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Madeleine Project
"Simply magical. . . . Words and images, magnified in this book, are woven together in small strokes to create two moving portraits of women." —Lire
"A beautiful book that bears witness. An original compilation of traces, thoughts and photos . . . that form the strata of our collective memory." —Télérama
A young woman moves into a Paris apartment and discovers a storage room filled with the belongings of the previous owner, a certain Madeleine who died in her late nineties, and whose treasured possessions nobody seems to want. In an audacious act of journalism driven by personal curiosity and humane tenderness, Clara Beaudoux embarks on The Madeleine Project, documenting what she finds on Twitter with text and photographs, introducing the world to an unsung twentieth-century figure. Along the way, she discovers a Parisian life indelibly marked by European history. This is a graphic novel for the Twitter age, a true story that encapsulates one woman's attempt to live a life of love and meaning together with a contemporary quest to prevent that existence from slipping into oblivion. Through it all, The Madeleine Project movingly chronicles, and allows us to reconstruct, intimate memories of a bygone era.
Clara Beaudoux is a Paris-based journalist for the France Info news network. The Madeleine Project has been wildly popular in France. You can follow her on Twitter at @Clarabdx.
"A beautiful book that bears witness. An original compilation of traces, thoughts and photos . . . that form the strata of our collective memory." —Télérama
A young woman moves into a Paris apartment and discovers a storage room filled with the belongings of the previous owner, a certain Madeleine who died in her late nineties, and whose treasured possessions nobody seems to want. In an audacious act of journalism driven by personal curiosity and humane tenderness, Clara Beaudoux embarks on The Madeleine Project, documenting what she finds on Twitter with text and photographs, introducing the world to an unsung twentieth-century figure. Along the way, she discovers a Parisian life indelibly marked by European history. This is a graphic novel for the Twitter age, a true story that encapsulates one woman's attempt to live a life of love and meaning together with a contemporary quest to prevent that existence from slipping into oblivion. Through it all, The Madeleine Project movingly chronicles, and allows us to reconstruct, intimate memories of a bygone era.
Clara Beaudoux is a Paris-based journalist for the France Info news network. The Madeleine Project has been wildly popular in France. You can follow her on Twitter at @Clarabdx.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 11, 2017
This unique title comes from New Vessel Press, one of the publishers doing good work in translated fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. I received a copy of this through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. (And thanks to the publisher for helping with a technical issue!)
The Madeleine Project is something that started in Twitter, when Clara started documenting the unpacking and unboxing of a storage cellar below her new apartment. The life of the woman named Madeleine, who had lived in the apartment before her, is revealed piece by piece and detail by detail.
The majority of the book is a translated capture of what happened in Twitter, as it happened. The center of the book has some longer narrative about the background and context of the Paris attacks and the unintended impact they had on the project.
I'm a person who reads ephemera, so I noticed at the end of the book where Clara thanks all of these Twitter followers who provided more information, tried out Madeleine's recipes, or even knew the person whose life she was revealing. She also mentions that she originally planned to include their contributions in the book, but it ended up being too overwhelming. I couldn't help but wish we had gotten to see at least a little of that. I would have loved the recipe interactions, or to learn more about the details that Clara didn't know, identifying tiny objects and their uses. I felt like I was only seeing one side of a very rich conversation at times.
I immediately sent this book to my colleague who runs our university's Special Collections and Archives, wondering if anyone in the archival world had ever documented a new donation this way. I would love it. I'm the kind of person to follow Twitter John Adams' journal and other such accounts. It's interesting if you follow every day, but if you want to keep and collect that form, it needs to be pulled into something else as this book attempts to do. I think the one thing missing are the other voices and eyes that clearly made the project as rich as it was for the original author.
The Madeleine Project is something that started in Twitter, when Clara started documenting the unpacking and unboxing of a storage cellar below her new apartment. The life of the woman named Madeleine, who had lived in the apartment before her, is revealed piece by piece and detail by detail.
The majority of the book is a translated capture of what happened in Twitter, as it happened. The center of the book has some longer narrative about the background and context of the Paris attacks and the unintended impact they had on the project.
I'm a person who reads ephemera, so I noticed at the end of the book where Clara thanks all of these Twitter followers who provided more information, tried out Madeleine's recipes, or even knew the person whose life she was revealing. She also mentions that she originally planned to include their contributions in the book, but it ended up being too overwhelming. I couldn't help but wish we had gotten to see at least a little of that. I would have loved the recipe interactions, or to learn more about the details that Clara didn't know, identifying tiny objects and their uses. I felt like I was only seeing one side of a very rich conversation at times.
