Customer Reviews:
Brassai @ dawn.......2007-05-10
Absolutely beautiful photographs that in many cases go beyond the endless cliches that this most wonderful city can't help but spawn. Using a spectacularly fine grained film, in a now eccentric denial of digital format, Berts has produced a magnificent portfolio on Paris. Reminds me of Brassai's celebrated night shots, only these were taken at dawn. Superb printing quality, and prefaced with a delightfully playful essay by Pierre Assouline. Top shelf publishing. An unmissable bargain at Amazon's price.
Book Description
A collection of 30 witty, irreverent, perennial essays about Paris by the acclaimed author and journalist David Downie, a longtime Paris resident.
Customer Reviews:
Exploring the clues to Paris's mysteries.......2007-02-13
Downie's essays offers a quirky sense of humor and a wonderful eye for the details behind the details that at once demystify Paris and add to her mystery. Although the book is not a guide per se, the essays make me want to follow Downie's trails. As such, the book would have been better served with an index and some neighborhood maps. After all, give us a few more clues.
Best Book on Paris.......2007-01-18
This just couldn't get any better. It is full of interesting tidbits and numerous places to visit accompanied by stories of people and places you normally don't hear told. I couldn't put it down, and I have recommended it to several people.
Indispensable curmudgeon.......2007-01-12
A wonderfully ill-tempered, sentimental, and informed account of nooks and crannies in the most interesting of cities. If I could arrange it, I would introduce Downie to the venerable Guy Grangeret, a visite-conference guide to Paris who is nothing less than Downie's spiritual twin. Neither man's dicta are suitable for beginners: all that irony and allusion would be wasted. Both provide insights and make connections that enrich the experience as well as thinking of the seasoned visitor.
Merci, David and Alison!.......2006-07-25
Thank you, David and Alison, for sharing your Paris with me. Soon I will have the pleasure of spending a month in Paris, and the joy of being able to introduce my 16-year-old grandson to the greatest-of-all-cities. Your book deepened my knowledge of Paris, and will allow me to share more of its history with my grandson. I will be taking your book along, reading it in Paris, and looking for all those pieces of the city that you so beautifully described. Again, merci!
Uniquely insightful glimpses of Paris, very well-written........2006-06-20
In order to share my positive feelings about "Paris, Paris"
I am posting a copy of the e-mail I sent to the author and
photographer. Here goes:
Hello to David and Alison.
I want you to know how much I'm enjoying reading your
new book, "Paris, Paris", and looking at the
photographs.
I'm a Californian (San Mateo) who has visited Paris
fourteen times so far since 1986. There is a unique
magic to the city that keeps bringing me back.
In between trips to the City of Light, I read about
Paris whenever I get a chance. I have read at least a
couple of dozen books about Paris, but not until
"Paris, Paris" did I find a book that captures some of
the precise feelings and experiences I've had.
Let me start by saying that, when friends ask me why
they might enjoy a visit to Paris, I often say
something like, "When you're there, you know you're
there." (There is definitely a there there.) For me,
just popping out of a metro or RER station on arrival
in the city and looking around is a very special
thrill: "I am in Paris!" David mentions this,
especially in the chapter on street furniture,
capturing the essence of what I too experience.
Then there's the walk around the perimeter of the
Ile-Saint-Louis, counter-clockwise, of course. I
became fond of this circuit a few years ago, when I
walked the perimeters of both Ile-Saint-Louis and Ile
de la Cite the night before I had to depart for home.
I too enjoyed looking up at beamed ceilings, etc. It's
a nice walk by day, too, but extra special by night.
How interesting it was to me that David chose to write
about the same stroll.
Other points of agreement abound, particularly the
sadness at how some modern developments in Paris have
blighted their portions of the usually wonderful city.
Again David mentions something in particular I've also
noted, the "hairnets" on the unbelievably ugly
Bastille Opera. I further agree with his assessment
that Le Corbusier was a man whose work betrays no
human qualities or sense of humor. In fact, the man
seems to have had no soul.
Re the Place des Vosges, I enjoy the concerts given by
young people with violins and cellos on weekend
afternoons. Their spirited renditions of classical
selections and gypsy-style music are great. You must
have seen them under the arcades just to the left as
you enter under the Pavillion du Roi, yet you only
mention hack musicians in your description of the
Place des Vosges. An unfortunate oversight, or maybe
you don't like these musicians, either.
