Walks in Hemingway's Paris: A Guide to Paris for the Literary Traveler

by Noël Riley Fitch

Walks in Hemingway's Paris is the perfect travel companion to the most romantic and fascinating of cities for those who want to experience Paris beyond the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Covering all the area of Paris that Hemingway and his fellow expatriates once roamed from Left Bank to Right, Noel Riley Fitch provides an intimate visit to major Parisian landmarks as well as to out-of-the-way cafes, hotels and residences immortalized by "Papa" and his friends.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, France

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Noël Riley Fitch is a biographer and historian of expatriate intellectuals in Paris in the first half of the 20th century. Every book Fitch has written has some connection with Paris and the artists who lived and worked there, including her biographies of Sylvia Beach, Anaïs Nin, and Julia Child.

In June 2011 Noël was awarded the prestigious Prix de la Tour Montparnasse literary award in France for the French translation of hers widely acclaimed 1983 book ‘Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation’. Her book Appetite for Life The Biography of Julia Child was written with Mrs. Child’s full cooperation and exclusive authorization. Publishers Weekly said the book is written 'warmly and compellingly’, and Kirkus Reviews called its details “exquisite” and the story “exhaustively researched, and charming.” Entertainment Weekly also named it number five of the ten best books of the year.

Noël recently retired from teaching writing and literature courses for the University of Southern California and the American University in Paris. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, Paris, and New York City.

Reviews

[Denise Sande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative. I like a good map.

[*Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is self explanatory for the type of reader who would love this book, since it centers around the locales featured in writings by well-known authors, especially those who lived in Paris in the 1920s. It is sectioned out as separate walks through Paris neighborhoods with much information about who lived where throughout the years and/or historical or literary happenings for each site.

Featuring the "Lost Generation" writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, etc. there is so much backstory not only behind the locations the author highlights but behind the authors themselves. Some of them were very gossipy and, Hemingway especially, could be vindictive and backbiting. He was not kind to his friends, often those who helped him either financially or with crucial networking. He would cut them down by portraying them negatively as characters in his books (he lost friends over his portrayal of them in The Sun Also Rises) or by writing outright satire of their work, i.e. Hemingway's The Torrents of Spring was a parody of Sherwood Anderson's Dark Laughter.

The author does a great job of describing your walk, so much so that this would be great in audio format so that you could feel like you have her along as your tour guide. This would be made even better if it were updated in a more colorful format to compete with other more eye-catching travel guides. I followed along and pulled images from the internet to get a better sense of what she was describing. The black and white photos detract from the quality of the writing, which is a shame. I do hope a new updated edition is published.

Although it is small, it packs a lot of information. This is a very interesting read.

[Marlies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this years ago by my sister-in-law for our honeymoon trip to Paris. I just reread it in Paris, and left it in my brother-in-law's new apartment there. As a housewarming gift, we started his Paris/France library. It is a little long in detail, but very good nonetheless.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for someone who wants to walk in the footsteps of Hemingway as well as other expatriates who lived in Paris in the 1920's. The book takes you through the streets on both the Right and Left Banks. It points out many interesting sights and tells you stories associated with these places. I do not even remember where I got my copy but, unfortunately the pictures are dark and some maps are hard to read. It still was a very enjoyable read for anyone who is as fascinated by this era as I am.

[Antti Tähtinen]

Chasing the magic of the past — and doubly so: printed fifty years after Hemingway’s time in Paris, and read another ~fifty years later. Only in a handful of cities could a travel guide from 1989 be still very relevant. 😅

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great step-by-step guide to Hemingway and other members of the Paris ex-pat scene. Offers several different walking tours. The only significant negative is the terribly dark, almost useless, photos that were included. The publisher should be ashamed of that.

[Doris Raines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. I. Read. This. Book.

[Lloyd Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitch is a good guide to walking around Paris. Really good for following Jake Barnes from bar to bar and cafe to cafe when he’s in Paris, too.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to get back to Paris and actually take some of these walks.