"--if ever there was an unnecessary tense it was the French subjunctive."

having just now read this, and not having any desire to learn French per se, I wonder if someone could explain, in English, what this statement alludes to?

This statement is just someone's. Someone who does not like the
subjunctive, but much in language is not per se necessary. It just gives a nuance to something said or written. Most often a indication a wish, a hope, a possibility.

Un bon repas avec un peu de musique et c'est noel. ... à moins qu' il me fasse un bon apéro....

A good meal with a bit of music and that's christmas. ... if at least he will make me a good apéro... ( apératif ) what is the English word for apératif?
A drink and some goodies before a meal?

>Un bon repas avec un peu de musique et c'est noel. ... à moins qu' il me fasse un bon apéro.

see, now this is precisely why I asked for English responses!

See translation please. I've been editing my head off. (smily smile)

thanx. now, why do you suppose Kate Atkinson, a Scottish(?) novelist, chose to, parenthetically, opine thusly?

edit: while I'm at it, here's a link to Atkinson

link to Atkinson

She may be a Scottish kvetch. I don't see the relation between this opinion and the apparently all English books she writes. Looks like nice mystery books.

"--if ever there was an unnecessary tense it was the French subjunctive."

Not to be pedantic, but the subjunctive is a mood, not a tense. Everybody's of the opinion that their language is the most efficacious and succinct when it comes to grammar. People opine thus when they are exposed to a new language and have to learn its idiosyncrasies.

yes, this much is obvious, even to me. I was just wondering what the basis might be, if any, for picking on the French subjunctive, notwithstanding any misidentification.

Maybe she is unable to figure out how it works and so has declared it pointless? (I did much the same thing but with the whole French language when I learnt it at school. To this day all I can say is Je suis morte and J'ai une grenouille which is not very helpful at all)

pour moi: je ne sais pas.

Ooops! Sorry...the first one means I am dead and the second means I have a frog neither of which would come in useful. Ever.