All reviews are written by members of The H2G2 Bookworm's Club. We hope this review is helpful, and that we'll see you airing your views at the Club soon.

I'm always a little wary of books that are up for awards and get great reviews. All too often, I get my hopes up too high and the book, while good, is a bit of a disappointment. Not so Elegance.

The plot centres around Louise Canova, an American trapped in a dull marriage, to a dull, possibly homosexual actor, and with (yes, you've guessed it) a dull wardrobe. That is, until Louise, a devotee of second hand bookshops, discover's 'A Guide to Elegance' by Madame Genevieve Antoine Dariaux.

Written in the 1960s, Elegance is an old-fashioned yet timely guide to looking and behaving elegantly. Louise takes the book on board as a sort of self help manual, and sets about transforiming herself, with brilliant results. Along the way, she discovers that looking the part may help you achieve happiness, but it is friendship and true love that really enrich your life.

As someone who wishes to be elegant (I'm going through a bit of an Audrey Hepburn phase at the moment), this novel is perfect. Delicately balancing romance with true meaning and a little drama, it is a 'feel good' story that never decends into slushiness. Louise is a well-rounded character, and memories of her less-than-wonderful childhood help provide motivation for her mixed up state.

As an extra treat, Madame Dariaux is a real person, and her guide has been re-released. Portions of her A-Z of elegance head each chapter of Tessaro's novel, neatly weaving the reader into the plot. While some of the suggested clothes are a little old fashioned (there appears to be a particular emphasis on crocodile handbags), the advice is sound. I especially liked the bit about engagement rings, namely, that the diamond should be large and from Cartier, Tiffany's or Asprey's.

So, I'm off to buy a cashmere jumper to keep out the spring chill, and I'll keep you updated on the search for my Tiffany ring buyer...

The Bookworm Club Review Archive

Review written by Pinwheel Pearl

19.02.04 Front Page

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