Why are we so drawn to the "French" way of life? How can we learn the mythical joie de vivre — the distinctly French ability to enjoy the moment? Journalist, writer, and comedian Viv Groskop has pondered these questions since childhood. Every summer, she traveled to France, diligently learned the language, and dreamed of absorbing a bit of "Frenchness," becoming a little closer to Françoise Sagan — freer and bolder.

Viv gradually discovered other authors who managed to capture the essence of French culture and mentality. Like her previous book, "Self-Improvement Tolstoy Style," "Goodbye, Sadness!" helps to rethink the classics, finding something new and relevant in them.

Behind the humorous and witty facade lie lessons of nostalgia from Proust, altruism from Hugo, psychology from Stendhal, and even a lesson in love for mustaches from Maupassant.