My Moveable Feast
As some of you may know, my wife and I have temporarily moved to Paris, where I'll be conducting highly secret research for my next project, and where she'll be working on a writing project of her own while on sabbatical. I brought with me Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, which I first read in college, and loved. It's not his best book, surely, but it's richly evocative of a very compelling time. Truly, it's the literary equivalent of Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.
I'm reading it in small bursts, rationing it, because it's such a delight to be here in Hemingway's city, reading about his walks and encounters. We're a block east of his beloved Jardin du Luxembourg, where my wife and I walk at least once every day. Many of the places he loved are still here, remarkably. Tomorrow, for example, I plan to stroll past Gertrude Stein's building, at 27 rue de Fleurus, west of the park in the swanky Sixth Arrondisement. The other day we stopped at Shakespeare and Company, and browsed the shelves along with numerous hipsters and their French equivalent, bobo's.
Anyone have any suggestions for another highly evocative Paris book, for when I'm done with this? (BTW, I'm also reading the Paris stories of Mavis Gallant.)
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I really loved Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count.I suggest reading it while sitting near the tower.
I enjoyed Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon and The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough.
I thought Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosney was pretty good.
What about some F Scott Fitzgerald? There must be a short story he wrote that took place in Paris. Sorry, can't think off hand.
I also enjoyed The Moveable Feast. Wonderful book !
I found Alan Furst's Mission to Paris a wonderful look at the city just prior to WWII. The flavor of the city was very much a part of the story.
I agree on Sarah's Key. It has a similar 'how can this be happening' arc as Beasts. Unless you're burned out on WWII after writing yours, that is.
If you're looking for something 19th century, but excellent, I'd highly recommend Balzac's Lost Illusions.
I agree on Sarah's Key as well. The author lives in Paris!!!!!
Don't forget Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame!!!!! Well worth reading again now that you are there.
I just read two of the Century Trilogies by Ken Follett. While not just about Paris, the reflections of WWI and WWII involve Paris and France. You can friend me on Goodreads and read my reviews.
I'd love to make it back where I could really explore the city at my leisure. Going with a bunch of 16 year old French students is fun, but seeing Italy a few years later at my own pace was far more enjoyable. Enjoy your research! For we historical buffs, it's easy to get lost in it. That's the best part!
Maigret mysteries by Georges Simenon are quite evocative. Not all the stories are set in Paris, but the ones that are have that film noir feel.
I can HIGHLY recommend "Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation: A History of Literary Paris in the Twenties and Thirties" by Noel Riley Fitch. Wonderfully engrossing and you get bonus points for being in Paris while you're reading it. Her bookstore is still there so make sure you go!
I just moved to Paris as well! Perhaps we could imitate Hemingway & Co. by having a café sometime! :-p
Is Paris Burning? by Collins and Lapierre. An extremely well-researched account of the German occupation of Paris during WWII.
Edmund White's The Flaneur--a beautiful stroll through the City of Light. I highly recommend it!
Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon for sure, and McCullough's Americans in Paris as well as Julie Orringer's first nove, The Invisible Bridge, for a Hungarian student perspective, pre-WWII.
The House I Loved: Tatiana de RosnayNovel written about how people's lives were effected by the tearing down of old Paris to make room for the grand boulevards. Just reading it now.
A fitting companion to "A Moveable Feast" is "The Autobiography of Alice B.Toklas," in which Gertrude Stein draws first blood in their public duel. Other candidates: "Paris, Paris," lovely essays by Goodreads author David Downie. And if you're not too steeped in history, "The Seven Ages of Paris," by Alistair Horne. My copy came from Shakespeare & Co. so you could find it there!
Erik, It's not new, but Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Berbery was superb. Almost as good as your books - of which I'm an ardent fan. Have a great time in Paris.
I love Irene Nemirovsky. I particularly like Suite Francesca. While fiction, this book is loosely based on and was written during WWII in Paris.
Hi - Love your project! Can't wait for the results of your research....
You may find this book a bit pedestrian, but a quick read nonetheless.."The Paris Wife", about Hemingway's time in Paris as told by his first wife. It's also a bit "Midnight in Paris" as well.
And, the books mentioned in previous posts are on my list "to read". Enjoy your trip!
Laura Lee wrote: "What about some F Scott Fitzgerald? There must be a short story he wrote that took place in Paris. Sorry, can't think off hand."yes! It's "Tender is the Night" a quintessential Fitzgerald in Paris in the 20's.
Woody Allen knew what he was doing!
Have you seen Walks in Hemingway's Paris by Noel Riley Fitch? The subtitle is A Guide to Paris for the Literary Traveler. And it is! There are walks to take, with all kinds of great information about where writers lived, allusions to places mentioned in books by Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and others, etc., along with little maps and some photos. It's wonderful.
You're a history lover, so I have to recommend "Is Paris Burning?" -- though I wouldn't be surprised if you're already familiar with it.
I was just in Paris in April, and found reading "A Movable Feast" at the Place Saint-Sulpice (which is not far from you) to be a perfect experience. Hemingway loved the fountain, as did I. If it's too cold, the cafe across the street has heated/covered tables.
Can't wait to find out the topic of your latest research!