One of the wonders of reading is the ability to
connect with people you've never met, even those who
have died but left their writing behind. Sometimes you
find a kindred spirit of sorts of a kind you might
never encounter in person. Thank you for writing a
book of essays that gives me the sense of connection
to a like-minded (at least in some respects) person.
One last remark: I read a lot. Only rarely do I come
across a contemporary book as well written as "Paris,
Paris." So congratulations too for your skill at the
craft of writing.
Best wishes!
Bruce Nelson
Book Description
Molly Clearwater had always wanted to escape the confines of her small-town upbringing to make a splash as a career woman in London. But somehow, working as a low-level assistant for the boorish Malcolm Figg wasn't nearly as fulfilling as she had hoped-until Malcolm offered her a "perk"-a free weekend business trip to Paris. She's ecstatic until she discovers that Malcolm's idea of "business" isn't exactly the same as hers. Horrified, Molly storms out of the office. With nothing else to lose, she impulsively boards a train to Paris, intent on treating herself to a long weekend in the City of Light.
Within moments of stepping onto the cobblestoned streets of Paris, Molly is swept up in an adventure that defies her imagination. From infiltrating a conference in a Cleopatra wig to sharing her deepest secret with a complete stranger, Molly's weekend away from her troubles turns into a dizzying voyage of passion and self-discovery, transforming her absolutely...
Customer Reviews:
Sweet Dreams..........2007-07-29
I really enjoyed this pleasant, good natured book. It's perfect if you want a nice, romantic light read and aren't up to being challenged, which how I usually feel at the end of a long work day. Relaxing and perfect for those who like to read for awhile before going to sleep...
Terrible Book.......2007-02-26
First of all, I am not a book snob. I enjoy the sometimes silly, fun books that don't have great depth but are still an entertaining read.
That being said, this was probably one of the worst books I have ever read in my life. First of all, everything was absolutely formulaic. You could always tell what would happen next, and the cliches just kept coming. From a young male French bohemian artist who isn't looking for anything but a fun hookup to his rich, suave and debonair father, there is nothing new in the characters, or even any likable traits. The "heroine" is one of the most stupid that had ever come into fictional being. A "very smart" girl who moves from a small town to London, who is stuck in a job she feels is beneath her, decides to go to Paris for the weekend. More cliches, but if that were all, it would be at least bearable. This girl, however, is unbelievably naive. She meets the artist one night, and 3 or 4 hours later she is "in love" with him and planning their transnational relationship. When she finally sleeps with him, she doesn't get that he's "just not that into her." She cannot stand up for herself and is one of the most annoying characters I have ever read.
Still, I could have read all this and just ended up disliking the book immensely, but not wanting to tear my hair out, if it wasn't for the part about the father.
The "cleverly and subtly included" hints and clues (note sarcasm) about her father were in actuality totally obvious. And what happens at the end is much too contrived and based on too many coincidences that don't even really make any sense. A deus ex machina is not the way to end a story, sorry.
This story is totally unbelievable and left me wondering how on earth something like this could be published. Don't waste your money.
My own Weekend in Paris.......2007-02-10
Absolutely true story... Two weeks ago, I had to go away to Paris for the weekend due to a family matter. I had 3 hours to pack, dress, and get to the airport. To avoid dying from boredom, I rummaged through by book collection for something to keep me sane. And, there it was "Weekend in Paris".
I must say I was completely entertained. There was no time to buy a guide book and it was fun looking and encountering the landmarks the author described in her book. She also noted a lot of French words and phrases which actually came in handy.
If you find yourself jet setting through Paris for the weekend, I would totally recommend this book. If you're looking for something with depth and meaning, keep looking!
PS. Just in case you're wondering, my weekend was nothing like Molly's.
Weekend in Paris.......2006-12-22
Weekend in Paris is a great book about Molly Clearwater's trip to Paris for the weekend.
It is a very fun and interesting book and if you want to have a big laugh I really recommends you to read the book.