I immediately sent this book to my colleague who runs our university's Special Collections and Archives, wondering if anyone in the archival world had ever documented a new donation this way. I would love it. I'm the kind of person to follow Twitter John Adams' journal and other such accounts. It's interesting if you follow every day, but if you want to keep and collect that form, it needs to be pulled into something else as this book attempts to do. I think the one thing missing are the other voices and eyes that clearly made the project as rich as it was for the original author.
June 17, 2017
I'm not ready for this book to be over. I want more!! Was that picture of LouLou? She lived 90 plus years, there must be more to learn of her!
This was a quick read. Only negative was I want more. I hope she continues with this. I need to get only social media so I can follow amazing stories like this!
Premise: woman moves into an apartment in Paris that belonged to a little old lady. The apartment was cleared out, but not her basement storage room, which had a lifetime of things in it. New owner goes through bin and Tweets what she finds. The little old lady, Madeleine, lives again in the Twitter-verse and now I'm this book.
This book is so humanizing. The life of one woman, who lived through so much, WWI, WWII, losing loved ones, working, traveling, making friends and learning, never staying stagnant.
Everyone has a story to tell. This book drives that home. If anything, it should make us all rush out to talked with our older loved ones, learn from them, learn OF them, before it's too late.
This book was amazing. I can't do it justice in this review. I highly recommend it. 5, get to know those around you before it's too late, stars.
I received this as an eARC from the publisher. This does not color my review in any way. This book is a worthy read. I wish I could have read it on Twitter in French, and the responses too! Really lovely book.
This was a quick read. Only negative was I want more. I hope she continues with this. I need to get only social media so I can follow amazing stories like this!
Premise: woman moves into an apartment in Paris that belonged to a little old lady. The apartment was cleared out, but not her basement storage room, which had a lifetime of things in it. New owner goes through bin and Tweets what she finds. The little old lady, Madeleine, lives again in the Twitter-verse and now I'm this book.
This book is so humanizing. The life of one woman, who lived through so much, WWI, WWII, losing loved ones, working, traveling, making friends and learning, never staying stagnant.
Everyone has a story to tell. This book drives that home. If anything, it should make us all rush out to talked with our older loved ones, learn from them, learn OF them, before it's too late.
This book was amazing. I can't do it justice in this review. I highly recommend it. 5, get to know those around you before it's too late, stars.
I received this as an eARC from the publisher. This does not color my review in any way. This book is a worthy read. I wish I could have read it on Twitter in French, and the responses too! Really lovely book.
July 14, 2017
This by far is my favorite book of the year!! The format is Twitter messages that flow from one to the other. There are also some small sections where the author goes into more details about the entire project. (I had to go deeper and read everything on Twitter once I was done I wanted more.)
I love that we get to see the author's thought pattern as she is going through Madeleine's stuff in her apartment. We get to learn a lot about Madeleine through this thought process, but also the author. I love the small tidbits we get from the author's life and how she is constantly questioning what would Madeleine think of what she is doing. You can tell the author is trying to be respectful as possible during this process.
I enjoyed everything about this book. The photos the author included really helped me to feel like I am part of Madeleine's life. Also, sometimes I just wasn't 100% sure what she was describing so the photos really helped out.
I love the entire concept of discovering a person's life through their belongings. I find that today people do hold onto a lot of stuff and that stuff must have been important at one point in time. The author does an amazing job exploring the items as well as trying to piece together Madeleine's life.
This is a hard review for me to write, I don't want to give to much away, but everyone should read this book!!
I would suggest reading this book everyday! It is a the perfect book to take your mind off the day! I have already read it twice!!
I received a copy of this book from France Book Tours to provide an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.
I love that we get to see the author's thought pattern as she is going through Madeleine's stuff in her apartment. We get to learn a lot about Madeleine through this thought process, but also the author. I love the small tidbits we get from the author's life and how she is constantly questioning what would Madeleine think of what she is doing. You can tell the author is trying to be respectful as possible during this process.
I enjoyed everything about this book. The photos the author included really helped me to feel like I am part of Madeleine's life. Also, sometimes I just wasn't 100% sure what she was describing so the photos really helped out.
I love the entire concept of discovering a person's life through their belongings. I find that today people do hold onto a lot of stuff and that stuff must have been important at one point in time. The author does an amazing job exploring the items as well as trying to piece together Madeleine's life.
This is a hard review for me to write, I don't want to give to much away, but everyone should read this book!!
