 Irene admired Julien Gracq and devoted a short essay to him in 2001 titled "Julien Gracq et la Bretagne" (Gracq and Brittany).Her enthusiasm for the art of living is also noted in, for example, "Le bonheur de faire l'amour dans sa cuisine et vice-versa" (The joy of making love in the kitchen and vice versa) (2004).She is also known for a strong taste for tales, as in "Contes du Cheval bleu les jours de grand vent" (Tales of the Blue Horse on windy days) (1980), republished and edited under the title "Le Navire de l'homme triste et autres contes marins" (The Ship of sad men and other marine tales) (2010), "La Fée Chocolat" (1995), and "Le Roi des Chats" (The King of Cats) (1996).