Molly is a fun and person who always gets in trouble and makes mistakes. I think that the book is fun because you can read about her thoughts and that makes the book very fun.
When I started to read the book I thought that it was a boring book, but when I've finished it I was really sad because it was over. I wanted the book to be much longer than it was (389 pages).
//Matilda
Great for reading at the Doctor's office.......2006-10-22
While I enjoyed the humor, it didn't suck me in. I love books that you look up and it 3am. I took more than a week to finish the book, just because I couldn't stay focused in the beginning. I have enjoyed other books by Robyn Sisman, but this one left me annoyed at the end.
Average customer rating:
- Anthing Susan Johnson
- A little choppy
- Eeewww
- This wasn't my favourite Susan Johnson book!
- A Sexy Summer Read!
|
French Kiss
Susan Johnson
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Johnson, Susan
| ( J )
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ASIN: 0425209857 |
Book Description
From the award-winning, national bestselling author whose books are "smart... sexy...sensuous...[and] legendary!"*
L.A. architect Nicole Lesdaux has just signed on to create a tree house for record producer Johnny Patrick's little girl, Jordi. The hunky single dad has given Nicky an unlimited budget-though she might have agreed to work for free, if it meant watching his sizzlingly sexy body by the pool every day.
But mixing business with pleasure is one of Nicky's no-nos-so she focuses on making this music mogul the Taj Mahal of tree houses. Until Johnny's ex-wife makes off to Paris with their daughter...
Since Nicky speaks the language, a desperate Johnny needs her help finding little Jordi. En route, sexual tensions run ever higher. Again and again, the two must fight back the urge to come together. And, as Nicky discovers, Johnny does know some French after all.
Customer Reviews:
Anthing Susan Johnson.......2007-06-19
I will buy anything she writes. I am never unhappy with her books.
A little choppy.......2007-06-18
This was my first Susan Johnson book and the first few pages of the book were really good. I enjoyed the story...however, I have to agree with other reviewers about the "encounters." It was way too graphic. The cover on this book says that this is a "contemporary romance," but there was NOTHING romantic about the way these two characters came together. By the end the story, I didn't care about either of them.
Eeewww.......2007-06-08
This is a mediocre book at best. The writing is choppy and awkward throughout and the "encounters" between the lead characters are unrealistic and off-putting. More like the kind of stuff that happens between a couple who are much more familiar with each other, not the interaction of two people who have just met and are getting to know each other. I was never convinced of the love story here as most of the interaction highlighted physical attraction. This is my first Susan Johnson book so perhaps this is how she writes. Whatever, it doesn't pull together well and it seems as if the author may have just been indulging her momentary fantasies instead of building a cohesive, thoughtful story.
This wasn't my favourite Susan Johnson book!.......2006-09-01
I read this book and kept hoping that the main characters would fall in love! Well, they certainly fell into bed but I struggled to find the romance. The traditional end seemed a last minute add on. I really didn't get the impression that they loved one another in the true romance novel all-encompassing, gut wrenching way. Maybe I'm way off here, I guess you'll have to read it for yourself.
A Sexy Summer Read!.......2006-08-21
Nicole Lesdaux is an architect who specializes in tree houses. Her latest commission is for none other than hottie record producer Johnny Patrick's little girl. Johnny is a huge temptation but she is there for business and business only. But, when Johnny's ex takes their daughter to Paris without permission, Johnny asks Nicole to accompany him to Paris as his translator. She knows she should say no, but Johnny is more than she can ignore and the lure of helping puts her on a plane with the handsome man. Before they know it they are no longer fighting the attraction between them. Nickie knows that when they leave France her romance will end but despite her best efforts she can't help but fall for Johnny...and hard. Will there be a happy ending for them both once they return to life that they both are leading in California?
Ms. Johnson's latest contemporary is a sexy fun read that will draw the reader in from page one. Johnny and Nicole are not like her typical strong leads. Both are strong yet nursing hurts from their past and as a result this is a treat for her long time fans. The chemistry between the main characters is instant and hot and believable. Ms. Johnson is a very capable storyteller and her latest effort offers sexy locations, and entertaining characters, and steamy romance. It's exactly what fans of romance look for in a read.
Book Description
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.
