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moniwicz's review
5.0
I must admit that I really really like anthologies. Previously I had steered clear of them because something snobbish on the inside told me that in order for a book to be truly worthwhile reading, it needed to be conquered and dominated. But anthologies allow for a true enjoyment of reading that is not ambitious.
Of course there were some testimonies I liked less (but these were over soon enough) and others I liked lots - Caroline Weber, Joe Queenan (who provided my favourite line - "a mutton-faced cop stuck his head out the window and told him to cease and desist and get the fuck down"), David Sedaris, Janine De Giovanni, C.K. Williams, Lily Tuck, Richard Armstrong, Noelle Oxenhandler, Marcelle Clements, David Lebovitz -- and yes that is a small selection. The topics were varied but at the same time entirely the same. It seems that Paris' identity and personality is a real and tangible thing.
Of course there were some testimonies I liked less (but these were over soon enough) and others I liked lots - Caroline Weber, Joe Queenan (who provided my favourite line - "a mutton-faced cop stuck his head out the window and told him to cease and desist and get the fuck down"), David Sedaris, Janine De Giovanni, C.K. Williams, Lily Tuck, Richard Armstrong, Noelle Oxenhandler, Marcelle Clements, David Lebovitz -- and yes that is a small selection. The topics were varied but at the same time entirely the same. It seems that Paris' identity and personality is a real and tangible thing.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
”Few places can draw in as many diverse souls, then mark them as profoundly as this city – called ‘that siren, Paris’ by the writer Francine du Plessix Gray – seems to do. Ask a Casual tourist what brought him or her there in the first place and he or she is apt to mention style, beauty, savoir vivre, and the like. But for a long-term visitor the picture, of course, more complex, the city’s contradictory nature more clear. To actually live within the confines of the peripherique is to be brought fact-to-face, on a daily basis, with the tough reality beneath the city’s surface appeal.”
Paris is a dream for me. I don’t know if I will get there, but I certainly am willing to read about it. At this moment, I have forty books indexed with Paris as a subject. So when I saw this book on Libby, it looked like it was the right book for me. And it was, even though it took me months to finish.
There are 32 essays in this book. So not surprisingly, there are good and bad ones. The range of people, topics and the parts of Paris is remarkable. There is an essay from a homeless woman, Germans, Americans and even Parisians. There is history, humor and food. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Paris with these people.
If you are looking for an escape from your life, but not travel expertise, you might want to get this book. There is bound to be an essay or two that you enjoy.
Paris is a dream for me. I don’t know if I will get there, but I certainly am willing to read about it. At this moment, I have forty books indexed with Paris as a subject. So when I saw this book on Libby, it looked like it was the right book for me. And it was, even though it took me months to finish.
There are 32 essays in this book. So not surprisingly, there are good and bad ones. The range of people, topics and the parts of Paris is remarkable. There is an essay from a homeless woman, Germans, Americans and even Parisians. There is history, humor and food. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Paris with these people.
If you are looking for an escape from your life, but not travel expertise, you might want to get this book. There is bound to be an essay or two that you enjoy.
redroofcolleen's review
3.0
A collection of honest observations about the City of Light, with some better than others, very average on the whole.
anitaofplaybooktag's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book of essays more than 3 stars might indicate - - but as in most collections, the quality was variable among the essays.
snowbenton's review
5.0
A collection of essays on Paris. Some are about family, others about work, others about politics or fashion or school or self discovery. They are funny and dark and paint Paris as a magical place and a melancholy one. The one thing they all have in common is an endless fascination with the City of Light.
emmatarswell's review
3.0
As with most collections there were stories in this that I enjoyed and others that I did not. That being said I think the collection is a fairly good representation of the joys and trials that come with living in Paris.
Most people will probably think that this will be a glowing depiction of the city and written mainly for people who already have an obsessive love of the city (even if they haven't lived there or been there). Paris Was Ours is more of an honest account from different writers and their experiences of the city. Some focus on the city itself, while others focus on their own lives and just happen to be in Paris.
Overall, this collection is worth a look if you're a reader interested in Parisian life.
Most people will probably think that this will be a glowing depiction of the city and written mainly for people who already have an obsessive love of the city (even if they haven't lived there or been there). Paris Was Ours is more of an honest account from different writers and their experiences of the city. Some focus on the city itself, while others focus on their own lives and just happen to be in Paris.
Overall, this collection is worth a look if you're a reader interested in Parisian life.