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Wednesday, 14 May 2008 |
Dear Editor,
Re Clair Whitmer’s ‘US Guys’ column (April
issue), author Winston Graham concluded his
‘Poldark’ series of novels with ‘The Twisted
Sword set in the 100 days’ (published 1990).
In Chapter Five he observes, “I often wonder
why the French have the face to speak of
‘Perfide Albion’. No one could be more
perfidious that the French, especially when
dealing with each other!”
Having lived in France for 16 years, I
have learned the sad truth that the French
generally don’t like one another. I have come
to realise what the greatest difference
between the British and French is.In Britain,
no matter how gloomy things are looking, or
how tough things get, we still know how to
take it on the chin and still enjoy life. The
French do not. Instead they close their
shutters and take their woes, resentments
and frustrations out on one another.
I’ve learned that the quality of life for the
French isn’t at all as good as we foreigners
believe it to be. I understand why our
neighbours have laughed when I’ve enthused
about Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. The sad
truth is that everyday life in France is greatly
over-rated.
Mike Alexander,
Languedoc-Roussillon
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