I would suggest reading this book everyday! It is a the perfect book to take your mind off the day! I have already read it twice!!
I received a copy of this book from France Book Tours to provide an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.
August 6, 2023
ça se lit en moins d'une heure, c'est tout doux tout tendre, une enquête à taille humaine, toute contenue, en silences et devinettes, avec des morceaux de mots, d'images, de vie, de gens, une existence qui se dessine en pointillés, de ces instants de douceur émerveillée que seul Internet sait aussi bien archiver. j'aime l'idée que des tweets puissent passer sur papier, non pas parce que je suis une affreuse boomeuse qui pense que c'était mieux avant, mais parce que j'aime bien les médiums qui dialoguent, les moyens qui s'échangent, les endroits qui s'inversent et vice-versa. qu'on se le dise : je n'aurais sûrement pas acheté le bouquin si je ne l'avais pas trouvé à deux euros sur un étal d'occasion parce que eh société 18 euros pour 45 minutes à tourner les pages certes c'est un joli moment et tout mais on vit sous le joug de l'exploitation salariée ici, tout ça, n'en reste pas moins que le livre est tellement doux, tellement chouette, on en voudrait bien plus - et en même temps, cette petite frustration participe sûrement de la saveur et du prix de l'ensemble des indices que l'autrice a compilés, racontés et enchantés. un livre à offrir à quelqu'un qu'on aime, je crois, pourquoi pas à sa grand-mère, car puisque toutes les grand-mères ont un peu la même écriture, peut-être la vôtre reconnaîtra-t-elle la sienne dans celle de Madeleine.
July 8, 2017
The blurb for this book fascinated me, as I've always wanted to be the fortunate one to discover a treasure trove of personal items from a time past. (So far, I haven't had much luck!) The book covers the first two "seasons" where Clara finds and begins to dig through Madeleine's effects, left in the cellar in suitcases and boxes. Each little bit of the past intrigued me, and though I enjoyed the book, it was also frustrating. The format is such that the pages are filled with the author's Twitter posts. Nothing wrong with that overall, but you can't enlarge any of the photographs she's placed in the tweets. For me, liking detail, it defeats the purpose of the book altogether.
I did, however, go find the author's website and read through all four seasons, clicking happily to enlarge photos or to watch video. It was far more satisfying. (go here: http://madeleineproject.fr/ -- Google can translate a lot of it for you if you don't speak French, though Chrome doesn't seem to like translating the storify'd pages of tweets.) I expect this book would be better in its print format than on ebook (I was provided a copy of the PDF via Edelweiss, which I found limiting), as a record of Clara's experiences.
Don't let the formatting put you off; the material itself was fantastic and fascinating.
I did, however, go find the author's website and read through all four seasons, clicking happily to enlarge photos or to watch video. It was far more satisfying. (go here: http://madeleineproject.fr/ -- Google can translate a lot of it for you if you don't speak French, though Chrome doesn't seem to like translating the storify'd pages of tweets.) I expect this book would be better in its print format than on ebook (I was provided a copy of the PDF via Edelweiss, which I found limiting), as a record of Clara's experiences.
Don't let the formatting put you off; the material itself was fantastic and fascinating.
July 19, 2017
I couldn't resist joining in this France Book Tour for The Madeleine Project. It is filled with many things I love: Paris...photos...and mystery.
What is The Madeleine Project? It's a project Clara Beaudoux began when she discovered the belongings in the basement that a former tenant of her apartment had left after the tenant's death.
Beaudoux started sorting through all of the photos and letters and artifacts of the tenant, who Beaudoux learned was named Madeleine, and slowly she began to post pictures and commentary of her findings on Twitter. From this Twitter feed, a book formed.
What sorts of things did Beaudoux find?
Photos. Letters.
Postcards.
Travel brochures.
All the wonderful and mysterious things that make up a long human life.
It's an absolutely fascinating book about a regular yet quite intriguing person. I was completely drawn deeper and deeper into the story of this woman as Beaudoux found and shared and speculated upon all the comedies and dramas of Madeleine's life.
I think you might be, too.
What is The Madeleine Project? It's a project Clara Beaudoux began when she discovered the belongings in the basement that a former tenant of her apartment had left after the tenant's death.
Beaudoux started sorting through all of the photos and letters and artifacts of the tenant, who Beaudoux learned was named Madeleine, and slowly she began to post pictures and commentary of her findings on Twitter. From this Twitter feed, a book formed.
What sorts of things did Beaudoux find?
Photos. Letters.
Postcards.
Travel brochures.
