What do you think?
Rate this book
The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs
Part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to the people who live and work on a magical street in Paris….
Elaine Sciolino, the former Paris Bureau Chief of the New York Times, invites us on a tour of her favorite Parisian street, offering an homage to street life and the pleasures of Parisian living. “I can never be sad on the rue des Martyrs,” Sciolino explains, as she celebrates the neighborhood’s rich history and vibrant lives. While many cities suffer from the leveling effects of globalization, the rue des Martyrs maintains its distinct allure. On this street, the patron saint of France was beheaded and the Jesuits took their first vows. It was here that Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted circus acrobats, Emile Zola situated a lesbian dinner club in his novel Nana, and François Truffaut filmed scenes from The 400 Blows. Sciolino reveals the charms and idiosyncrasies of this street and its longtime residents—the Tunisian greengrocer, the husband-and-wife cheesemongers, the showman who’s been running a transvestite cabaret for more than half a century, the owner of a 100-year-old bookstore, the woman who repairs eighteenth-century mercury barometers—bringing Paris alive in all of its unique majesty. The Only Street in Paris will make readers hungry for Paris, for cheese and wine, and for the kind of street life that is all too quickly disappearing.
Elaine Sciolino, the former Paris Bureau Chief of the New York Times, invites us on a tour of her favorite Parisian street, offering an homage to street life and the pleasures of Parisian living. “I can never be sad on the rue des Martyrs,” Sciolino explains, as she celebrates the neighborhood’s rich history and vibrant lives. While many cities suffer from the leveling effects of globalization, the rue des Martyrs maintains its distinct allure. On this street, the patron saint of France was beheaded and the Jesuits took their first vows. It was here that Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted circus acrobats, Emile Zola situated a lesbian dinner club in his novel Nana, and François Truffaut filmed scenes from The 400 Blows. Sciolino reveals the charms and idiosyncrasies of this street and its longtime residents—the Tunisian greengrocer, the husband-and-wife cheesemongers, the showman who’s been running a transvestite cabaret for more than half a century, the owner of a 100-year-old bookstore, the woman who repairs eighteenth-century mercury barometers—bringing Paris alive in all of its unique majesty. The Only Street in Paris will make readers hungry for Paris, for cheese and wine, and for the kind of street life that is all too quickly disappearing.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2015
449 people are currently reading
5518 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Sciolino
7 books251 followersElaine Sciolino is a writer and former Paris Bureau Chief for The New York Times, based in France since 2002.
Her new book, Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum, will be published by W.W. Norton & Company on April 1, 2025.
Sciolino's previous book, The Seine: The River That Made Paris, will be published by W.W. Norton & Company on November 5, 2019.
Lauren Collins, Paris staff writer for The New Yorker, calls the book “a soulful, transformative voyage along the body of water that defines the City of Light. Elaine Sciolino is the perfect guide to the world's most romantic river.”
Her book, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2015, was a New York Times best seller. The Wall Street Journal called the book “a sublime stroll…elegiac;” The New York Times wrote that “she has Paris at her feet;” the Chicago Tribune called her “a storyteller at heart.”
Her second book on life in France, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, released in November 2015, is a New York Times bestseller and in its fourth printing. The New York Times wrote that “Sciolino … has Paris at her feet.” The Wall Street Journal praised it as “a sublime stroll…elegiac.” The Washington Post called the book a “love letter with such ingenuous passion it’s hard not to cheer up;” it was also chosen as a Washington Post Book Club selection.
In 2010, she was decorated a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest honor of the French state, for her “special contribution” to the friendship between France and the United States.
In 2019, Sciolino became a member of the Advisory Board of Reporters Without Borders, the Paris-based international advocacy organization promoting freedom of information and freedom
of the press. In 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from the University of London.
Sciolino's book, La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life, was published by Henry Holt/Times Books in 2011. The book was named one of the best books of 2011 by The New York Times T Magazine. La séduction, comment les Français jouent au jeu de la vie, the French edition, was published by Presses de la Cité in 2012.
Her book, Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran, was first published by The Free Press in 2000 and updated in a new edition in 2005. During the Persian Mirrors project, she was a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the winner of a writing fellowship from the Open Society Institute.
Persian Mirrors was awarded the 2001 New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Overseas Press Club Cornelius Ryan Citation for nonfiction. It was also a History Book Club selection and a New York Times Notable Book for 2000. In 2001, Sciolino was honored by Columbia University’s Encyclopedia Iranica project “for presenting the best of Iran to the world” and elected to the Executive Council of the Society for Iranian Studies that year.
Sciolino began her journalism career as a researcher at Newsweek Magazine in New York, later becoming national correspondent in Chicago, foreign correspondent in Paris, bureau chief in Rome and roving international correspondent. Sciolino was the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in 1982-1983, the first woman to receive that honor.
