Reading this book which showcases Guy de Maupassant and Emile Zola between the same covers as Anna Gavalda is a real treat. It is a little like opting for a tasting menu in a Michelin-starred restaurant, where the chef decides to tease and please your palate with his choices. The short stories are probably not selected with an end game in mind which is just as well because there is a range of flavours from a suburbian woman seeking real pleasure to a young Parisian woman seeking to be chic.
The places where the stories happened are meticulously marked on a map of Paris arrondisements at the back of the book, complete with a map of the Metro - quirky touches which make the book even more interesting.
Some stories however you are better off reading in French, such as Maupassant and Gavalda, both of which write in a sinuous tone, if that were feasible, which cannot be replicated in translations however faithful. But better to read in English than not to read them at all. Hence 4 stars but a great collection to buy.