All the wonderful and mysterious things that make up a long human life.
It's an absolutely fascinating book about a regular yet quite intriguing person. I was completely drawn deeper and deeper into the story of this woman as Beaudoux found and shared and speculated upon all the comedies and dramas of Madeleine's life.
I think you might be, too.
September 1, 2025
Ça fait longtemps que je suit Madeleine par l’entremise de Clara, j’étais tombée sur la première édition du livre il y a bientôt 10 ans. Et puis dans une autre vie, je tombe sur l’édition plus complète en solde dans ma librairie locale. Quel hasard! C’est finalement au moins 2 ans plus tard que j’en ai fait la lecture. J’ai beaucoup aimé le contenu et le contenant, qui ne peut être plus original.
July 19, 2021
Recueil de tweets de Clara Beaudoux à propos des objets retrouvés dans sa cave pleine d'objets appartenant à Madeleine, l'ancienne locataire de son appartement. Clara dresse la vie d'une dame ayant vécu tout au long du 20ème siècle avec les évolutions de celui-ci. Cela fait l'effet d'un grand-vide grenier et d'un jeu de piste. C'est beau et touchant. La vie ordinaire au XXème siècle. Est ce que c'est passionnant ? Pas vraiment.
August 1, 2017
Beautiful hymn to life and to literature as community building. In a unique format and great respect, Madeleine’s story is revealed to you. Very moving.
my full review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2017/07/18/...
my full review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2017/07/18/...
January 14, 2019
This is the type of book I paused reading to send texts and do tweets and Instagram posts to tell the WHOLE WORLD to read. What an unexpected gem of a reading experience. I had originally doubted the ability to tell an emotional, compelling story through tweets - but the author manages to do so in spectacular fashion. This story has lingered with me over the weeks I've been reading it (I've done it in doses, to soak it all in), and I'm touched by the sensitivity with which the author connects modern readers, in modern fashion, to a life of the past. A life that might have been lost in that cellar, and that you find yourself caring about very much. Beautiful.
July 16, 2017
As someone who just decluttered and moved (and needs to continue decluttering), this was an interesting book to read! Imagine finding a storage room filled with someone else’s belongings from a different era… and then imagine tweeting about it! It is an interesting way to glimpse into the life of Madeleine. At times, I found myself frustrated that I couldn’t “click” to enlarge a photo or “click” on a link that was provided (etsy, youtube!), so I did end up going online and finding the songs she linked to (here's one: https://youtu.be/47P4E627NB0).
I didn’t look for the audio of her interviews with those who knew her, as I don’t speak French, but I am glad that the author went in search of those who knew and remembered Madeleine, as I loved their thoughts about her. The common thread seemed to be “I wish I had asked her more questions, got to know her better,” which led to, “I wish I knew my own parents/aunts/uncles/grandparents better, had asked them more questions.” And that made me grateful that in my family we bought both of my parents a Story Worth subscription** so they are receiving weekly emails with questions about their lives which will be compiled into a book at the end of a year.
Ultimately, this book was not fully satisfying to me. I love Twitter, so I am now following #Madeleineproject and the author (@clarabdx) and will check in occasionally. This book takes you through Seasons 1 and 2 and currently the author is working on Season 4, so I have some catching up to do. I would have loved more of the interaction with other Twitter followers to more fully develop the story of Madeleine and Paris. Unfortunately I don’t read or understand French, and the Storify links don’t translate, so I probably will not delve too much further into the life of Madeleine.
But maybe with all my decluttering, I will create a time capsule of life in the early 2000s that can be discovered by grandchildren in their adulthood. And I will be more purposeful in asking questions and learning about all the people in my life.
**I really should work for Story Worth, because I love it so and recommend it to everyone I know! Go to www.StoryWorth.com for more information!
I received a copy of the title from the publisher for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Giveaway at my blog!
I didn’t look for the audio of her interviews with those who knew her, as I don’t speak French, but I am glad that the author went in search of those who knew and remembered Madeleine, as I loved their thoughts about her. The common thread seemed to be “I wish I had asked her more questions, got to know her better,” which led to, “I wish I knew my own parents/aunts/uncles/grandparents better, had asked them more questions.” And that made me grateful that in my family we bought both of my parents a Story Worth subscription** so they are receiving weekly emails with questions about their lives which will be compiled into a book at the end of a year.