Customer Reviews:
The sound and sense of a great city.......2007-08-03
When it comes to the subject of Paris there are some travel writers (myself included) who play in the shallow end while a talented, rare few take us into better depth. Baxter is one of those rare few. This isn't a travel book as much as it is a wonderful, highly enjoyable book that offers some sound and sense to a city that tugs at our imaginations. After reading it I added it to my reference bookshelf...okay, okay...maybe to steal some of his style too.
Buy the book and buy one for anyone you know who's going to Paris.
pretty light.......2007-07-19
The chapters on sex are much more interesting than the chapters on love. Even so, Baxtrer only traipses into the history of sex by dint of a buddy who keeps the topic alive between them. It's kind of a glancing blow off the topic. The only sex discussed are the eddies related to, and trailing off of specific conversations.
I don't understand why every guy who writes, who has working sex organs, and knocks someone up in Paris, writes about the event as if it were an event I need to know about. I really don't need to know where his daughter was conceived; and functioning sex organs are not as exceptional as they seem to the owner. Look around.
This is, apparently, another hazard of living in France; writing about your succesful reproduction as it it were of interest to others. He might have saved said daughter the humiliation of the event's inscription.
See also Adam Gopnik "Paris to the Moon" which is overall a more successful book.
Good blend of historical and personal accounts.......2007-04-13
This was a fun read. There are parts that were a bit dry and boring but overall I enjoyed it. I thought it was really interesting how the author weaved in historical events with his actual experiences in the City of Lights.
The City of Light and Love- an Unusual Read.......2006-09-04
John Baxter, an Aussie ex-pat whose tale of moving to Paris and conceiving a child with his French girlfriend is the backdrop for a foray into the attitudes toward sex in Paris, featuring sexual attitudes and locales of the 1920-40's to present. I learned that Georges Simenon, author of the famed Inspector Maigret novels, routinely interviewed his house staff for sexual partners and had an affair with Josephine Baker, the acclaimed black songstress appearing on stage nightly in only a skirt of phallic-symbol bananas. There are mentions of many literary figures and their viewpoints on sex, including Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and more. Not the typical Paris guidebook, but will lead you to places not found in Frommer's.
rather pointless.......2006-07-25
The author can't decide whether he wants to write an erotic history or the tale of his own romance. Doing both doesn't work in this book, which has no frame of reference or even a reliable sequence of events.
The other major flaw of the book is ots reliance on the sex lives of the Surrealists- as if Parisian sexual histroy is limited to these odd ducks.
Not particularly inspiring or evocative.
Amazon.com
Significant numbers of black Americans went to France for the first time in World War I as part of the U.S. armed forces and discovered a country where they were free of the strictures of racism. This comprehensive look at black Americans' historical affection for Paris in the 20th century covers literary figures like Richard Wright, entertainers like Josephine Baker and jazz musicians like Sidney Bechet and Kenny Clarke, as well as black academics, scientists and businessmen who found new lives in Paris. This is an important, and welcome book.
Book Description
Paris Noir fills a grievous gap in the fascinating history of American expatriates who chose to live in Paris in the twentieth century. Alongside Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Henry Miller was an avant-garde and tightly knit community of African Americans who found in Paris the artistic, racial, and emotional freedom denied them back home. The writers James Baldwin and Richard Wright; the jazz musicians Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sidney Bechet; and the artists Henry Ossawa Tanner, Lois Mailou Jones, and Jean-Michel Basquiat are among the score of exiles for whom Paris symbolized a color-blind society. Unlike their white compatriots, African Americans in Paris rejected not only American society, but also their victimized status in the U.S. And while black and white Americans inhabited different worlds even in Paris, they found meeting grounds in such places as Bricktop's jazzy nightclub, where the flamboyant owner taught Cole Porter to dance the Charleston. As the historian John Merriman proclaimed, "With skill and passion, Stovall brings this vibrant community to life."
Customer Reviews:
WOW!.......2000-07-20
I recently checked out this book from my University library for a term paper on the 1920s. It was so informative; I could not put it down! I then decided I had to purchase this book for my library. I highly recommend this interesting and informative book!