She joined The New York Times in 1984, where she has held a number of posts, including United Nations’ bureau chief, Central Intelligence Agency correspondent, Culture correspondent and chief diplomatic correspondent – the first woman to hold that post – and Paris Bureau Chief. She has also served as The New York Time
Her new book, Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum, will be published by W.W. Norton & Company on April 1, 2025.
Sciolino's previous book, The Seine: The River That Made Paris, will be published by W.W. Norton & Company on November 5, 2019.
Lauren Collins, Paris staff writer for The New Yorker, calls the book “a soulful, transformative voyage along the body of water that defines the City of Light. Elaine Sciolino is the perfect guide to the world's most romantic river.”
Her book, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2015, was a New York Times best seller. The Wall Street Journal called the book “a sublime stroll…elegiac;” The New York Times wrote that “she has Paris at her feet;” the Chicago Tribune called her “a storyteller at heart.”
Her second book on life in France, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, released in November 2015, is a New York Times bestseller and in its fourth printing. The New York Times wrote that “Sciolino … has Paris at her feet.” The Wall Street Journal praised it as “a sublime stroll…elegiac.” The Washington Post called the book a “love letter with such ingenuous passion it’s hard not to cheer up;” it was also chosen as a Washington Post Book Club selection.
In 2010, she was decorated a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest honor of the French state, for her “special contribution” to the friendship between France and the United States.
In 2019, Sciolino became a member of the Advisory Board of Reporters Without Borders, the Paris-based international advocacy organization promoting freedom of information and freedom
of the press. In 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from the University of London.
Sciolino's book, La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life, was published by Henry Holt/Times Books in 2011. The book was named one of the best books of 2011 by The New York Times T Magazine. La séduction, comment les Français jouent au jeu de la vie, the French edition, was published by Presses de la Cité in 2012.
Her book, Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran, was first published by The Free Press in 2000 and updated in a new edition in 2005. During the Persian Mirrors project, she was a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the winner of a writing fellowship from the Open Society Institute.
Persian Mirrors was awarded the 2001 New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Overseas Press Club Cornelius Ryan Citation for nonfiction. It was also a History Book Club selection and a New York Times Notable Book for 2000. In 2001, Sciolino was honored by Columbia University’s Encyclopedia Iranica project “for presenting the best of Iran to the world” and elected to the Executive Council of the Society for Iranian Studies that year.
Sciolino began her journalism career as a researcher at Newsweek Magazine in New York, later becoming national correspondent in Chicago, foreign correspondent in Paris, bureau chief in Rome and roving international correspondent. Sciolino was the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in 1982-1983, the first woman to receive that honor.
She joined The New York Times in 1984, where she has held a number of posts, including United Nations’ bureau chief, Central Intelligence Agency correspondent, Culture correspondent and chief diplomatic correspondent – the first woman to hold that post – and Paris Bureau Chief. She has also served as The New York Time
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews
December 14, 2015
So did not want this book to end. Loved reading about this street which retains so many individual shop owners, many specializing in just one thing. The history of some of the buildings, meeting the shopkeepers, the history of the area and the delightful stores themselves. The books, famous writers, artists who once made this place their homes or mentioned them in their novels. The feel, the tone, the passion made me feel as if I was there. Definitely a place I would love to visit one day. Informative, entertaining and delightful.
September 15, 2016
Having lived off the Rue de Martyrs in another life, I was excited to read this book, but the author was absolutely insufferable. Between her many passing brags about "her least favorite Hermès" and her bulldozing her way into everybody's personal lives, I wonder if her neighbors ever perfected a warning system for l'arivée de l'américaine. This woman is so obtuse that in one chapter she talks about giving directions to the chauffeur for her and Arianna Huffigton and follows it with "Gentrification is coming, less ferociously than at the bottom of the rue des Martyrs, but it is coming—crowding out the cheap bars, small-time drug dealers, itinerant winos, and chain-smoking streetwalkers." Just. I want to punch her.
One of her interviewee victims offered the best inadvertent review of this book: "'books of anecdotes,” she said. “You can’t say very much with anecdotes. Too many anecdotes—it means the author lacks inspiration. There is no writing. There is no style. There is no poetry.”"
She sounds like she lives a fairly charmed existence, though - must be nice to be so oblivious!
One of her interviewee victims offered the best inadvertent review of this book: "'books of anecdotes,” she said. “You can’t say very much with anecdotes. Too many anecdotes—it means the author lacks inspiration. There is no writing. There is no style. There is no poetry.”"
She sounds like she lives a fairly charmed existence, though - must be nice to be so oblivious!
October 6, 2015
It will be impossible to ever understand all of Paris's secrets. This book unlocked the secrets of one of its streets: with unexpected details about its past and present residents and architecture. Overall colorful and funny. It's also a testament to the power of mindfulness: of paying attention, of unabashedly loving one’s surroundings, and – perhaps most important of all - of taking the time to get to know those around us.
June 19, 2016
It turns out that I don't like memoirs by extroverts. Who knew?