Ultimately, this book was not fully satisfying to me. I love Twitter, so I am now following #Madeleineproject and the author (@clarabdx) and will check in occasionally. This book takes you through Seasons 1 and 2 and currently the author is working on Season 4, so I have some catching up to do. I would have loved more of the interaction with other Twitter followers to more fully develop the story of Madeleine and Paris. Unfortunately I don’t read or understand French, and the Storify links don’t translate, so I probably will not delve too much further into the life of Madeleine.
But maybe with all my decluttering, I will create a time capsule of life in the early 2000s that can be discovered by grandchildren in their adulthood. And I will be more purposeful in asking questions and learning about all the people in my life.
**I really should work for Story Worth, because I love it so and recommend it to everyone I know! Go to www.StoryWorth.com for more information!
I received a copy of the title from the publisher for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Giveaway at my blog!
January 26, 2018
Un gros coup de cœur !
Une sorte de documentaire romancé, une recherche moderne (écrite sur Twitter donc avec la contrainte des 140 caractères). C’est frais, ça fait penser à nos propres grands-parents (et je suis d’accord, toutes les grands-mères ont la même écriture!).
De plus, des élèves participent à cette enquête (forcément, ça me donne envie de faire ce genre de travail avec l’une de mes prochaines classes).
Enfin, j’aime beaucoup le questionnement de l’auteure: elle se demande si elle a le droit de publier telle ou telle chose, si Madeleine aurait aimé voir sa vie décortiquée, publiée... et si au final elle n’avait pas laissé cette cave dans cet état pour qu’on remonte le fil de son histoire.
C’est une œuvre pleine de charme, mettant en avant la vie d’une femme, lui rendant hommage afin qu’elle ne tombe pas dans l’oubli.
Une sorte de documentaire romancé, une recherche moderne (écrite sur Twitter donc avec la contrainte des 140 caractères). C’est frais, ça fait penser à nos propres grands-parents (et je suis d’accord, toutes les grands-mères ont la même écriture!).
De plus, des élèves participent à cette enquête (forcément, ça me donne envie de faire ce genre de travail avec l’une de mes prochaines classes).
Enfin, j’aime beaucoup le questionnement de l’auteure: elle se demande si elle a le droit de publier telle ou telle chose, si Madeleine aurait aimé voir sa vie décortiquée, publiée... et si au final elle n’avait pas laissé cette cave dans cet état pour qu’on remonte le fil de son histoire.
C’est une œuvre pleine de charme, mettant en avant la vie d’une femme, lui rendant hommage afin qu’elle ne tombe pas dans l’oubli.
July 14, 2017
The Madeleine Project by Clara Beaudoux explores the life of Madeleine through the belongings she left behind in her Paris storage unit. The author moves into the apartment and when she finds that the cellar is padlocked and full of belongings, she contacts the previous owner's godson. He has no interest in the items, so the author saws through the padlock and begins itemizing on Twitter the boxes and suitcases full of memories.
I'm at an interesting point to read this book, since I myself am going through a "cellar" full of things, letters and awards and treasures, to decide what to keep and what to discard. I wonder what a stranger would piece together about my life if she happened upon the things I've deemed worthy of keeping.
Since the book is mostly a series of tweets, it's a very quick read, with time to pause and peruse the pictures a little closer.
As a person who loves France and who loves a good historical mystery, I enjoyed peeking into the life of this French woman who would have turned 100 in 2015 if she had lived that long. Madeleine never married but she traveled and had a fiance who died in 1943, according to the author's findings.
I might have found all of this paraphernalia left behind just mildly interesting, if not for the author's own notes in the middle of the book. In the midst of documenting Madeleine's life from 70 years before, the terrorist attacks in Paris occurred, killing 130 people. The author decided to continue documenting Madeleine's life to share the beauty that she found. I think what she actually shared was the connection between all people, no matter the hurdles. When you imagine Madeleine living in Paris throughout World War II and then you picture the author living in Madeleine's apartment through another series of attacks, you can see the strand, like metal, that connects them and all of us. The author turned toward Madeleine's treasures, the mundane things in life that make it wonderful and also give us the stamina to continue in the face of evil -- one sweetly-worded letter or a hard-earned diploma or a family picture.
This book, translated from French, is more of a graphic novel than a traditional novel, but it still runs the gamut of emotion.
The book will not be released until September, so put it on your list for some fall reading.
I'm at an interesting point to read this book, since I myself am going through a "cellar" full of things, letters and awards and treasures, to decide what to keep and what to discard. I wonder what a stranger would piece together about my life if she happened upon the things I've deemed worthy of keeping.
Since the book is mostly a series of tweets, it's a very quick read, with time to pause and peruse the pictures a little closer.
As a person who loves France and who loves a good historical mystery, I enjoyed peeking into the life of this French woman who would have turned 100 in 2015 if she had lived that long. Madeleine never married but she traveled and had a fiance who died in 1943, according to the author's findings.
I might have found all of this paraphernalia left behind just mildly interesting, if not for the author's own notes in the middle of the book. In the midst of documenting Madeleine's life from 70 years before, the terrorist attacks in Paris occurred, killing 130 people. The author decided to continue documenting Madeleine's life to share the beauty that she found. I think what she actually shared was the connection between all people, no matter the hurdles. When you imagine Madeleine living in Paris throughout World War II and then you picture the author living in Madeleine's apartment through another series of attacks, you can see the strand, like metal, that connects them and all of us. The author turned toward Madeleine's treasures, the mundane things in life that make it wonderful and also give us the stamina to continue in the face of evil -- one sweetly-worded letter or a hard-earned diploma or a family picture.
This book, translated from French, is more of a graphic novel than a traditional novel, but it still runs the gamut of emotion.
The book will not be released until September, so put it on your list for some fall reading.
April 16, 2021
I loved this dive into history. Just reminds me that everyone has a story to be told🥰
September 13, 2017
The blurb for this book fascinated me, as I’ve always wanted to be the fortunate one to discover a treasure trove of personal items from a time past. (So far, I haven’t had much luck!) The book covers the first two “seasons” where Clara finds and begins to dig through Madeleine’s effects, left in the cellar in suitcases and boxes. Each little bit of the past intrigued me, and though I enjoyed the book, it was also frustrating. The format is such that the pages are filled with the author’s Twitter posts. Nothing wrong with that overall, but you can’t enlarge any of the photographs she’s placed in the tweets. For me, liking detail, it defeats the purpose of the book altogether.
I did, however, go find the author’s website and read through all four seasons, clicking happily to enlarge photos or to watch video. It was far more satisfying. (go here: http://madeleineproject.fr/ — Google can translate a lot of it for you if you don’t speak French, though Chrome doesn’t seem to like translating the storify’d pages of tweets.) I expect this book would be better in its print format than on ebook (I was provided a copy of the PDF via Edelweiss, which I found limiting), as a record of Clara’s experiences.
Don’t let the formatting put you off; the material itself was fantastic and fascinating.
I did, however, go find the author’s website and read through all four seasons, clicking happily to enlarge photos or to watch video. It was far more satisfying. (go here: http://madeleineproject.fr/ — Google can translate a lot of it for you if you don’t speak French, though Chrome doesn’t seem to like translating the storify’d pages of tweets.) I expect this book would be better in its print format than on ebook (I was provided a copy of the PDF via Edelweiss, which I found limiting), as a record of Clara’s experiences.
Don’t let the formatting put you off; the material itself was fantastic and fascinating.
July 23, 2016
« En même temps, j’ai été très touchée que de si petites choses puissent tant intéresser des internautes de tous âges. Ces petits détails infimes, ces microsouvenirs, ces pétales séchés, ces crayons vieillis… Toute cette beauté du quotidien, qu’on oublie souvent de regarder, pouvait se révéler. Le fait que l’infime puisse ainsi toucher tant de personnes, m’a redonné un peu confiance en ce que nous sommes, en ce que nous pouvons aimer. Je me suis accrochée à cette idée. » p.134
Un reportage touchant, d'abord publié sur Twitter.
Un reportage touchant, d'abord publié sur Twitter.
October 24, 2016
17/20
Une initiative étonnante pour redonner vie à une femme et découvrir ce qu’elle a laissé derrière elle. On suit avec beaucoup d’attention l’évolution des recherches menées par Clara Beaudoux, on s’attache à la femme qu’a été Madeleine, on touche un peu l’Histoire, celle qui ne nous est pas familière, qui dépasse notre époque. Chaque vie est extraordinaire, ce projet en est la preuve.
Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...
Une initiative étonnante pour redonner vie à une femme et découvrir ce qu’elle a laissé derrière elle. On suit avec beaucoup d’attention l’évolution des recherches menées par Clara Beaudoux, on s’attache à la femme qu’a été Madeleine, on touche un peu l’Histoire, celle qui ne nous est pas familière, qui dépasse notre époque. Chaque vie est extraordinaire, ce projet en est la preuve.
Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...
December 2, 2019
Quick Review: What a gem of a book! I'm fascinated with quotidian history/a history of the quotidian, and this book delivered in a big way. A journalist examines the contents of the cellar storage unit for her new apartment and discovers and documents the life of the former tenant, Madeleine, on Twitter. I wish it were longer! Slight compliant: the image quality and image repro quality of the Tweets seem a little fuzzy...