Accurate, Historical, Obsessively Factual........2000-04-25
Stovall faithfully captures the beginnings of the African American community in Paris, tracking music, artistic, and literary communities separately. He is attentive to detail in the extreme and vibrantly captures the excitement of Montmartre. However, little is done to bring these observations together or forward any argument. Stovall does more to present fact that persuade. _Paris Noire_ is better as a reference than a 'read' and for someone interested in comparing the time period with the Harlem Renaissance, this book does little to track what events were happening outside of Paris. Nevertheless, the amount of research in this book is amazing. The picture inset features beautiful photos of Tanner and Josephine Baker, cartoons of the time, and is a very welcome addition to the book. Stovall's work is an opening into a relatively uncharted area of African American history but it is not the final word. _Paris Noire_ opens a dialogue that I hope is continued in future books on the subject.
Average customer rating:
- C'est bon!
- Through the eyes of the people
- A good read needed to understand the future and the past
- Best novel I've ever read
- Shedding light on a city of darkness
|
City of Darkness, City of Light
Marge Piercy
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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Piercy, Marge
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ASIN: 0449912752
Release Date: 1997-08-12 |
Book Description
"FAST-PACED . . . PIERCY BREATHES LIFE INTO THE ACTUAL HISTORICAL FIGURES WHO SHAPED THE REVOLUTION."
--San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle
In her most splendid, thought-provoking novel yet, Marge Piercy brings to vibrant life three women who play prominent roles in the tumultuous, bloody French Revolution--as well as their more famous male counterparts.
Defiantly independent Claire Lacombe tests her theory: if men can make things happen, perhaps women can too. . . . Manon Philipon finds she has a talent for politics--albeit as the ghostwriter of her husband's speeches. . . . And Pauline Léon knows one thing for certain: the women must apply the pressure or their male colleagues will let them starve. While illuminating the lives of Robespierre, Danton, and Condorcet, Piercy also opens to us the minds and hearts of women who change their world, live their ideals--and are prepared to die for them.
"MASTERFUL . . . PIERCY BRINGS THE BLOOD AND GUTS, THE IDEAS AND PASSIONS, OF THE REVOLUTION TO LIFE."
--The Women's Review of Books
"PIERCY'S STORYTELLING POWERS CAPTURE THE TURBULENCE AND EXCITEMENT OF [THIS] LIBERATING ERA."
--The Boston Herald
Customer Reviews:
C'est bon! .......2006-06-27
In *City of Darkness, City of Light,* Marge Piercy follows six, count `em, *six* characters through the French Revolution. This turbulent period molds their characters, as each of them plays important roles in, if not the actual revolution, the evolution of France. The end of the book (guessing who will survive the guillotine) is riveting.
As much fun as this book is to read, and as interesting as the history is, there is more importance than mere romp and period to this work. Postmodernism has been touted as obscure and difficult, like *Gravity's Rainbow* or some of the more abstract, narrativeless forms. *City of Darkness, City of Light* is, IMHO, postmodernism as it was meant to be. Piercy reinterprets history from the POV of those who did not have a voice at the time: women. She explores the lives of women during the French Revolution with kindness, emotion, and depth. Her characters range from politically active minor nobility (Manon) to the impoverished (Claire) to the middle class (Pauline), an oftentimes neglected strata of society. There are also male counterparts for each of the archetypal women, including a character that becomes the bloody Robespierre, who begins life as a studious son of a lawyer named simply Max.
In addition to the postmodern aspects of this book, *City* is important because it attempts to discuss what it is to be human, and different types of human, within a larger context, during a historical event. Too often, IMHO, contemporary novels examine one character, doing very little, or nothing. The novel should not be measly navel-gazing. It should be an experience that broadens the reader. I don't mean merely educational or informative. By reading widely, one should understand one's fellow human better, deeper, more intensely. One should feel more. *City* offers you six people to understand in depth, with feeling, and with humanity.
Please do not be intimidated by my classification of this book as "postmodern" or my admonition that it's "good for you," like Brussel sprouts. *City* is readable and entertaining. Like I said, some of the six characters lose their heads at the end, and I'm not speaking metaphorically. Try to guess which ones.
