I am looking for some authors, classical, historical, current, whatever, to take me through Paris. After a brief googling, here's who I've come up with:
Ernest Hemingway: Moveable Feast and The Sun Also Rises
Henry Miller: Tropic of Cancer
David Lebowitz: The Sweet Life
Adam Gopnick: Paris to The Moon
Jeremy Mercer: Time Was Soft There
Sylvia Beach: Shakespeare and Company
I've already read and enjoyed W. Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage (1920's Paris), Irene Némirovsky's Suite Française (1940's Paris), and Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code (1990's Paris)
Surely there must be others. Any suggestions?
7 comments:
Have to think on that one.....
I read some science fiction-y ones with my daughter, starting with The Alchemist by Michael Scott. Science fiction isn't accurate, it is sort of a parallel world featuring such historical characters as Machiavelli, Joan of Arc, Scathatch and Nicolas Flamel.....not sure it's what you have in mind.
I'll think some more.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay is set in Paris but it's a rather difficult topic (about the Holocaust). I have a review on my blog if you wanna read it.
Btw, I love Suite Francaise. I've also read David Golder and All Our Wordly Goods, both by Irene Nemirovsky.
I had no idea Sylvia Beach had written about Shakespeare and Co. Must read that.
I could not for the life of me get into Tropic of Cancer, and I read it while I was in Paris. Just not for me.
I did read A Year in the Merde while I was there (I studied abroad for six months in Paris), and it was hysterical and relevant. Not the most flattering look at Paris, but entertaining for sure.
oreneta - science fiction/parallel world genres are not really my thing, no. But if you do think of anything else, I'd love to know about it.
librarian - yes I've seen Sarah's Key out there in the bookstores and blogs, I'll have to take a closer look. And of course Nemirovsky's other books are worth a closer look too.
kerry - I've heard that about Tropic of Cancer, although I haven't actually cracked open a copy myself . . . hmm should be interesting. I'll add A Year in the Merde to my list also. Thanks!
Oh, what a great list so far--David Lebowitz alone is worth it!
Hi There,
I am almost through Adam Gopniks "Paris to the Moon", and it is a long time that I have enjoyed a book so much, or found so much truth...
will look at hotels tomorrow!
Hug!
Nomad
jackie and nomad - thanks for the heads-up on those authors. I'm looking forward to getting them started.
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