Everything (or Almost Everything) About Paris: A petite encyclopedia of indispensable and superfluous information

by Jean-Christophe Napias, Simon Beaver (Introduction)

The almost 200 entries in the addictive Everything (or Almost Everything) About Paris  are a witty and sophisticated treasure trove of facts, histories, lists, records, quotations, and miscellaneous oddities that go well beyond trivia to include significant cultural information and an enlightening glimpse of Parisian  

• An explanation of the Parisian chant of " métro, boulot, dodo ;" 
• Addresses and descriptions of vineyards within the city limits;
• Ten vintage aperitifs to order in bistros;
• Imaginary Parisian streets that appear in novels;
• The number of brothels, massage parlors, and “places of pleasure” listed in a 1922 guidebook;
• Famous poisonings that occurred in Paris;
• Mottos of the five greatest educational institutions in Paris;
• Fines charged for municipal infractions, from feeding pigeons (35€) to appearing nude in a public place (35,000€ and imprisonment);
• Histories of the cobblestones, the rooftops, and the trashcans of Paris;
• Names of the most famous can-can dancers of the mid-19th and early 20th century;
• The odd and scandalous history of villa Félicien-Fabre in the 16th arrondissement ;
• Thirty significant paintings displayed in churches in Paris

...and much, much, much more.

Genres: France, Nonfiction, Travel

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[theirishbooklover]

Informative, Quirky, Quick.

For some reason, I have started the last few years by reading a book set in Paris. Paris is my absolute favourite city in the world so it gives me a feel good start to the year.

I bought this book on a trip to Paris a few years ago in Shakespeare and Co., I also purchased my bookmark in The Panthéon in Paris. This book takes the reader on a very factual and informative trip down many different streets and areas of Paris.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lists, facts and Paris because they are definitely the three main ingredients in this book. As this is a non-fiction book, I will not be giving it a rating.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is okay. There are many useful, interesting, or funny facts about Paris but there are also several long lists of things I’d be surprised anyone cared to read through, like lists of street names with a color in it or a list of RER codes.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As someone who's lived in Paris, I enjoyed reading all these little tidbits, some of which I already knew of and others of which were surprises!