The best parts were the stories of the people and the history of the street.
The worst parts were where the author is like: "Let me tell you about how I wanted the Pope to visit the street and someone thought that was a good idea and I wrote this letter, but nothing ever happened with it, isn't that cool?"
Or
"I talked to this person and they didn't want to talk to me so I annoyed them regularly until I broke them down and they were nice to me eventually, so all people really are good."
Or
"Let me tell you about a time when I threw a party and it was kinda cool, it turns out. People had fun!"
I mean, that's cool and all, but a chapter in a book? Seems a bit...narcissistic.
Maybe I just feel that way because I'm an introvert.
The best parts were the stories of the people and the history of the street.
The worst parts were where the author is like: "Let me tell you about how I wanted the Pope to visit the street and someone thought that was a good idea and I wrote this letter, but nothing ever happened with it, isn't that cool?"
Or
"I talked to this person and they didn't want to talk to me so I annoyed them regularly until I broke them down and they were nice to me eventually, so all people really are good."
Or
"Let me tell you about a time when I threw a party and it was kinda cool, it turns out. People had fun!"
I mean, that's cool and all, but a chapter in a book? Seems a bit...narcissistic.
Maybe I just feel that way because I'm an introvert.
July 6, 2016
The Only Street in Paris was entertaining at times, but I sensed that the author's background clouded the book. She plays up the fact that she comes from a Sicilian immigrant background, but she obviously is upper upper middle class these days. I felt that her connection with the shop keepers on her street was mainly that of a good customer who spent money in their shops, and that there probably was a lot going on the Rue des Martyrs that she didn't experience.
Her description of a short shopping spree with Ariana Huffington turned me off. I'd rather go through a colonoscopy prep than go shopping with Ms. Huffington. I'm thankful that I'll never have to experience the latter.
Having said all of the above, I was entertained at times, and I give Elaine Sciolino credit for being someone who is open to people and who is seemingly willing to talk to anyone. That's a gift that I wish I had.
Her description of a short shopping spree with Ariana Huffington turned me off. I'd rather go through a colonoscopy prep than go shopping with Ms. Huffington. I'm thankful that I'll never have to experience the latter.
Having said all of the above, I was entertained at times, and I give Elaine Sciolino credit for being someone who is open to people and who is seemingly willing to talk to anyone. That's a gift that I wish I had.
October 31, 2015
“Some people look at the rue des Martyrs and see a street. I see stories.” p. 1
All that was needed for this wonderful book to catch my attention was the first sentence. I have been visiting Paris through books off and on for more than a year, but even more importantly, Sciolino was promising me stories. My hopes for this book rose accordingly. After finishing her book, I feel that Sciolino more than met her promise.
When I meet people, whether in books or in real life, I want to know their stories. I want to know what makes a person tick, what her life is like and what his background is. Sciolino does a great job of telling what the rue des Martyrs is like now and how it got that way. Along with the history of the street, she introduces her readers to the people who live and work there now. I feel like they are all people I would like to meet in person.
John Baxter, whose stories of Paris I have also been reading, introduced me to literary Paris. Famous people are part of what Baxter talks about in his city of lights. Sciolino has narrowed her focus to one street. Famous people are part of her book; however, she includes more of the residents of the street. These are average Parisians. I enjoyed meeting them and learning a bit about normal life in Paris.
If you have been to Paris, or are just an armchair traveler, I think you would enjoy meeting the author and her neighbors. Sciolino’s style is light and breezy and her tale whisks you away to an interesting place. Her story is worth reading.
Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and Edelweiss for allowing me to read this book before publication.
All that was needed for this wonderful book to catch my attention was the first sentence. I have been visiting Paris through books off and on for more than a year, but even more importantly, Sciolino was promising me stories. My hopes for this book rose accordingly. After finishing her book, I feel that Sciolino more than met her promise.
When I meet people, whether in books or in real life, I want to know their stories. I want to know what makes a person tick, what her life is like and what his background is. Sciolino does a great job of telling what the rue des Martyrs is like now and how it got that way. Along with the history of the street, she introduces her readers to the people who live and work there now. I feel like they are all people I would like to meet in person.
John Baxter, whose stories of Paris I have also been reading, introduced me to literary Paris. Famous people are part of what Baxter talks about in his city of lights. Sciolino has narrowed her focus to one street. Famous people are part of her book; however, she includes more of the residents of the street. These are average Parisians. I enjoyed meeting them and learning a bit about normal life in Paris.
If you have been to Paris, or are just an armchair traveler, I think you would enjoy meeting the author and her neighbors. Sciolino’s style is light and breezy and her tale whisks you away to an interesting place. Her story is worth reading.
Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and Edelweiss for allowing me to read this book before publication.
March 8, 2016
Overall I was bored with it. I skipped some chapters completely. Her descriptions made made me feel like i was there, which I liked - however she seemed to drag on and on about the same thing, sometimes in a bragging way.