TK Kenyon
Through the eyes of the people.......2004-02-28
Piercy's fiction/nonfiction account of the French revolution has high ambitions, and she achieves them--partly. Piercy views this momentous event through the eyes of six people, all of whom are historical characters, but the amount of historical information about each varies greatly. She starts at the top with Nicholas, Danton, and Robespierre, representing the enlightened aristocrat, the pragmatic revolutionary, and the extreme radical. Next on her list is Manon Roland, the wife of a mediocre beaurocrat who exercises influence and power through her husband. Last but certainly not least are Claire and Pauline, two women who led the women's revolution, driven to the streets by the lack of the basic necessities of life--bread, wine, meat--and a desire for equality.
Piercy excels in describing the everyday details of the lives of these people, and makes Danton and Robespierre human. Her portrayal of the Paris of the time, the teeming streets, the houses of the poor, the entertainments, the struggle for food--is masterful. In the cases of Pauline and Claire, she took the little that is known about them and developed them into strong, powerful women.
But Piercy also struggles under the weight of information she tries to incorporate into this "novel," and the result is often plodding. She is a masterful novelist, and "Gone to Soldiers" is a wonderful example of what she can do with a good story that has a historical background. But here she tries to do way too much--explain the politics, the history and life of the time, and also accurately render historical figures in a fictional way while being faithful to the facts we do know. The first third of the book is a chore, as she tries to set everything up for the characters to come together in Paris. It is no accident that her best characters are Claire and Pauline, about whom little is known, and who come alive under her wonderful novelist's pen. The three men are rendered more clumsily, especially when she tries to describe their feelings during historical events. And Manon is a failure--I suspect Piercy got bogged down in trying to be faithful to the autobiography this woman left behind. As the revolution picks up steam, the story does too, but I found myself reading along to find out how they all get out of the mess that they've created, rather than out of real feeling for the characters.
Having said all that, this book does send you back to brush up on the history, and also sparked a very lively discussion in my book club about why the American Revolution was so different. Was it because the English had a much longer tradition of democracy? Was it that a lot of tradition and custom that hampered change had been left behind in the Old World? Or was it because there was no need to take property away from the rich--there were limitless opportunities available to anyone willing to push west and start out fresh on his own land. Probably all of the above.
A good read needed to understand the future and the past.......2003-06-12
This is a good read.
This is good history. This is great fiction. This is the honest story of the French revolution, told from the side of masses of working people, peasants, real French people, told from the side of women and men who live as we live. This is a story of people finding searching for truth and love. This is not about disillusion with revolution, disillusion with the great moments when masses of working people take the world in their hands, this is a celebration of it, of love. This is not about the tragedy of the French revolution, but about the glory of it, and the glory of working men and above all working women.
When big fights will rage to turn back the Clinton-Gore-Bush Cheeny billionaire led attacks on the standard of living of working people, their wars against people around the world, the hideous lame, stupid repulsive culture that blares out of the television and the radio monopolies, books like this will be in the hands of the young women, the young men who will lead the changes. Read this book and feel that young power, look into the past and see our future.
Best novel I've ever read.......2003-05-21
I love this book - it has so much to say about modern left movements, and Marge Piery's writing is fantastic.
I really can't say enough good things about this book and highly recommend it.
Shedding light on a city of darkness.......2002-02-07
The people drove the French Revolution. From the most powerful leaders, such as Danton, to the people of the districts, like Claire Lacombe, who held their pikes, the Revolution was all about the people.
Piercy - a poet, novelist, and occasional playwright - mixes what is known about this time in French history with her vivid imagination. This novel must be called fiction, but Piercy's use of real events and people makes for an interesting study of non-fiction.
The work is written with the average person in mind. Still, one can not overlook Piercy's intense attention to detail and accuracy. This shows that Piercy may have been writing with the layperson in mind, but she also sought to gain scholarly readers. She took all of the facts surrounding the Revolution and filled in the gaps with logical speculation to create this masterful novel.
Centered on the lives of six main characters, the novel tells the story of the French Revolution from the vantage points of these six. At times their paths cross, and the large world of France becomes smaller to the reader. Characters like Maximilien Robespierre and Manon Roland come alive and history seems to make perfect sense. The cast of real-life characters is presented in a way that no history book ever could.
