This insightful review of “Paris, Paris” popped up when I was doing a search on Google… a lovely surprise. I don’t know Stephane but he sounds like an intriguing character–half French, half American, lives in New York but spends a lot of time in Paris… In fact he sounds an awful lot like the antihero of my thriller “Paris City of Night.” But he hasn’t read that book. What he has done is review–thoughtfully and professionally–my book of essays on Paris. Here’s the lede and a link to keep reading (highly recommended). (By the way, among hacks “lede” is the start of an article, the first “grafs”…).
Paris, Paris by David Downie
by Stephane on November 9, 2011
Paris, Paris, was first published in 2005. Its reissue this year is a perfect opportunity for those who have any level of knowledge or interest in Paris to read this splendid book.
David Downie is a native San Franciscan who has been living in Paris since the 1980s, writing about travel, food, and wine. Paris, Paris, is a collection of his essays about the city’s people, places, events, and general character.
The book balances the three ingredients of history, current events, and personal sensibility in carefully-dosed proportions. Downie rarely stays in any of the three modes for long, avoiding indulgence and tedium. He pulls off a balancing act that yields a book for people curious enough about any of these angles who may not have the stamina to read a book focused on a single one. He manages to write in a way that draws in those who do not know the city well, while presenting interesting perspectives for those who do.
READ THE WHOLE REVIEW BY COPYING AND PASTING THIS LINK:
http://stephanekirkland.com/2011/11/paris-paris-by-david-downie/
And in case you haven’t already read “Paris City of Night”, here’s a link:
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