It did make me crave some good wine & cheese!
It did make me crave some good wine & cheese!
April 16, 2017
"There is more civilization in an alley in Paris than in the whole of New York" - Eça de Queirós
This is one of my father's favourite quotes, although he often likes to substitute "civilization" for "history".
It is true that if you're going to write a book about just one street, of course it is going to be a Parisian street. There is enough history in that city that you can study it your whole life and still have things to learn. You can walk there every day and still discover amazing things.
I will say that I enjoyed this book for the history of the Rue des Martyrs and for the many recommendations of shops there today. I learned a lot and now have a very long list of bonnes adresses to check out - and a brand new excuse to visit Paris again (as if I needed one). Reading the book, I could picture myself there, smell the city, see the shopkeepers, taste the delicacies - and this is why even a so-so book about Paris is still a good book.
What I didn't really like about the book was the author herself, Elaine Sciolino. She's obnoxious, arrogant, brash, clueless and a braggart. Some of the passages where she tried to insinuate herself in the shopkeepers' lives or tell them what to do without regard for their feelings, basically bulldozing into their privacy, were painfully embarassing. She likes to play up her "immigrant" background (her grandfather was from Italy... very relatable to the shopkeepers from Tunisia in Paris, is it not? she seems to think so). And she "casually" likes to slip in bits about how she was wearing "her least favourite Hermès" in one occasion, shopping with Ariana Huffington on another (drinking game: one shot for every time she says "Ariana Huffington"), or wearing Louis Vuitton and Chanel for a freaking street potluck in Montmartre of all places.
In one particularly painful anecdote, she sees that the antiques dealer has left a Miró silkscreen on display on the sidewalk with other wares and closed his shop for lunch. She considers stealing the silkscreen to "teach him a lesson" on looking after his belongings. She claims she would "eventually" give it back and wonders if he would be "so grateful" to her that he might give to her for free. Ummm, what the fuck?
Sciolino is bureau chief for the New York Times in Paris, which is either evidence that the NYT has very low standards for journalists, or that Sciolino is playing dumb both in her interactions with the rue des Martyrs shopkeepers and in the book for the "benefit" of the reader. None of the options are very appealing.
My tip for prospective readers is this: if you love Paris, I recommend reading this book, but as soon as you notice the author going off on her narcissistic tangents or cringeworthy anecdotes, just skip whatever it is she is saying. Stick to the history and the bits about the shops and you'll enjoy yourself very much indeed with this light, fast read.
This is one of my father's favourite quotes, although he often likes to substitute "civilization" for "history".
It is true that if you're going to write a book about just one street, of course it is going to be a Parisian street. There is enough history in that city that you can study it your whole life and still have things to learn. You can walk there every day and still discover amazing things.
I will say that I enjoyed this book for the history of the Rue des Martyrs and for the many recommendations of shops there today. I learned a lot and now have a very long list of bonnes adresses to check out - and a brand new excuse to visit Paris again (as if I needed one). Reading the book, I could picture myself there, smell the city, see the shopkeepers, taste the delicacies - and this is why even a so-so book about Paris is still a good book.
What I didn't really like about the book was the author herself, Elaine Sciolino. She's obnoxious, arrogant, brash, clueless and a braggart. Some of the passages where she tried to insinuate herself in the shopkeepers' lives or tell them what to do without regard for their feelings, basically bulldozing into their privacy, were painfully embarassing. She likes to play up her "immigrant" background (her grandfather was from Italy... very relatable to the shopkeepers from Tunisia in Paris, is it not? she seems to think so). And she "casually" likes to slip in bits about how she was wearing "her least favourite Hermès" in one occasion, shopping with Ariana Huffington on another (drinking game: one shot for every time she says "Ariana Huffington"), or wearing Louis Vuitton and Chanel for a freaking street potluck in Montmartre of all places.
In one particularly painful anecdote, she sees that the antiques dealer has left a Miró silkscreen on display on the sidewalk with other wares and closed his shop for lunch. She considers stealing the silkscreen to "teach him a lesson" on looking after his belongings. She claims she would "eventually" give it back and wonders if he would be "so grateful" to her that he might give to her for free. Ummm, what the fuck?
Sciolino is bureau chief for the New York Times in Paris, which is either evidence that the NYT has very low standards for journalists, or that Sciolino is playing dumb both in her interactions with the rue des Martyrs shopkeepers and in the book for the "benefit" of the reader. None of the options are very appealing.
My tip for prospective readers is this: if you love Paris, I recommend reading this book, but as soon as you notice the author going off on her narcissistic tangents or cringeworthy anecdotes, just skip whatever it is she is saying. Stick to the history and the bits about the shops and you'll enjoy yourself very much indeed with this light, fast read.
