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Paris Tales is a highly evocative collection of stories by French and Francophone writers who have been inspired by specific locations in this most visited of capital cities. The twenty-two stories - by well-known writers including Nerval, Maupassant, Colette, and Echenoz - provide a captivating glimpse into Parisian life from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. The stories take us on an atmospheric tour of the arrondissements and quartiers of Paris, charting the changing nature of the city and its inhabitants, and viewing it through the eyes of characters such as the provincial lawyer's wife seeking excitement, a runaway schoolboy sleeping rough, and a lottery-winning policeman. From the artists' haunts of Montmartre to the glamorous cafés of Saint-Germain, from the shouts of demonstrators on Boul Mich' to the tranquillity of Parc Monceau, Paris Tales offers a fascinating literary panorama of Paris. Illustrated with maps and striking photographs, the book will appeal to all those who wish to uncover the true heart of this seductive city.
List of contents
- Introduction
- 1: Guy de Maupassant: Nightmare
- 2: Gérard de Nerval: The Green Monster
- 3: Honoré de Balzac: The Last Napoleon
- 4: Emile Zola: Squares
- 5: Guy de Maupassant: A Parisian Adventure
- 6: Colette: Montmartre Cemetery
- 7: Michael Butor: The Gare Saint-Lazare
- 8: Roger Grenier: A House in the Place des Fêtes
- 9: Léon-Paul Fargue: The Twentieth Arrondissement
- 10: Julien Green: In Notre-Dame
- 11: Georges Perec: The Runaway
- 12: Jacques Réda: Rue du Commerce
- 13: Jean Echenoz: Plan of Occupancy
- 14: Cyrille Fleischman: The Adventure
- 15: Anna Gavalda: What Goes on in Saint-Germain
- 16: Frédédric Beigbeder: Manuscript Found at Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- 17: Didier Daeninckx: The Man with the Collecting Box
- 18: Andrée Chedid: The Joyful Death of Fassola
- 19: Hugo Marsan: Blind Experiment
- 20: Vincent Ravalec: Feeding the Hungry
- 21: Maryse Condé: Family Portrait
- Biographical information
Report
An engaging collection of short stories. Nigel Tisdall, Daily Telegraph (Travel)
