Mr Frog when he said that all James had to do was to say the things Catherine wanted to hear. Even when Catherine was with James she still came across selfish when James couldn't be with her (like their day at the beach - they all went out and still she wasn't happy!) She also started picking faults with James as well saying he'd worn jeans she hated to meet her friends. I mean, come on!

What I'd really like to know is why Catherine said she'd like to do the book because many people would pick this up having not read the blog (like me, I'd heard of the blog but never read it) and would think, like I did, that Catherine comes across as really unlikeable. I also wonder about it's true story intentions as most of the dialogue seemed corny and stilted. It seemed fake, and filler for the book, rather than actual conversations had taken place. Catherine's friend Amy confused me - generally when people are cheated on they don't condone someone else cheating yet Amy seemed perfectly fine with it. The cover screams chick lit which in my opinion is false advertising. Some would pick it up expecting a light and fluffy read and what Catherine does is not light and fluffy! I really wouldn't recommend reading this unless maybe you enjoy the blog...

I am not sure what other reviewers expected from this book but surely anything autobiographical is going to be about that person's life and thoughts? If the author is being honest then their actions and thoughts are not going to be palatable to everyone reading the book. To me this is warts and all autobiography and far better than sanitised versions that are often published.

Catherine does not attempt to justify her thoughts or actions. She does listen when other people criticise her - e.g. her friend Amy telling her that she has been very self-centred and unobservant of what other people are going through. She is aware she is hurting Mr Frog, but knows he is unhappy with the relationship as well. I think it is just part of the human condition to become bored with long term relationships and to want to escape. Life can sometimes seem to be the same day after day. Some people stay with the situation, others choose to bail out - it is a personal decision.

We only learn of our effect on other people as we get older - it is not something which is easy to learn. Perhaps she should have realised her relationship with James was doomed, but it is so easy to get caught up in the excitement and not see it for what it is.

I found this book interesting and enjoyable. If the author had presented herself as perfect I would probably have given up on it. Her failings make her more interesting not less. Set aside your pre-conceptions and read this as an example of the blog to book phenomenon.

I'm afraid I have to join the people who were disappointed with this book. For me, it illustrates the point that writing novels and blogging are totally different arts, and just because you write a successful blog does not mean you can write a decent novel. The narrator comes across as unbelievably self-absorbed and, as a mother of two, I just shudder to see the way the baby girl in the story is treated as a background prop in the mother's romantic and sexual adventures. The truth is that,if the author had not achieved a great deal of publicity over the dramatic events in her life/blog, this novel would probably not have been published but if it had, almost certainly would have gone unnoticed.