July 20, 2016
In comparison to other travelogues (especially about Paris), it might be a 3 star. But a 3 star travelogue is still 4 stars in comparison with any other genre. ;)
July 8, 2017
After several starts, I just quit trying. The subject is fascinating, but the delivery put me off. It seemed like a blog for “All About Me and My Wonderful Street.”
The Rue Des Martyrs is a pleasant street for strolling. This week we bought some ravioli in Sogno di Pasta, a beautiful new shop. Google Maps Street View shows another shop in that location as recently as May, 2016. You can see the entire street in Street View, and save yourself some travel time.
The Rue Des Martyrs is a pleasant street for strolling. This week we bought some ravioli in Sogno di Pasta, a beautiful new shop. Google Maps Street View shows another shop in that location as recently as May, 2016. You can see the entire street in Street View, and save yourself some travel time.
June 1, 2016
I didn't have high hopes for this. So much writing about Paris tends to be predictable and as substantial as a croissant. The books are palatable and enjoyable but not terribly nourishing. Sciolino's book is not this. It is heartier fare. But not obviously scholarly or pedantic. It is a perfectly balanced meal of levity and information and provocative suggestions. Wait, no. That's not what I meant. I meant that it invites the reader to think more deeply about the tensions between the obvious benefits of modernization and globalization, and the less obvious, but no less desirable, benefits of preserving the past and protecting the native culture of a group.
Sciolino's discussion of these tensions is limited to one particular street in Paris but it can clearly be related to a hierarchy of meta-levels. How can the Rue des Martyrs maintain its peculiar nature while absorbing non-European immigrants and staying economically competitive, or, how can the Rue des Martyrs stay the Rue des Martyrs? How can we keep Paris Parisian. How can we keep France French. How can we keep Europe European. And it is a discussion that can be applied to any group.
But Sciolino keeps it simple and just discusses the Rue des Martyrs. If you choose to take it beyond that, that's on you. She never says you should.
The writing is very smooth, erudite, never fancier than it needs to be and is neither vulgar nor hoity. It has that quality of "painting a mental picture" that is so boring to describe and so transcendent to experience.
If I have any criticism at all it would be that while Sciolino is an excellent writer, she is only a mediocre performer in the audio version. That was initially a minor quibble that faded away. Whether she got better or I just got used to her, I couldn't say. All I know is that after a short time her story was more compelling than her performance was lackluster. Her French accent is reassuringly just adequate so she never comes across as trying too hard. If she was erring on the side of low-key to avoid an amateurish over-the-top reading, that was probably the right call.
I highly recommend the book. The audio version comes with the above caveats.
Sciolino's discussion of these tensions is limited to one particular street in Paris but it can clearly be related to a hierarchy of meta-levels. How can the Rue des Martyrs maintain its peculiar nature while absorbing non-European immigrants and staying economically competitive, or, how can the Rue des Martyrs stay the Rue des Martyrs? How can we keep Paris Parisian. How can we keep France French. How can we keep Europe European. And it is a discussion that can be applied to any group.
But Sciolino keeps it simple and just discusses the Rue des Martyrs. If you choose to take it beyond that, that's on you. She never says you should.
The writing is very smooth, erudite, never fancier than it needs to be and is neither vulgar nor hoity. It has that quality of "painting a mental picture" that is so boring to describe and so transcendent to experience.
If I have any criticism at all it would be that while Sciolino is an excellent writer, she is only a mediocre performer in the audio version. That was initially a minor quibble that faded away. Whether she got better or I just got used to her, I couldn't say. All I know is that after a short time her story was more compelling than her performance was lackluster. Her French accent is reassuringly just adequate so she never comes across as trying too hard. If she was erring on the side of low-key to avoid an amateurish over-the-top reading, that was probably the right call.
I highly recommend the book. The audio version comes with the above caveats.
July 9, 2018
I was about to order this book on my Kindle when Amazon kindly informed me I had bought it three years ago; I have no idea why I didn't finished it. It's marvelous, about the history and shop owners and friends and quirks of this one extraordinary street in Paris reaching up to Montmartre...all seen by a journalist who made it her home for many years. I love books like this, about people living in a small area of a city I love and going about their daily lives, shopping for wine or apples and buying books and being with their neighbors.
February 17, 2025
I should’ve liked this more, but I think I prefer travel memoirs where the author isn’t pontificating about which is her least favorite Hermès scarf or bullying shopkeepers into sourcing kale that no one will buy.
Maybe I’ve been watching too many lighthearted comedies lately (anything to take my focus off the news), but some of this started playing out in a weird, awkward sitcom in my mind - like the chapter about the rodents in Paris being pretentious enough to ignore cheese in traps unless it was specific gourmet cheese (or chocolate!) - and then she actually buys the fancy cheese to bait the mice ... .and the excruciating forced potluck with the shopkeepers where everyone but the author can tell no one wants to be there (and it's somehow crucial that we are aware she was wearing Louis Vuitton and Chanel for the occasion).
It’s a shame because the parts that focused on the history of the street were fascinating, but kept being interrupted by the author continuously being shocked when residents moved away without informing her personally. Lady, take a hint.
And yet I’d still read her other books. Because Paris.
Maybe I’ve been watching too many lighthearted comedies lately (anything to take my focus off the news), but some of this started playing out in a weird, awkward sitcom in my mind - like the chapter about the rodents in Paris being pretentious enough to ignore cheese in traps unless it was specific gourmet cheese (or chocolate!) - and then she actually buys the fancy cheese to bait the mice ... .and the excruciating forced potluck with the shopkeepers where everyone but the author can tell no one wants to be there (and it's somehow crucial that we are aware she was wearing Louis Vuitton and Chanel for the occasion).
It’s a shame because the parts that focused on the history of the street were fascinating, but kept being interrupted by the author continuously being shocked when residents moved away without informing her personally. Lady, take a hint.
And yet I’d still read her other books. Because Paris.
August 20, 2024
This is what happens when you enter "Paris" in the search engine of Hoopla.
I enjoyed Sciolino's narration of this microcosm of Paris. She calls it a "half-mile of magic." This is not cozy Provence, oh no. It's straight up urban life.
With an upcoming trip to Paris (and beyond) I'm down for books that give me a taste of French culture. But I don't imagine making a pilgrimage to walk the rue des Martyrs.
I enjoyed Sciolino's narration of this microcosm of Paris. She calls it a "half-mile of magic." This is not cozy Provence, oh no. It's straight up urban life.
With an upcoming trip to Paris (and beyond) I'm down for books that give me a taste of French culture. But I don't imagine making a pilgrimage to walk the rue des Martyrs.
April 5, 2023
As a travel book, this succeeded in that it really made me want to go to there.
On a personal/stylistic level, Sciolino does seem like she is probably A Lot, and parts of the book where she hangs with Arianna Huffington, writes a letter to the Pope, and tries to figure out what the heck drag is about, uh, show her age and are a bit cringe. But: her journalistic willingness to talk to everyone is also the thing that teases out some of the great stories from the people of the Rue des Martyrs. So: fair trade.
And I will be going.
On a personal/stylistic level, Sciolino does seem like she is probably A Lot, and parts of the book where she hangs with Arianna Huffington, writes a letter to the Pope, and tries to figure out what the heck drag is about, uh, show her age and are a bit cringe. But: her journalistic willingness to talk to everyone is also the thing that teases out some of the great stories from the people of the Rue des Martyrs. So: fair trade.
And I will be going.
November 25, 2015
This was very informative and I even took some notes, but overall her tone was a little too cute and juvenile for me to consider her more seriously. I am sure she is a very nice person but I craved a more polished presentation. The "Only Street in Paris" felt a little bizarre as a title, but the faux script writing was indicative of it's lightweight status. Very probably she had little input into the book's design however.
I was hoping for a much more polished book but maybe she was appealing to a different audience than this one.
I was hoping for a much more polished book but maybe she was appealing to a different audience than this one.
March 31, 2016
I wasn't sure I could finish this book as I wasn't even 1/2-way through when Paris was attacked. Very glad I did. This book is a celebration of the people living in the village of Montmartre around the rue des Martyrs. It's a love letter to what makes them unique, strong and quirky. It was something of a catharsis to finish the book. Reading about such amazing people left me hopeful. Sciolino was able to capture the ineffable sense of being part of that neighborhood both as outsider and insider. It was transportive and well worth the read.
December 8, 2023
Loved this book! The author takes you through the fish and cheese shops, the second hand clothing shop, the local church and cabaret for a sense of life in a Parisian neighborhood.
January 29, 2023
Out of my box, but perfect for me, the lifelong Francophile. Up close and personal with just about everything that goes on or ever went on up and down this fascinating street. In depth for sure, written by maybe the consummate Francophile.
History? Religion? Wacky merchants and residents? It is all here!
History? Religion? Wacky merchants and residents? It is all here!
March 25, 2018
An unusual travel book from the NYTimes Paris bureau cheif. A story of the storefronts, public spaces, and nightclubs on her street as told from her heartily American journalists eye. While the episodic narrative didn’t have me racing to tye end, Ms Sciolino’s brio in writing had me picking it up like it was a letter from a friend. “Where’s Eliane’s book?” I asked myself as I went to bed or read it at lunch. The mix of immigrants of French merchants might have made this a story of any world city street, but Elaine kept effectively looping the story back to French history and Parisian customs, dotting things here and there w acute journalistic details. It definitely gives a reader the sensation of every day life in contemporary Paris, and not one of tired romance or elitist wealth. Elaine people’s her book w snobby shop owners, obscure craftsman ( a repairer of mercury barometers), fishmongers, the secular caretakers of historic Catholic spaces (the crypt where Ignatius took his vows that lead to the Jesuits) and even a cameo appearance by Arianna Huffington thrift shopping. Just full of brio, and I loved her earnest anecdotes of getting to know her neighbors. A perfect light read that I’m glad to have randomly picked up at a bookstore and can use to consider life in Paris when I’m there in May.