After reading this novel, a student of the French Revolution is better equipped to understand the finer points of the period in detail. Having a personality to attach to a name can make facts and situations easier to recall. Though the novel should not be taken as history, it is certainly a good base for future study of the French Revolution.
The novel also puts a human side to this turbulent era. Cold facts cannot convey intentions, feelings, or home lives of the major and minor players of any period. Piercy's work serves to promote understanding that these men and women who live on in history were just people like those living today.
Piercy's fascinating novel shows the French Revolution in a light that cannot be produced through historical texts. Her work brings the people and passion of the time to life.
Book Description
A bumptious narrative history of American newspapermen in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, a time when serious journalism still went hand in hand with relative poverty, good times, and a carefree spirit cultivated by eccentric personalities. An absorbing and delightful book.
Customer Reviews:
News Flah: Boring.......2007-06-11
I have read over 80 books about Paris in the last year (can you spell "obsession?"). Some were riviting (Luncheon of the Boat Party). Some were silly (Paris Hangover). Some were a hard read (France: A History). None of them were boring. Until now. This was an indescribably minute and rambling remembrance of every American journalist that was in Paris during the Fabulous Twenties, the time of the Lost Generation, debauchery, and fine writing. I had hoped to read something as illuminating as Malcom Crowley's "Exile's Return." Instead I read a phone book listing of journalists, with a few tidbits along the way. I couldn't even finish it. I'm sorry I bought it. The other seventy-nine were so much better.
Old News.......2006-06-12
Aimed at readers with an acute interest in U.S. journalists, papers and magazines in Paris between the great wars I and II. Paris itself is just a pale backdrop to the main story.
I found the book choppy in presentation, with but an average writing style.
Like the history of any given narrow enterprise or discrete period, it will be great fun for those who were there or, as more likely here given the passage of time, their descendents. For most general readers of today, there is not much related in this book that will be of lasting interest.
A focus on this heyday when the city was lauded as the 'centre of American journalism in Europe.......2006-05-23
Writers, artists and journalists all went to Paris after World War I with the dreams of becoming writers: Paris offered a big advantage in providing jobs which enabled them to make the most of the city, and after the war American news activity shifted from London to Paris. NEWS OF PARIS: AMERICAN JOURNALISTS IN THE CITY OF LIGHT BETWEEN THE WARS provides a focus on this heyday when the city was lauded as the 'centre of American journalism in Europe'. Chapters survey the colorful world of this expatriate period and uses the lives of major literary figures and newspapers to reveal the drama and hopes of the times.
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch
Book Description
Who, at one time or another, hasn't dreamed of leaving her life behind and moving to Paris? Bestselling writer Suzy Gershman (dubbed “Super Shopper Suzy” by Oprah and “the most famous shopper in the world” by American Express Card Services) had always planned to retire to the City of Light with her husband. But when he died, Suzy decided to fulfill their dream alone—making a new life for herself in her favorite city.
C'est la Vie is the deliciously chatty chronicle of her first year in Paris, of the dizzying delights and maddening frustrations inherent in learning to be a Parisian. After a grueling apartment search, the woman who was Born to Shop sets out on the terrific adventure that is French daily life—from the great flea markets and restaurants to the mysteries of a French fax machine, the chimney sweep, and a French love affair. Heartfelt, breezy, funny, and garnished with little-known shopping tips, C'est la Vie is a treat not just for armchair travelers, Francophiles, and fans of Peter Mayle, but also for anyone who has ever dreamed of starting life anew.
Customer Reviews:
be happy.......2007-08-08
Love this book. I found all kinds of practical information that would be helpful to me if I ever move to Paris, something that could happen if my dreams come true. Suzy Gershman's book is like reading a letter from an old friend and I devoured each page imagining I was there instead. Reading all the reviews I noticed that readers either hated it or thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the ones who didn't like it were expecting something else and blamed the writer when it didn't live up to their expectations. I didn't like Under the Tuscan Sun because of all the whining, page after page. Suzy doesn't whine, she embraces life. Very readable and fun, too.
Light and Breezy---A Lot of Fun to Read.......2007-01-06
I think this is a delightful book---and one to not take too seriously. It's a great book to read when you are down, ill, or needing a good laugh. I enjoyed Gershman's style of writing and while her experiences would be out of reach for most of us, they were fun to read about.
