The Art of Sleeping Alone
Why One French Woman Suddenly Gave Up Sex
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Sophie Fontanel, bestselling novelist and iconic editor of French Elle, tells the provocative story of her decision to stop having sex—a choice that profoundly changed her view of herself and her place in the world.
At the age of twenty-seven, after many years of having (and, for the most part, enjoying) an active sex life, beloved French author, journalist, editor, and fashion blogger Sophie Fontanel decided she wanted to take a break. Despite having it all—a glamorous job, plenty of dates and boyfriends, stylish clothes, and endless parties to attend—she still wasn’t happy, and found herself wanting more. She chose to give up her sex life, and in so doing shocked all of her friends and colleagues. What she discovers about herself is truly liberating and raises a number of questions about the expectations of the society in which we live. As she experiences being the only non-coupled one at dinner parties, weekend getaways, and summer vacations, she muses inspiringly on what it means to find happiness and fulfillment alone.
Provocative and illuminating, The Art of Sleeping Alone, which spent eight weeks on the bestseller list in France, offers advice on love and sex while challenging modern-day conventions of marriage and motherhood, making this an ideal read for anyone who has chosen to do things a little differently.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The first of Fontanel's seven books to be translated into English, this memoir-in-fragments from French Elle's longtime editor has been publicized as the tale of "why one French woman gave up sex." Yet the book is less "why" and more "what." Fontanel's narrative reads like a series of long-distance phone calls made every few weeks. In her touching, solipsistic state, every encounter becomes an opportunity to return to the self. A trip to Hydra to stay with friends (and their children) gives her an opportunity to perform a recital of mothering. A memory of her father's cousin suggests that if "the love of God is in itself a form of hedonism," the love of self can be a form of godliness. This being an inspection (or introspection) of her foray into celibacy a word she rejects (along with "chastity," "abstinence," and "asexuality"), opting instead for "singularity" fashion lovers may be disappointed in the dearth of clothes: a pair of flat-heeled boots is the only name-dropped article. More central is Fontanel's lifestyle. From a sensual massage in Goa to dining alone at a Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall in the Marais, her regime is a sumptuous escape.