June 23, 2016
In this marvelous book Elaine Sciolino has perfectly captured what I love about France. The history, the art, the food, the people and so much more all come to life on the pages here. She not only shares with us the life and history of her street (Rue des Martyrs) but also a bit of her own life and some of her history (her Sicilian background and catholic upbringing and her interfaith marriage). Sciolino is an amazingly talented writer and I am quite certain that ANYTHING she wrote about would be a "must read" for me.(La Seduction, her other book about French life, was equally as enjoyable and as fascinating as this one). Since I listened to the audible version of "The Only Street in Paris..." I was doubly rewarded by hearing the author read her own words. This is a "must" read for all Francophiles or anyone who just enjoys a delicious slice of (French) life. Highly recommended
April 15, 2017
I could read a whole book on each and every street in Paris. I could read a book about each individual street in all of Europe. By focusing on one particular street, this book was able to give me a complete picture of what it would be like to live on this street. I loved learning the history behind the buildings and the people who've lived there. I loved how much the author loved her street. I think no matter how long you are there, once you fall in love with Paris, you will love it with that pure, uncomplicated love. No matter the crazies.
May 20, 2016
Though I thought this was an interesting account as relates to community and transitioning to life in a new country, I didn't like it as much as I had planned to. I hadn't expected it to lean so heavily toward memoir. The author seemed to take center stage more so than the street. Though to an extent that's to be expected since the book was written by an outsider, I'm afraid the title gave me expectations that weren't completely met.
October 6, 2015
Mention the rue des Martyrs to any Parisian, and they smile. So when I heard there was an entire book about this street, I picked it up immediately. The book is well-researched and thorough about the street's history, residents, secret gardens, legends, and yes, its food! Detailed without being boring, the book is a must for any Francophile, history buff, or food-lover. Beautiful photos too.
June 15, 2016
Yawn. A rather pretentious book by yet another overly romantic soul that embraces the fantasy that there is simply no place like Paris. The author tries too hard to cast life on the Rue des Martyrs as some remarkable discovery she has stumbled on, but I very much got the impression that much of it was conjured up by her elitist view of Paris.
July 8, 2016
I was skeptical that a whole book on just one street would be interesting, but it was amazing!
March 20, 2018
I challenge anyone to read this book and not long to move immediately in Paris! Or, at least to find a place where communitarian values and good food; not to mention a preference for pleasure over relentless efficiency and "being useful" remains a priority. Indeed, I was thinking how something like this could be written in any place where traditional values had not been killed off. I, for one, couldn't stop recalling how much I missed my home in Japan, where neighbors were so intimately connected, sharing food with each other several times a week, we all had each other's backs, had keys to each other's home. We felt embedded in the landscape itself. There was a calendar of seasonal and cultural events that were also shared. Families are strong and neighborliness is not dead.
I read yesterday that being able to borrow a significant amount of money from someone indicates intimacy-- I hate that definition but if that were used, I think what I had in Japan was like that and I definitely think what Sciolio had in Paris was similar (Not that she needs money, as someone below rightly pointed out! Sheesh!) Despite being so liberal in terms of love, there are strong traditionalist values in France that keeps farmers and booksellers in business. Her chapter on books was my favorite. I also loved her stories of her childhood in New York--the daughter of Sicilian immigrants. Because of her upbringing, where shared family meals formed the core of life, you could easily imagine why she was so happy on the Rue des Maryrs. She seemed made for the place. We had walked the Rue des Maryrs last year and much of what she described is what I so vividly fell in love with about the place.
In addition to the chapter on books, her chapter on Jefferson in New York was fascinating. And Le potluck made me laugh!
As a journalist, she writes like a reporter. If you like that style, you will love her writing. Sciolino was former bureau chief for the NYTimes in Paris.
We spend so much of our lives in fairly confined geographical areas between home, shopping and work. So much better if we feel close to those in our lives. To be greeted by name in the shops and share a sense of pride with the people you live near to... I love Paris. I love Elaine Sciolino! Looking forward to reading La Seduction soon.
I read yesterday that being able to borrow a significant amount of money from someone indicates intimacy-- I hate that definition but if that were used, I think what I had in Japan was like that and I definitely think what Sciolio had in Paris was similar (Not that she needs money, as someone below rightly pointed out! Sheesh!) Despite being so liberal in terms of love, there are strong traditionalist values in France that keeps farmers and booksellers in business. Her chapter on books was my favorite. I also loved her stories of her childhood in New York--the daughter of Sicilian immigrants. Because of her upbringing, where shared family meals formed the core of life, you could easily imagine why she was so happy on the Rue des Maryrs. She seemed made for the place. We had walked the Rue des Maryrs last year and much of what she described is what I so vividly fell in love with about the place.