One reviewer called her vulgar---I just don't see that. While it is true that her affair with a married Frenchmen is not what most would do, it was so typically French. Just don't read this book if you feel a need to judge everyone else based on your own morals. This is a BOOK, not a guide to life.
Don't waste your time or money........2006-04-20
I feel like I have to warn readers, please don't waste time, money or energy on this terrible book. I did plod through it and I did notice her disclaimer at the very end of the book that "she left out the depressing parts" but Gersham is so cold and heartless about the death of her husband, that it is hard to get by that and like her. She does go on about herself and shopping and when she tells her readers about a private medical issue, you have to think "way too much information". I pray there is not a sequel!
WOW-ON THE BEST SELLERS LIST!!!!!! .......2005-09-29
I just adore this book and it gives everyone who reads it (I give it as gifts to my male/female friends)an insight into a whole new Paris which most never even get a chance to visit. How wonderful (even after 30 years of visiting)that Suzy still feels the magic of Paris. The one city on this earth which demands attention.
How wonderful that a woman who has educated so many people of the latest trends is now living her dream. Not even the guilt of her friends, her son, her neighbors-you name it- can stop her now.
I eagerly await your new adventures Suzy!You Go Girl!!!
Utter bilge water - the vain and vulgar Suzy Gershman.......2005-09-26
This book isn't about Paris - it's about the the vain and vulgar Suzy Gershman who uses her husband's life insurance money to move to Paris to look for a rich husband: page 111 ("the man was dead, for heaven's sake, dead"); p. 99 ("my best ... hunting ground ... was in lobbies of luxury hotels"); p. 227 (when reminded of her husband's death, she "burst into giggles"); p. 87 ("I have long thought that my birthday should be a national holiday"). She enjoys adultery (p. 142, "I thought adultery was a French treat I should try just like Krug"); and can't understand why her son is upset when she sells the family home:(p. 210, "I thought I was entitled to a life"). She finds a good hairdresser (p. 68, the creme rinse is free); buys a "pair of tight white jeans" (p. 117); discusses her sex toys (p. 125, 142); is proud to travel with 17 suitcases (p. 213); and thinks she may have genital warts (p. 227 - this is certainly a great deal more than anyone wanted to know, but then again this woman has no sense of dignity at all). She drops Walter and Patricia Wells' name at every opportunity, but they are probably profoundly embarrassed by her. I paid about $3 to buy this book used, because I needed mind candy to read on a plane, but it wasn't worth that much. Truly one of the worst books I have ever read. Read Diane Johnson's "Into A Paris Quartier" instead.
Book Description
Uncovering the Paris that charmed Thomas Jefferson in the 18th century and George Gershwin in the 20th, this guide—written by an historian and based on personal exploration, old maps, and documents—offers 50 walking destinations, many unfamiliar even to Parisians. Several excursions evoke the spirit of an age past by exploring the haunts of Heloise and Abelard, Frederic Chopin, the Impressionist painters, and the American expatriates of the 1920s. Images of the French Revolution are conjured by the neighborhoods of Les Miserables and the mystery of the lost dauphin. Other tours of the very earliest houses and churches—along with waterworks, medieval walls, and an underground river—provide a fascinating view into a thousand years of infrastructure. Recommendations are also included for the best ice cream in Paris or the hottest new spot for shopping at Viaduc des Arts.
Customer Reviews:
Minor Arcana.......2007-05-09
This book is clearly intended for the niche traveler of the Francophile variety. While most of it's "discoveries" are not truly arcane, they are not generally of the sort you would find in the standard Paris travel guide. For one, such as myself, however, who has been to Paris many times over the years, it did open up totally new vistas, relative to the history of that amazing city. An underground 12th century river-gate located in the basement of a modern day postoffice is hardly something that a first time casual visitor to Paris would bother to go see, but for the historian of the nitty-gritty, it is an adventure well worth knowing about.
More to Paris than meets the eye.......2007-01-06
I am not much of a writer so I will keep this review brief. All I can add is that anyone looking for a deeper insight into the City of Light should really consider this book. It is full of interesting stories and walks that will fascinate anyone with a sense of adventure and an interest in the diverse history of this wonderful city.
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