Scan barcode
A review by lattelibrarian
Idéal Standard by Aude Picault
4.0
"We can't have a baby if I want."
And thus is the crux of Claire's problems with her relationship. She begins by being desperately single, wanting nothing more than to consummate the relationship, marriage, and family of her dreams. She understands it'll take work, but she has no problem cooking and having sex and living with somebody else. Until she does cook and have sex and lives with somebody else--Franck, that is, who is a veritable manchild.
He views her not as somebody who knocked him off his feet, but as somebody he's content with. He doesn't mind the cooking or the sex or the cleaning. So it's perfect for him. But for Claire? Not so much. The shelf she always bumps her arm into never gets fixed. She never orgasms. And she's always the one hosting and cleaning and trying to make the relationship work. She loves Franck, sure, but at what cost?
When she accidentally gets pregnant, it should be a happy time. The time to have a serious conversation and perhaps even move her relationship forward to something more serious than just living together. But when he says she can keep it "if she wants", that's when things noticeably turn sour--and for a good cause. Everything so far has been "if she wants", and nothing has been about them. So Claire realizes what the audience has known for a long time: Franck isn't worth shit. She's cute, funny, and has a job that is both stressful and hugely rewarding. And what does Franck offer her? Little to nothing. Claire, like all women, deserve somebody who is truly worth their salt.
Illustrated with minimal colors and an adorable cartoon style, Idéal Standard, similar to Josephine (though in a much more serious tone), suggests that what many women want is truly worth waiting for. It doesn't matter the family pressure or friend pressure or personal pressure--wait for the right time and the right person. Even if you don't want to. It suggests that by yourself, you are confident and strong and funny and beautiful, and you don't need somebody by your side to make you feel that way.
Idéal Standard is a testament to the female reality of growing older--and growing up.
Review cross-listed here!
And thus is the crux of Claire's problems with her relationship. She begins by being desperately single, wanting nothing more than to consummate the relationship, marriage, and family of her dreams. She understands it'll take work, but she has no problem cooking and having sex and living with somebody else. Until she does cook and have sex and lives with somebody else--Franck, that is, who is a veritable manchild.
He views her not as somebody who knocked him off his feet, but as somebody he's content with. He doesn't mind the cooking or the sex or the cleaning. So it's perfect for him. But for Claire? Not so much. The shelf she always bumps her arm into never gets fixed. She never orgasms. And she's always the one hosting and cleaning and trying to make the relationship work. She loves Franck, sure, but at what cost?
When she accidentally gets pregnant, it should be a happy time. The time to have a serious conversation and perhaps even move her relationship forward to something more serious than just living together. But when he says she can keep it "if she wants", that's when things noticeably turn sour--and for a good cause. Everything so far has been "if she wants", and nothing has been about them. So Claire realizes what the audience has known for a long time: Franck isn't worth shit. She's cute, funny, and has a job that is both stressful and hugely rewarding. And what does Franck offer her? Little to nothing. Claire, like all women, deserve somebody who is truly worth their salt.
Illustrated with minimal colors and an adorable cartoon style, Idéal Standard, similar to Josephine (though in a much more serious tone), suggests that what many women want is truly worth waiting for. It doesn't matter the family pressure or friend pressure or personal pressure--wait for the right time and the right person. Even if you don't want to. It suggests that by yourself, you are confident and strong and funny and beautiful, and you don't need somebody by your side to make you feel that way.
Idéal Standard is a testament to the female reality of growing older--and growing up.
Review cross-listed here!