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Literary Paris: A Guide
For centuries Paris was the destination of writers from the provinces and from across the ocean, and the city swiftly became an integral part of the lives and work of those who went there. Literary Paris profiles thirty writers and the apartments, cafes, bistros, theaters, museums, and other places central to their daily lives and featured in their work.
Literary Paris opens with Moliere, whose farces lampooning man’s vanity and hypocrisy delighted the royal courts. In the next century, we glimpse the destitute Zola, so hungry that he ate sparrows caught on his windowsill, and the perpetually bankrupt Balzac who, hoping to evade creditors, required friends to give a secret phrase–“Apple season has arrived” or “I come with lace from Belgium”–to gain admittance into his quarters.
Among the twentieth-century writers profiled are Georges Simenon, creator of wildly popular detective novels, who in Paris began an affair with the sensational Josephine Baker; F. Scott Fitzgerald, who, instead of finding the “new rhythm” he sought, burned through his money and talent in the City of Light; as well as Henry Miller, George Orwell, James Baldwin.
Women writers include the scandalous Colette; George Sand, friend of Lizst and lover of Chopin; and the sophisticated New Yorker correspondent Janet Flanner.
Great city landmarks are here, including Notre Dame Cathedral, where Quasimodo imprisoned Esmerelda in Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, and the Louvre, where in 1911 the Mona Lisa vanished in a scandal that ruined the poet Guillame Apollinaire. Also featured are the beloved cafes integral to the city’s culture, such as Café Flore, where Simone de Beauvoir claimed a spot by the stove each morning to write while her lover, Jean-Paul Sartre, was off at war.
Literary Paris opens with Moliere, whose farces lampooning man’s vanity and hypocrisy delighted the royal courts. In the next century, we glimpse the destitute Zola, so hungry that he ate sparrows caught on his windowsill, and the perpetually bankrupt Balzac who, hoping to evade creditors, required friends to give a secret phrase–“Apple season has arrived” or “I come with lace from Belgium”–to gain admittance into his quarters.
Among the twentieth-century writers profiled are Georges Simenon, creator of wildly popular detective novels, who in Paris began an affair with the sensational Josephine Baker; F. Scott Fitzgerald, who, instead of finding the “new rhythm” he sought, burned through his money and talent in the City of Light; as well as Henry Miller, George Orwell, James Baldwin.
Women writers include the scandalous Colette; George Sand, friend of Lizst and lover of Chopin; and the sophisticated New Yorker correspondent Janet Flanner.
Great city landmarks are here, including Notre Dame Cathedral, where Quasimodo imprisoned Esmerelda in Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, and the Louvre, where in 1911 the Mona Lisa vanished in a scandal that ruined the poet Guillame Apollinaire. Also featured are the beloved cafes integral to the city’s culture, such as Café Flore, where Simone de Beauvoir claimed a spot by the stove each morning to write while her lover, Jean-Paul Sartre, was off at war.
188 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 28, 2008
It's more of a coffee table book than a real guide, though it is very succinct and gives pretty precise directions to each location. It's prettier than it is useful so far. I'll revisit this review after my trip to Paris in July.
October 16, 2009
read this right before i went to paris for world literature summer abroad.. it was great to read before going for historical reasons as well as for just walking around and observing
May 11, 2011
This was a great tour of the city through these incredible writers and the places that they frequented. After I read the section about Camus I had to read the Stranger. It was a great read.
December 17, 2015
Each writer is given a small bio followed by write-ups of some associated places. Well-illustrated work but really could have used a map.
September 12, 2016
A delightful read of places visited by famous authors in Paris. From Moliere 1622 -1673 to James Baldwin 1924 - 1987 it offers interesting biographical information about visits to Paris on the authors and their works. Very useful book to read before a visit to the city as details of the various buildings in their present state are given. Good for an armchair trip as well!
December 10, 2014
Collection of brief biographical sketches of writers who have lived in Paris ... including some writing in English, like Gertrude Stein, George Orwell, and Richard Wright ... gives "guide-book" locations of places associated with each writer ... interesting photographs ...
April 30, 2008
Nicely designed and well informed guide book of sorts regarding the literary greatness of Paris. And I use the word 'sorts' because the size and design is not practical for traveling. Nevertheless a great document of things that have happened in the past and its exact locations. Excellent for research.
April 5, 2011
interesting read ... i can't wait to go to Oscar Wilde's grave to kiss it!
July 26, 2015
Midday in Paris.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews