The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard

August 17, 2020
French novelist Pourriol makes his English-language debut with a disappointing study of the elusive state of ease. For Pourriol, “ease,” or effortlessness, is enigmatic, and, unfortunately, his observations on it are frustratingly contradictory. For instance, achieving a state of grace (or to be “in the zone”) will remain elusive to anyone who tries, pays attention, rehearses, or even thinks about it; and yet one has to train, work smart, and put in “10,000 hours” of practice to become successful at it. Repetitive lessons are extrapolated from the experience of tightrope walkers (to take the first step you must be sure of the last), deep-sea divers, and hypnotists (“elementary dreaming can make effort easy”), as well as the works of Emile “Alain” Chartier, Rene Descartes, and Jean-Paul Sartre. Pourriol’s oversimplified deduction that ease is achieved when one is not thinking is best exemplified by an anecdote about actor Gérard Depardieu, who claim that he acts best when reciting lines in a foreign language he doesn’t know. A later chapter, meanwhile, consists of a retelling of one of Pourriol’s tutoring sessions that devolves into a rambling lecture and summation of the book’s core tenets. Perhaps the recommendation to not try so hard to gain understanding will be of use to readers when trying to parse this unconvincing guide.

September 4, 2020

Americans love the allure of Paris and everything French. In a year of struggle and travel bans, owing to COVID-19, which makes it impossible for Americans to visit France, this title comes at a perfect time. In his first book translated into English, Paris-based philosopher Pourriol takes a compelling look at the French attitude toward making things look easy. According to the author, "effortlessness is quite an art, maybe even the height of art. It's the hardest thing in the world." Borrowing from a mixture of philosophers, artists, actors, and athletes, most of them French, Pourriol shows how this can be achieved in different areas of life. He draws heavily from the works of the radical pacifist philosopher known as "Alain," providing an undercurrent of how this approach to life also brings happiness. Pourriol set out to write a readable "airport book," and he has succeeded. This translation flows well thanks to the seemingly effortless work of Stevenson. VERDICT For lovers of all things French, but also for those who enjoy philosophy and self-help books that discuss working "smarter, not harder."--Holly Hebert, Middle Tennessee State Univ., Murfreesboro

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