January 21, 2017
Belle découverte pour moi ! Tant sur le fond : Clara Beaudoux explore les affaires de Madeleine retrouvées dans la cave de son appartement, que sur la forme de docu Twitter. On accroche, on dévore ce livre !
July 28, 2016
4,5
Une très très bonne lecture, émouvante, pleine de poésie et de tendresse...
Une très très bonne lecture, émouvante, pleine de poésie et de tendresse...
September 17, 2017
The synopsis of this book instantly piqued my interest. The romance of a forgotten life stored away in a basement, tinged with sadness because seemingly no one who knew Madeleine was interested in the memories it contained. As Clara begins to open each box and suitcase, she shares the contents on Twitter, and like discovering buried treasure, the anticipation and excitement about what else she might find soon builds up.
I originally thought this was going to be a book based on her Twitter story, however with the addition of some of her thoughts, it is actually a direct replication of her Twitter feed. This is unusual and at first it didn’t feel much like I was reading a book, more scrolling through my Twitter feed, however I soon began to appreciate the benefit – the photos. Clara’s way sharing of Madeleine’s life is a very visual one and the images of the boxes, envelopes and other personal effects are cleverly composed. It felt like I was there each step of the way and I found it difficult to stop scrolling through, intrigued to see what came next. Alongside the pictures, Clara talks to Madeleine, asking her questions about her life and the possessions she chose to keep hold of and I enjoyed her one-way dialogue. Like Clara, I felt a lot of affection for Madeleine and I learned a lot through her life and memories. I also began to wonder how many more ‘Madeleines’ there are, hidden away in lofts and basements, forgotten for now, but awaiting the right person to discover them.
This is a fascinating social history project and I’d like to thank Clara for sharing her discovery with the world and doing so with respect and compassion.
I originally thought this was going to be a book based on her Twitter story, however with the addition of some of her thoughts, it is actually a direct replication of her Twitter feed. This is unusual and at first it didn’t feel much like I was reading a book, more scrolling through my Twitter feed, however I soon began to appreciate the benefit – the photos. Clara’s way sharing of Madeleine’s life is a very visual one and the images of the boxes, envelopes and other personal effects are cleverly composed. It felt like I was there each step of the way and I found it difficult to stop scrolling through, intrigued to see what came next. Alongside the pictures, Clara talks to Madeleine, asking her questions about her life and the possessions she chose to keep hold of and I enjoyed her one-way dialogue. Like Clara, I felt a lot of affection for Madeleine and I learned a lot through her life and memories. I also began to wonder how many more ‘Madeleines’ there are, hidden away in lofts and basements, forgotten for now, but awaiting the right person to discover them.
This is a fascinating social history project and I’d like to thank Clara for sharing her discovery with the world and doing so with respect and compassion.
October 11, 2017
The Madeleine Project is one of the most unique books I have read, given it is a compilation of the author, Clara Beaudoux's, tweets whilst cleaning out the cellar of her new Paris apartment. Upon moving in, Clara discovers the previous owner, Madeleine, who recently passed away, has left the cellar full of personal items. As she begins to go through the boxes and suitcases, Clara slowly learns about Madeleine and the life she lived. Through the letters, postcards and photographs she finds, Clara pieces together a picture of who Madeleine was and the people and places she loved.
I love books about people, especially real people, which is why I read a lot of non fiction and historical fiction. So, this book appealed to me immediately on that level. To me, a good book will inspire me to do something different in my own life or make me think about something in a way I haven't before. This book accomplishes both of those. It inspires me to take more time to get to know the elderly neighbors around me and view them as people with their own interesting history. It also made me think about what my own legacy will be and reflect on what someone would think if they went through my things after I passed away. Madeleine's belongings alone told the story of a joyful, smart, talented and loving person - what other kind of story would we want our lives to tell?
I can't say enough good things about this book and I highly recommend it!
I love books about people, especially real people, which is why I read a lot of non fiction and historical fiction. So, this book appealed to me immediately on that level. To me, a good book will inspire me to do something different in my own life or make me think about something in a way I haven't before. This book accomplishes both of those. It inspires me to take more time to get to know the elderly neighbors around me and view them as people with their own interesting history. It also made me think about what my own legacy will be and reflect on what someone would think if they went through my things after I passed away. Madeleine's belongings alone told the story of a joyful, smart, talented and loving person - what other kind of story would we want our lives to tell?