In addition to the chapter on books, her chapter on Jefferson in New York was fascinating. And Le potluck made me laugh!
As a journalist, she writes like a reporter. If you like that style, you will love her writing. Sciolino was former bureau chief for the NYTimes in Paris.
We spend so much of our lives in fairly confined geographical areas between home, shopping and work. So much better if we feel close to those in our lives. To be greeted by name in the shops and share a sense of pride with the people you live near to... I love Paris. I love Elaine Sciolino! Looking forward to reading La Seduction soon.
January 19, 2018
This is a quick and easy read, and I found it especially nice to read while in Paris, so that I could check out the sites that Sciolino mentions in the book. In one sense, it is about the gentrification of Paris: there is no doubt that old style shops and bars have been lost to big chains like Monoprix and Starbucks. However, unlike in the USA, artisan shops are protected by law and certain streets like the Rue des Martyrs are protected by the government from massive modernization. In another sense, the book is less about Paris and more about Sciolino herself, and the relationships she has developed while living near the street (uh, yes, she doesn’t actually live on the street, she lives around the corner), and the people she has met over the 14 or so years that she’s been living in Paris.
It is hard to not be irritated, however, by some chapters that read like T Magazine advertisements for shops, or “36 hours in Paris” essays that you find in the New York Times. Also, Sciolino is rich, with a wealthy life, and so her discussions of Hermès scarves and the like are annoying. Does she do nothing but shop and eat all day? And, probably worst of all, there is a real negativity in the book about the 18th arrondissment, the less rich neighborhood into which the Rue des Martyrs stretches. She says people from the 9th don’t go there because “it’s another world,” or “it’s too far.” Read that as code for it’s too poor, really working class, and/or has more immigrants than the wealthier 9th. And “the only street in Paris”? Uh. Well. My favorite street is the Rue des Archives. It’s an opinion. While her descriptions made me want to visit the Rue des Martyrs and shop there before I leave the city, as a person she is clearly irritating and must drive these shop owners nuts with her meddling. But read it anyway; it’s good airplane reading while on the way to Paris.
It is hard to not be irritated, however, by some chapters that read like T Magazine advertisements for shops, or “36 hours in Paris” essays that you find in the New York Times. Also, Sciolino is rich, with a wealthy life, and so her discussions of Hermès scarves and the like are annoying. Does she do nothing but shop and eat all day? And, probably worst of all, there is a real negativity in the book about the 18th arrondissment, the less rich neighborhood into which the Rue des Martyrs stretches. She says people from the 9th don’t go there because “it’s another world,” or “it’s too far.” Read that as code for it’s too poor, really working class, and/or has more immigrants than the wealthier 9th. And “the only street in Paris”? Uh. Well. My favorite street is the Rue des Archives. It’s an opinion. While her descriptions made me want to visit the Rue des Martyrs and shop there before I leave the city, as a person she is clearly irritating and must drive these shop owners nuts with her meddling. But read it anyway; it’s good airplane reading while on the way to Paris.
July 14, 2017
"Come with me down this street and meet the ghosts of our earliest years," Julien Green quoted by Ms. Sciolino. I finished this book at speed because I was off to Paris in May and wanted to visit the Rue des Martyrs. One recent form of Creative Non-fiction is a sort of homage to a very small place--one beach, one small village, one street in Paris. Of course, this book is the latter, one woman's affair with her neighborhood, its history and the people that inhabit it. Ms. Sciolino tells a good tale and enjoys doing so. This book is great fun if you are a Francophile, have been to Paris or intend to go in the near future. Don't expect the usual tourists routes, however. This expresses the joy of living and shopping in Paris, of the minutiae of every day life. And by the way, the street is great. I found a bookstore that I definitely will return to next trip to Paris. Sadly we had no time to shop for food or eat there. Next trip maybe we will try to stay in the area. My advice would be skip Sacre Coeur and go to one of the small neighborhood museums. Thanks for sharing, Ms. Sciolino.
Read
May 31, 2023This is, I'm assuming, non-fiction and as such I'm not going to rate it.
I really liked it, in so far as the descriptions of the rue des Martyrs and its atmosphere go. The small tidbits of history were greatly appreciated, and you can see the author researched everything very well. On the other hand, the constant meddling in everybody's lives and her belief that everyone really likes it didn't land for me, unfortunately.
Overall a great find, and a really good read if you just want to pretend you're in an idyllic french movie where everything, including rats, is easily solvable with a few cordial words with random sellers and an exchange of gifts.
I really liked it, in so far as the descriptions of the rue des Martyrs and its atmosphere go. The small tidbits of history were greatly appreciated, and you can see the author researched everything very well. On the other hand, the constant meddling in everybody's lives and her belief that everyone really likes it didn't land for me, unfortunately.
Overall a great find, and a really good read if you just want to pretend you're in an idyllic french movie where everything, including rats, is easily solvable with a few cordial words with random sellers and an exchange of gifts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews