We'll Always Have Paris: Sex & Love in the City of Light

by John Baxter

For more than a century, pilgrims from all over the world seeking romance and passion have made their way to the City of Light. The seductive lure of Paris has long been irresistible to lovers, artists, epicureans, and connoisseurs of the good life. Globe-trotting film critic and writer John Baxter heard her siren song and was bewitched. Now he offers readers a witty, audacious, scandalous behind-the-scenes excursion into the colorful all-night show that is Paris -- interweaving his own experience of falling in love, with a delightfully salacious tour of the sultry Parisian corners most guidebooks ignore: from the literary cafés of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and de Beauvoir to the brothels where Dietrich and Duke Ellington held court, where Salvador Dali sated his fantasies, and Edward VII kept a sumptuous champagne bath for his favorite girls.

Genres: Travel, France, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, History, Autobiography

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

John Baxter (born 1939 in Randwick, New South Wales) is an Australian-born writer, journalist, and film-maker.

Baxter has lived in Britain and the United States as well as in his native Sydney, but has made his home in Paris since 1989, where he is married to the film-maker Marie-Dominique Montel. They have one daughter, Louise.

He began writing science fiction in the early 1960s for New Worlds, Science Fantasy and other British magazines. His first novel, though serialised in New Worlds as THE GOD KILLERS, was published as a book in the US by Ace as The Off-Worlders. He was Visiting Professor at Hollins College in Virginia in 1975-1976. He has written a number of short stories and novels in that genre and a book about SF in the movies, as well as editing collections of Australian science fiction.

Baxter has also written a large number of other works dealing with the movies, including biographies of film personalities, including Federico Fellini, Luis Buñuel, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, George Lucas and Robert De Niro. He has written a number of documentaries, including a survey of the life and work of the painter Fernando Botero. He also co-produced, wrote and presented three television series for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Filmstruck, First Take and The Cutting Room, and was co-editor of the ABC book programme Books And Writing.

In the 1960s, he was a member of the WEA Film Study Group with such notable people as Ian Klava, Frank Moorhouse, Michael Thornhill, John Flaus and Ken Quinnell. From July 1965 to December 1967 the WEA Film Study Group published the cinema journal FILM DIGEST. This journal was edited by John Baxter.

For a number of years in the sixties, he was active in the Sydney Film Festival, and during the 1980s served in a consulting capacity on a number of film-funding bodies, as well as writing film criticism for The Australian and other periodicals. Some of his books have been translated into various languages, including Japanese and Chinese.

Since moving to Paris, he has written four books of autobiography, A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict, We'll Always Have Paris: Sex and Love in the City of Light, Immoveable feast : a Paris Christmas, and The Most Beautiful Walk in the World : a Pedestrian in Paris.

Since 2007 he has been co-director of the annual Paris Writers Workshop.

Reviews

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book as entertainment for my 9 hour flight to Paris, unfortunately, in my haste to the airport I forgot the book on my entry table. While meeting with a business contact at a cafe in the left bank, he introduces me to a gentleman who walks in. He's introduced to me as an Australian author who now resides in Paris with his French wife and daughter. This pleasant man joins us and remains chatting with me long after my business contact had departed. We had a wonderful conversation about Paris, literature, history and many more wonderful topics. He was a true pleasure!!! We exchanged business cards, promised to stay in contact and went on our merry ways. Upon my return home I find the book exactly where I left it. What a surprise when I examined the back of the book. I see the photo of John Baxter... the pleasant man I met in Paris via my business contact. It was pure Kismet!!!

John's love for the written word is palpable in everything he writes. We'll always have Paris is delightful, entertaining and packed with Paris history and interesting anecdotes from the people who lived there. I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone, especially those who love Paris!

[Molly Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, the author's first book about Paris, is OK but not as good as his second book about Paris, "The Most Beautiful Walk in the World" (which I read first). He covered a lot of the same ground in the second book so this book quite often seemed like a rehash of old news. Sometimes he went on way too long, specifically the Surrealists and Man Ray. And there were errors...even I know that the napkin over the head bit is done when one eats a roasted ortolan not when one sits down to a dinner of lampreys stewed in red wine. Still, the book has some very funny moments and the author's love of Paris comes shining through it all. Rehashed Paris is better than no Paris at all. I enjoyed the book enough to want to move on to his third book about the city which is called "Immoveable Feast: A Christmas in Paris".

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's always disappointing when a book takes on topics that seem to be impossible to make boring and does so. Sex? Paris? What is going on? There is no excuse to write a book so bland!

Disorganized and uninteresting, it does not know if it wants to be a history of cinema and literature, a book about sex in Paris, or a memoir. It also cannot decide if it wants to be shockingly graphic or simply suggestive and chooses a lurid in-between area where no writing about sex should land.

The anecdotes about artists and writers lack vividness and plod along. The first-person stories are either too self-absorbed or without the warmth that should accompany a personal narrative. The writer's partner seems like a prop, even when pregnant with their child, rather than a real person. And though it should be impossible to make Paris sound rather dull, this book manages to do so.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book about Paris, especially about the Paris of the Lost Generation (1920s and 1930s). Though it's written from a modern era, by someone who loves Paris, especially the more risque side of the city, and delights in exploring it's tawdry history. John Baxter also follows every romantic Paris-lovers dream ... though a successful journalist and writer in LA, he chucks it all to marry a Parisian woman he dated long ago and reconnected with, and moves to Paris with her, living in a palatial apartment overlooking Notre Dame, and spending his days exploring Paris's very colorful streets, finding out where legendary whorehouses like Le Sphinx and the Chabanais were, or arranging to meet a former model of Man Ray's, or seeing the coffeeshops and neighborhoods where Hemingway roamed. Definitely a fun and quick read, almost like beach literature (even since it's a bit naughty), only it's non-fiction!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was by no means a bad book, I just did not enjoy it nearly as much as I had hoped to, or as much as I have enjoyed other memoirs. I guess part of the problem is that it wasn't entirely a memoir. Instead, it focuses a lot on Paris history. And not just any history, but the raunchy history. And that topic doesn't offend me, but that is not what I picked up the bok for. So I have to be honest, I was disappointed. I was also annoyed with the name-dropping. So you are an Australian who knows lots of important people in Paris, congrats.
This was an ok read; not one I plan on reading again, but not one that makes me feel like I wasted my time either. End of story.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am re-reading this gem of a combination memoir/travel/romance/humor. Baxter paints vivid scenes which take you to the heart of the Parisians & Paris along with personal reminisences & observations which light up his chapters.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness...what a treat!
I really enjoy John Baxter's writing, his diversity of subjects, his endless curiosity, and his unadulterated understanding and love of Paris, a city who is and will always be feminine. And I have the feeling that Baxter is an unashamed lover of women in general.
The somewhat unfocused and wandering trajectory of this book makes it feel like you're taking a slow stroll with him around the various arrondissements of his adopted city, and he's talking to you about whatever your present location reminds him of...some person, a meal, some myth, some story, a former neighbor, his wife and her family, some store or restaurant that used to be there...and then there's the birth of his daughter...
This certainly won't be the last of his books I read.

[Dan Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on life living abroad in France, by John Baxter, a native-Australian who has moved to Paris and made France his new home, after falling in love with a fellow writer, a French national, with whom Mr. Baxter fathers a child and then, eventually marries. This book is chock-full of witticisms, literary and obtuse film references that will make you remember and smile; and somehow, strangely but oh-so enjoyably, the author's travelogue of sorts manages to keep coming round and round again to its central-theme: the long and storied history of "sex and love in the City of Light."

[Anne Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable but for me - not quite as good as its dust jacket reviews promised. Australian author John Baxter has to earn a living now he has moved to Paris and set up home with wife and child. He tries to find aspects of Paris not covered in other travelogues / journals - the underground history of sex and love in Paris, with a focus on some of Paris's memorable expats. This is intermingles with biographical stories of his own, sharing the experience of settling in a city that is the home of his wife, Marie-Dominique and her family.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, no doubt. However, unfortunately, this is not something that I will want to refer to, or read again, if I want to experience Paris. There is clearly an attempt at humor, but there's just something lacking. The only funny thing that I will probably remember is a line in the last chapter where John Baxter's sister who came to be godmother of the baby, probably in her attempt to translate to French, instead said that she was the mother of God.:-)

[Joe McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have visited Paris over the course of forty years, not recently. John Baxter's narrative of living there made up for my visits as a wandering tourist. His account is personal, with the ending third of the book given to the pregnancy of his permanent partner. He wants a priest for Baptism though his faith seems minimal. The earlier part of the book contains sexy vignettes we did not notice. He is from Australia. His wife is French.

[b e a c h g o t h · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. I didn’t just read this book, I LIVED it. This book got me checking flight prices to paris within the first few pages. I loved every second of this book. The quotations, the films and books mentioned, the Parisian lifestyle tips, everything EVERYTHING about this book was wonderful and I’d read it again in a heartbeat.

[Charlieo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the most tediously boring book I've attempted to read in more years than I can remember. It's filled with references to everything, actors, authors, movie stars, etc. I couldn't get past chapter 3. I was so terribly disappointed.

I should have remembered how much I disliked "The Most Beautiful Walk . . . . .", and then I wouldn't have wasted my time.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this for 5 euros at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris. Mostly just wanted to read about Paris, and this certainly did the trick!

[Domenica Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meh, it's ok. It's rather a biography of the author. It has some interesting information about Paris in the past and up to the 90's. A few pictures in the center.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too rambly...or maybe I just didn't enjoy the rambles. Not really my taste.

[Candace Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love how John Baxters includes history in the books he writes. its a story and history lesson all in one.

[Helynne]

As is true of all of John Baxter’s books about Paris, this one is filled with interesting research and fascinating facts about the City of Light in the 1920s and 1930s. One should take note of the title, however, and be warned that the some of the facts recounted here are unusually raucous and risqué. My personal back story about this book is that I had read all of John Baxter’s tomes on Paris except this one, so when my son asked me what I would like for a birthday gift, I suggested this book. However, my daughter-in-law was so scandalized by the title that she refused to buy it for me, and gave me an entirely different book about Paris (which I was happy to have). She had a point. Baxter’s content does center largely on various sexual topics, mostly in 1920s Paris, including scandalous sex shows and hangouts for the LGTBQ crowd which was much more bold and visible in the French capital in that era than it would ever have dared be in America. There are also descriptions of the rude antics of British novelist Graham Green and future King Edward VIII during their stays in Paris and the pornographic bent of surrealist Man Ray. The few black and white photos included in the book are definitely adult as well.

However, the book’s emphasis is not solely on the sordid aspects of Paris. Australia-born Baxter shares the story of how he met his future wife Marie-Dominique in Paris, and how they eventually married and had their first child (not in that order). Baxter discusses his adjustments to the vagaries of French culture regarding real estate, obstetrics, the ongoing struggle in Paris to keep the streets clear of dog droppings, and of course, cuisine. “There is almost no animal a French person won’t cook and eat” (59). (I won’t go into detail; it gets more gross than the sex stuff).

The author also shares colorful descriptions of his joy at perusing museums and used bookstores and eating at the same cafés once frequented by Ernest Hemingway. (He notes, however, that Hemingway’s habit of writing while sitting in a café is decidedly un-French. “No French person, especially a professional, would be seen writing in a café. Literature wasn’t something you carried on in public,, any more than dentistry” [285]). And Baxter and Marie-Do soon find out that having an apartment in Paris is an irresistible draw for out-of-country friends and family who invite themselves to come and make themselves at home. (Some real horror stories there).

The anecdotes—historical and present-day—go on and on. Basically the main message is, “Everyone who comes to Paris to stay realizes the city has been waiting for them” (64).

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Baxter interweaves the tale of his love story with Marie-Do, his love story with Paris, and the story of love and sex in Paris in this book, We'll Always Have Paris.

In the end, I had mixed feelings about the book. The stories of Baxter's meetings with the famous and the infamous in Paris had a sense of boasting that I didn't like. The stories of love and sex in Paris' past felt raunchy, more than I wanted to know, at times. I liked it best when Baxter told the story of his love affair with Marie-Do, who later became his wife, and the day-to-day events in his life with Marie-Do and their daughter, Louise.

[Hester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memories of Paris by John Baxter, an Australian writer. As an Aussie, he brings a different spin to the essays-about-Paris-genre. I like his emphasis on Paris' naughty and erotic past, but it was not as interesting as I was hoping for. One of the most interesting passages was about a Catholic restaurant in Pigalle catering to the area's prostitutes that had shut down. This book, like "Paris to the Moon" involves the impending birth of a child and how different that is in Paris, but it does not have the same emphasis on family life in the city of lights. It does, however, show what Parisian intellectuals think an elegant dinner party should be in a chapter that had me giggling.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because I love everything about Paris, however, it was a bit long-winded at times. It made a lot of references to fairly obscure authors, books, musicians, etc, many of which I had never heard of, and therefore, the references were lost on me. The storyline got lost among all the references and so the book felt choppy and I was getting tired of it by the end. Overall, I would still recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in Paris, although it wouldn't be my first pick.

[zespri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of this book is apparently an acclaimed film critic and biographer. His extensive knowledge of film, the visual arts and books made this a very different and interesting view of Paris.

Interwoven with this cultural tour of Paris is the author's own journey of meeting his french partner and his moving to Paris from Australia. Quite a cultural jump, and one which he obviously does very successfully.

The book is full of literary quotes and behind the scenes anecdotes, though I guess that's pretty obvious from the book's title!

[Jennell McHugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great one-liners, anecdotes, insights! Do not be fooled by the title-- I've determined it more of a quip to what keeps the "City of Light" lit. Despite his career of critique, Baxter is extremely jolly and offers himself up to his readers. I spent the month of August dedicated to France and the enigmatic, expatriates and later-claimed luminaries evolving/deeeeevolving there and this was a great almost travelogue-ish reflection.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it a book on the author's charming experiences with his own French love or is it an interesting excursion into the sex and love (mainly sex) trivia of Paris? Well, it's both, but it should be one or another. Either theme can make its own book; no need to intertwine. Baxter writes well, at least, and anyone interested in Paris may eventually want to try this quick read.

[SomeForTheRoad.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's good narrative skills move the story forward and involve the reader. I laughed out loud several times. A good light-hearted look at why people are attracted to the romance of Paris from one who is.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This autobiographical collection of essays will show you the Paris you've never seen and inform you on the Paris you've never read about. His literary and historical references will keep you turning the pages.

[Nm Boi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. Having just visited Paris I could relate to the places the writer was speaking about and the history of it all. Doesn't read like a book however and is kind of choppy in structure. Still, it was enjoyable if you are a fan of Paris and its brilliant history.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book before my trip to Paris, as I thought it would provide a little insight into daily life as a Parisian amidst the sexual history of Paris. The author did just that and it made my trip just a little more meaningful.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpected surprise. It let me know that I am lacking basic French history, and I think my next group of historical biographies will be about some of the people I read in this tiny book. The French are an interesting bunch!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was interesting to get into the Paris mind set, but maybe a bit too risque for general reading. Was most interested in his descriptions of the French health care system, apartments, mannerisms, summer homes, etc.