Rating: 
Summary: Complete waste of my time!!
Review: Please, don't spend your time or money on this book. I struggled through waiting for the plot twist that would lead to the point of this book. It never came. The characters were vague and so underdeveloped that I couldn't quite decide who was likeable and who wasn't. Even the ending was unsatisfying. It ended so abruptly that at first I thought maybe I was missing the last chapter. This is the first and last book I purchase by this author!
Rating: 
Summary: Isabelle Archer Lives!
Review: Thank you, Diane Johnson, for being a true heiress to Henry James. When clueless Amy meets a cross-section of European, Paris-centric, upperish-crusted, slef-promoters, she shows both brash courage at sticking to her principals of mutual aid, and an open curiosity at how to, if not fit in, then at least not stick out. Unfortunately, her principals and new wealth always make her stick out, bringing into question what American generosity and world-involvement really are and lining her path of good intentions with one corpse and a number of disappointments from those depending on her. If there's a flaw, it's in the unexplored character of the novel's surprise villain -- but when an author is juggling at least eight points-of-view as seamlessly as Johnson is here, well...I for one am in a forgiving mood even if it means a miss on perfection.
Brava!
Rating:
Summary: terrible book
Review: The writing itself was plain sloppy, and boring. She went into way too many details about things that didn't really matter. Her characters were weak, at best. And the format of her writing was just distracting, as she speaks in many voices... most often from a 3rd removed person, stating facts, like it was some sort of recipie. Just plain horrible... save your money...
Rating: 
Summary: A great follow up in the LeDivorce series
Review: This book follows Johnson's Le Divorce and Le Mariage. Like the first two, it is set in France with both French and American characters. I believe that of the three, Le Divorce is the strongest. However, this book was a strong second. The story plot lines wove together wonderfully and the cultural discussions and misunderstandings are hysterical. Very enjoyable.
From the author of The Difference Now, A New Dish, and At the Coffee Shop.
Rating:
Summary: Slow.....
Review: This book was very slow-moving, and did very little to grasp my attention, and even less to hold it. The beginning started off alright- great setting, interesting descriptions which gave the reader an indication of upcoming conflicts...but wow did this book drag!!! I read three other books in the time it took me to read this one. Even when I was down to the last ten pages, I couldn't sit still long enough to see how it ended, and just waited until I had enough energy to stay awake for the last chapter. This book was a tedious read. I am a fan of Diane Johnson and was more than disappointed with this novel. The characters were either loathesome or poorly developed, and while the setting was ideal as the backdrop of a great story, the almost non-existent plot was dragged out for about 200 pages too many. Either this book needed to be one hundred pages long, or it needed a bit more excitement to keep me interested.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Entertaining Read!
Review: This has been my favorite story by Ms. Johnson so far. L'Affaire combines witty characters, fun locations, and an interesting storyline. Ms. Johnson's books really read like soap opera's which is why I'm drawn to them. This has been one of her better books, with characters that are not too obnoxious and very little American bashing. For a fun way to spend a weekend you can't go wrong with this novel.
Rating:
Summary: The best so far
Review: Throughly enjoyable! I liked it the best of Johnson's three "French" novels. The characters are compelling -- a teenage boy suddenly stuck with his baby nephew to care for, an English brother and sister, an American dot-com millionaire heroine, and a host of others. A riveting story of inheritance, passion and cultural clashes, kept me entertained and absorbed till the last page.
Rating:
Summary: Weak and dissapointing
Review: While I loved Le Divorce and also Persian Nights by Ms. Johnson, I was disappointed with her newest book, L'Affaire. It reads like supermarket-style frosting -- too sweet and with a forced waxy aftertaste. The characters are flat, the story line is predictable, and the ending is a flop. In previous writing, Ms. Johnson has exhibited, with great talent and comedy, insight into the cross-cultural differences of American-European cultures; yet the theme and style of L'Affaire seems closer to a hackneyed PR push for money and fame than great story telling.
Rating: 
Summary: Plodding and dull
Review: While the editorial reviews called this book witty, I found it plodding and tiresome. For someone who calls herself an expert on all things French, Diane Johnson makes a surprising number of errors in French: she says "l'esprit de l'escalier" for "l'esprit d'escalier," "bisque d'homard" for "bisque de homard," "j'aime Coca-Cola" for "j'aime le coca," "un poet" for "un poète," and leaves the accent off "réveillez-vous" and the x off "tarte aux pommes." By the way, I'm American.
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