Curiosities of Paris: An idiosyncratic guide to overlooked delights... hidden in plain sight

by Dominique Lesbros, Simon Beaver (Translation)

Francophiles and Paris buffs will find something new and fascinating in this timeless guidebook, filed with sites, passageways, hotels, shops, and more
This absorbing compendium is an essential addition to the library of the armchair traveler and flaneur alike. Lavishly illustrated with 800 color photographs, this fact-packed treasury leads readers through the streets of Paris and, by pointing out unique locations and architectural oddities, as well as utilitarian objects whose functions have long been obscured with the passage of time, reveals a previously unnoticed city.
Organized by subject--fountains and wells; centuries-old shop signs; vestiges of wars and ancient Egypt; hotels of legend; civic measurement devices; traces of rites and superstitions; remarkable trees; sundials and meridians; equestrian Paris; romantic ruins; unusual tombs, stairways, and passageways; religious relics; mosaics; public barometers and thermometers; and hundreds more urban elements and anachronisms--this delightful guide deepens the reader's knowledge and appreciation of Paris through the centuries.
In the introduction to her unusual encyclopedia of the Parisian streetscape, Dominique Lesbros writes, -a city is nothing if not a vast cabinet of curiosities.- Entrez! The book also includes three themed walks (along the city's ancient walls, in the steps of Quasimodo, and through the French Revolution), as well as an index of street names.

Genres: Travel, France, Nonfiction, Art, History

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2012

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this book for my sister, who frequently goes to Paris, and for me, who has only been one time but dreams of returning, at BookExpo this year.

It will be perfect for my sister. It was a little much for me.

My sister knows everything about Paris that appears in the guidebooks. She will love this fresh and detailed look at the interesting small pleasures of Paris.

I know ten places in Paris, and none of those do I know well. This book seemed overwhelming to me.

In ten more years, after I have been to Paris several more times...it will be perfect for me, too.

[Kursad Albayraktaroglu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated, well-written book about the little-known, small details of Parisian life and architecture. If you have ever walked around in Paris and wondered why there are small stone posts on the sides of apartment doors, why the drinking water fountains are the way they are, and why some street lamps just look odd; you definitely need this book.

I read this book before a recent trip to the City of Light, and knowing the fascinating historical background and explanation behind these small details made my strolls much more memorable. A must-read for Paris lovers and flaneurs everywhere.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unconventional guide to Paris, focusing on such things as the old street lamps with pictures of the last existing ones, French Revolution-era street signs, etc. Lots of photos, the writing is a bit disjointed, but interesting to flip through.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun and interesting. Masked me want to buy a plane ticket and just wander the streets of Paris, looking for cool stuff!

[Ruthmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down, and it just arrived in this morning's mail. I will return to it again and again, I know. I'm a minimalist traveler, but next trip to Paris, I'll make room for this paperback no matter what. Absolutely entrancing! The work is divided by topics (remnants of various political events, remnants from various trades, mistakes made on stone engravings as well as removal of information on stone engravings during the Revolution, hidden art, Métro art, traces of old city walls, etc. etc.), but at the end of the book is a very much appreciated listing of curiosities by arrondissement and street that allows travelers to find out what they missed during recent stays so that they can make up for it next time, and for future travelers to add certain sights to their itineraries! Thank you, thank you, Dominique Lesbros, for resurrecting the lost art of the gazette.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A caveat: this is not a guidebook for the casual traveler. This is a guidebook for the wanderer who peeks into all of the nooks and crannies, keeps their eye to the sky for a glimpse of the unknown, peers into subterranean depths. Perhaps even for the amateur or budding historian, the reader fascinated by relics of bygone days.

Just like it says on the tin, this book has curiosities in spades. Divided by theme or object, each chapter outlines a section of Paris's history, be it equine, signage, or water-based. There are hundreds of oddities here, meticulously researched and lovingly outlined, presented somewhat haphazardly with a thumbnail and a street address. The format of the book is a bit too large to be practical to haul around on the hunt - best to jot down the addresses of the curiosities you're after - but I think it would be even better served as a large-format edition to present the curios of Paris in all their oddball glory. The history and insight presented here will enrich your understanding of the City of Lights and provide some fascinating context to the mundane and the unusual alike.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely interesting. I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I'd been at all familiar with the layout of Paris, or could have gone to see some of the things shown here. Didn't stop it all from being really neat, and I could pick up some bits of information about bygone Paris anyways. Probably would appeal to a lot of 99% Invisible listeners.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! A wonderful departure from normal guidebooks, I will have to take this with me when I go to Paris.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative- can't wait to look for many of these curiosities on my next trip to Paris

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of cool things to see even for those who have been to Paris a few times.

[Céline · Rating 5 out of 5]

PARIS MON AMOUR.

Une ode à Paris et ses détails.

Un magnifique ouvrage sur la plus belle ville du monde.

Pour connaître Paris d'avantage, jusqu'à ces moindres recoin.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idiosyncratic as advertised, and a delight to browse through.

[Trish Graboske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great trivia, but the book is designed to be followed up with in-person visits, because the 800 photos are very small.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are so many odd things in Paris for an American to see and experience - this tome is worn and out of date.

[Jeff Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the city of light, from the curious to the bizzare, it's all covered here in endless detail.. your next walk in this beautiful city will be so much more exciting and memorable if you read this first