I can't say enough good things about this book and I highly recommend it!
January 28, 2018
When Clara Beaudoux moved into her new apartment, she didn't realize she'd be inheriting the remains of another life. In her cellar were the possessions of the former tenant, a woman named Madeleine who lived there up until her death. As Clara went through the cellar, she began to document the various possessions and the effect they had on her and who this person, this Madeleine, might have been. I was fascinated to think about the stories that our possessions tell, what can be inferred and implied from a treasured letter, a date book, or a pair of shoes. Beaudoux's investigation was heart-warming and lovely, a treat to be able to learn about the life, extraordinary and not, of a normal woman in Paris.
October 19, 2017
This is a very unique concept for a book in two ways. The first is the way it is written; in tweets. Second, the subject matter of the book. In a Paris apartment a new tenet stumbles across a cellar full of the previous owners belongings. From there she unveils her belongings and comes to learn more about the woman who used to live there.
While this was not my cup of tea I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction. There are some really neat artifacts that are discovered in the cellar. I did enjoy the concept of a book written in Twitter and feel that this format maybe used more in the future.
A quick fun read for a history buff!
While this was not my cup of tea I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction. There are some really neat artifacts that are discovered in the cellar. I did enjoy the concept of a book written in Twitter and feel that this format maybe used more in the future.
A quick fun read for a history buff!
January 12, 2018
Comment ça, vous ne connaissez pas le #Madeleineproject ?
Pour être honnête, moi non plus avant la présentation par François Bon de ce livre. Sur lequel je me suis précipité. et que j’ai dévoré.
Je suis depuis abonnée au fil Twitter de Clara Beaudoux, et je suis l’avancée de la saison 5 sur le site : Madeleineproject.fr
Ne comptez pas sur moi pour vous en dire plus, vous pouvez suivre l’origine et les avancées du Project en ligne.
Bonne lecture de tweets !
http://alexmotamots.fr/madeleine-proj...
Pour être honnête, moi non plus avant la présentation par François Bon de ce livre. Sur lequel je me suis précipité. et que j’ai dévoré.
Je suis depuis abonnée au fil Twitter de Clara Beaudoux, et je suis l’avancée de la saison 5 sur le site : Madeleineproject.fr
Ne comptez pas sur moi pour vous en dire plus, vous pouvez suivre l’origine et les avancées du Project en ligne.
Bonne lecture de tweets !
http://alexmotamots.fr/madeleine-proj...
April 7, 2018
I really liked this book. It is about a young woman who moves into an apartment that an older woman, Madeleine had lived in for 20 years and had died. Her godson had cleaned out her apartment but inadvertently left behind a storage locker in the basement full of her things. Clara went through them and posted on twitter what she had been finding out about this woman Madeleine. I presume that it was originally written in French but I read the English translation of this book.
I loved seeing the pictures and getting some insight into Clara's life as she explores Madeleine's.
I loved seeing the pictures and getting some insight into Clara's life as she explores Madeleine's.
October 22, 2021
I loved this book! A young French journalist moves into a Paris apartment and finds a cellar full of the previous tenant’s belongings, who had recently died at the age of 90. Clara, the current resident, starts going through the belongings and begins tweeting about her finds, in so doing putting together a picture of this woman’s life. A reminder to us all to learn more about our loved ones. Also a reminder of how powerful social media can be when used for good. Would love to read more if the author makes any more discoveries. (BTW—this is nonfiction.)
August 25, 2017
A treat of a book .When Clara moves into her apartment she discovers a locked cellar when she opens it she discovers Madeleine the woman who had lived in this apartment till she passed away.Her life in memories diplomas postcard.&on &on.Clara shares with us this unique find in a lovely way a modern way posting pictures of her discoveries on twitter,.A lovely book she honors Madeleine &her life with this unique book.
June 15, 2018
Lovely and sweet! This "book" was essentially a printout of the author's long series of tweets on Twitter. Clara moved into a Paris apartment and found that her storage room was full of items left by the previous tenant of her apartment - a 90+ year old woman named Madeleine. Clara is fascinated by the woman's belongings and begins to catalog them on Twitter, along with photos and musings. This is a one-sitting book that will delight.
November 28, 2019
Told almost entirely through tweets, The Madeleine Project harnesses the power of social media to express the story of a life lived before such things existed. A haunting portrait of the impact we each have, and the little clues we leave behind ... It makes you wonder what someone would make of your life if they went digging? What do the remnants of your life say about you? A short, but highly recommended, read.
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