Over the course of the summer, I decided I should read at least a few Paris-related books to prepare for the upcoming semester. Now that I'm waiting at Logan for my flight, I thought I'd tell you all about them.
First, I read The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough. This review from the NY Times is pretty comprehensive: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/books/review/book-review-the-greater-journey-americans-in-paris-by-david-mccullough.html?pagewanted=all. I really enjoyed this read, although I don't usually read histories. I was at least nominally familiar with many of the people he writes about, although there were a few names I didn't recognize. Either way, McCullough does a great job in this book drawing together all of these various life stories to create a history that reads more like a narrative while still being incredibly informative. His descriptions of so much American art created in Paris, as well as some Parisian art, have made me really excited to take advantage of the abundance of museums in Paris! And with my program, we get a pass to go to most (or maybe all?) of the major museums for free, I believe, so I'll definitely be taking advantage of that. Anyway, if you want to know about the influence of Parisian culture on American history, or if you just like history, this is definitely a worthwhile read.
Next, while looking for a guide book, I came across a memoir (The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris) by John Baxter, an Australian who has lived in Paris for years. This was fairly informative as well, as Baxter has stumbled into the tour-guiding business during his time in Paris, so this book is full of lots of really interesting tidbits about the city, as well as funny comments about tourists (which I've made into a personal not-to-do list for me). Besides how to (try to) not look like a tourist, this book also inspired me to try to walk rather than taking the subway, at least some of the time! For more, see the Washington Post's review: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/book-review-the-most-beautiful-walk-in-the-world/2011/05/25/gIQARsJJhI_story.html.
Then, while wandering through the library, a book entitled French Milk caught my eye. This actually turned out to be a graphic novel written by a girl (Lucy Knisley) not much older than me, who spent six weeks in Paris with her mother during her senior year of college. It was really fun for me to see Paris from the point of view of someone about my own age, even though she doesn't speak French and was there purely for vacation. Also, I figure if she and her mom could get by--and have a great time--for six weeks without having any French, I can certainly thrive there myself! It was a cute, fun read, focusing mostly on the day-to-day life in Paris... if you're on vacation! Which I will be at least some of the time. I didn't find any reputable-looking reviews, but the publisher's website has a little blurb about it at http://books.simonandschuster.com/French-Milk/Lucy-Knisley/9781416575344/ if you want to know more.
Finally, all three of the above books mentioned A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway, so I figured I should check it out, too. I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would! Although I'm not sure why I didn't think I'd enjoy it in the first place.... Anyway, it's definitely a classic worth reading, especially if you're interested in Paris in the 1920s, Gertrude Stein and/or F. Scott Fitzgerald (two of his close friends), or the art of writing (on which he often dwells here). I found that Paris really comes alive in this book! I could imagine so clearly Paris--the cafés, the race tracks, the streets--as he described it, and I'm excited to see it all for myself soon! The library had the restored edition, which I guess has some extras from the manuscript as he left it before his death. See what the NY Times has to say at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/books/28hemingway.html?pagewanted=all.
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