Gather Paris, Paris: Journey Into The City Of Light Scripted By David Downie Readable In Version

absolutely stunning read about Paris, appropriate for both dreamers and expats, Read an interview with the author, David Downie, on my site: sitelink lostincheeseland. com A series of essays by David Downie about Paris, the city and it's hidden treasures and not so hidden ones.
The essay on Le Père Lachaise cemetery is exquisite, The book is a wonderful unusual guide to the city, If you've visited the city or are planning to visit it's a very nice way to plan your visit or to remember.
This book of essays did, admittedly, take quite a long time to finish, I LOVED some of the essaysthey made me feel like I was sitting in Paris at that very momentand I liked a lot of them, especially the historical essays about particular people or places.
Some, however, were very repetitive cemeteries, for example or just, well, very slow, Overall, I read this book through the lens of someone preparing for a first trip to Paris, and it made me even more excited and knowledgeable about visiting the City of Light! The best book to read before traveling to Paris.
Wonderfully written!  “Beautifully written and refreshingly original makes us see Paris in a different light, ” San Francisco Chronicle Book
 
Swapping his native San Francisco for the City of Light, travel writer David Downie arrived in Paris inon a oneway ticket, his head full of romantic notions.
Curiosity and the legs of a crosscountry runner propelled him daily from an unheated, seventhfloor walkup garret near the ChampsElysées to the old Montmartre haunts of the doomed painter Modigliani, the tombs of PèreLachaise cemetery, the luxuriant alleys of the Luxembourg Gardens and the aristocratic Île SaintLouis midstream in the Seine.

Downie wound up living in the chic Marais district, married to the Parisborn American photographer Alison Harris, an equally incurable walker and chronicler.
Ten books and a quartercentury later, he still spends several hours every day rambling through Paris, and writing about the city he loves.
 An irreverent, witty romp featuring thirtyone short prose sketches of people, places and daily life, Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light ranges from the glamorous to the leastknown corners and characters of the worlds favorite city.
 

Photographs by Alison Harris,
 
“I loved his collection of essays and anyone whos visited Paris in the past, or plans to visit in the future, will be equally charmed as well.
” David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris
 
“A quirky, personal, independent view of the city, its history and its people”Mavis Gallant
 
“Gives fresh poetic insight into the city a voyage into the bends and recesses, the jagged edges, the secret interiors of Paris.
” Departures Wow. If you think you love Paris now youll love it even more after reading this compilation of essays about the City of Light.
Author offers delightfully educational tales of the world capital through its quartiers and notable denizens over the centuries.


Often I listen to audio books at an accelerated pace, wanting to wrap things up once the basics of the storyline have been established.
But with this one I kept playback on the standard speed because the narrative was so deliciously enjoyable and I wanted to savour every sentence.
Thats about the highest praise I can offer a book, Reminded me of long ago days/nights when I lived in Paris and had the opportunity to enjoy and reflect on every slow moving moment.
Ou sont les neiges dantan, as they say An artful and intimate personal tour of Paris by an American who has lived there foryears, this book combines history, interviews and observations to help visitors better understand what they're seeing in the City of Light.
Downie has lived in Paris for over three decades and this book is a series of vignettes about aspects of Parisian life that will appeal to lovers of the city, visitors, neophytes, and anybody who would love to read what amounts to a travel blog of various neighborhoods, people, aspects, and distinctly Parisian cultural aspects.
I loved most of it, liked other aspects, and breezed through a handful of the essays.
However, if you already love Paris, you'll enjoy this book, At times, particularly in the first section, this book might be a useful guidebook for visitors.
At its best, I feel like I am walking through Paris with an extra guide, visualizing the city as I remember it and appreciating new aspects.
For Paris enthusiasts. If you really love Paris you'll enjoy this book, I really love Paris in a "been there a few times" kind of way, The author loves Paris in a "lived there for over two decades" kind of way, With that comes a certain degree of cynicism that a casual Paris fan might find offputting.
But it also comes with a depth of knowledge a casual travel writer might not posses.


He also writes with a wry sense of humor and addresses some less obvious aspects about Paris.
The book covers everything from cafe' life to Paris' disturbing dog obsession, As a whole the book was very interesting and included some less covered aspects of Paris.


However, as someone that holds Paris in a unrealistically positive light I prefer to think of Paris as unblemished.
Whereas the author knows it in a deeper, more realistic manner that bleeds through the pages.
Liked this book. Enjoyed the writing style amp sense of humor/observation, Very interesting prospect to write about the different neighborhoods of from a walker's point of view.
After reading this little book, I became homesick for Paris even though we had just been there.
It took me a couple of months to read this book, not because it wasn't good, but because I wanted to savour each essay.
At first I dove in, approaching it like a linear travelogue, but I quickly realized that I wasn't giving enough attention to each topic.
So I read a chapter at a time between other books, and really enjoyed each chapter.


I loved how much history and flavour the author offered for his topics, If I get an opportunity to return to Paris, I will carry this book and use his descriptions of places and events to enhance the experience.


I decided to read this, at a leisurely place, while I am reading novels, in preparation for my Europe trip in the spring, which includes the City of Light.
I got this, as it was highly reco'd for us discerning readers and travelers who want to read about the places in Paris that are not as well known or understood, places connected to history that many would bypass.


" David Downie is the master of educated curiosity, With him we discover Paris, a seemingly public city that is, in fact, full of secretsgreat lives, lives wasted on the bizarre forgotten artisans lost graves lost till now the papillons nocturnes and the poinçonneur des Lilas.
I have walked some of the citys streets with him, and reading this book is just as tactile an experience.
” Michael Ondaatje

“A quirky, personal, independent view of the city, its history and its people.
Residents will recognize a place they can vouch for and not the clichés so frequently conjured up to match the legends.
Visitors and newcomers are bound to find Paris, Paris reliable company as they discover the citys beauties and pleasures and its problems too.
”Mavis Gallant

"Downie is a saunterer, wandering down the narrow ancient streets of the Île de la Cité, picnicking in storied graveyards like PèreLachaise, observing a seduction at Jardin du Luxembourg with a birder's patience.
captures the sort of people and places missed by those jetting from starred bistros to hotels with showers.
”Dan Rubin, The Philadelphia Inquirer


I like the way Downie writes, Will look for his other books, To enjoy this book, you need to be interested in Paris, Downie took me off the beaten path with his experiences in the many neighborhoods of the city.
It is a history book and travel journal all in one, Wonderful read. David Downie talks about Paris, Paris in the interview with FiveBooks and recommends his favourite five books on the subject: sitelink David Downie on Paris I have decided to read

this book because of my wife's enthusiastic review, as follows.
. .

I have lived in the South of France each summer for the pastyears, which also includes at least one month in Paris each year.
I read abouttobooks each year about Paris, my favorite city, David Downie's book, sitelinkParis, Paris: Journey into the City of Light is one of the best I have ever read.
What a fun book to read, Downie takes some obscure things, i, e. the poles on the sidewalks to keep cars from parking there, and makes them interesting, His book has opened my eyes to see more as I walk around Paris, Paris people, places, and things all made fun, interesting and informative, I will enjoy my walks around Paris even more now that I have had the pleasure of reading David Downie's wonderful book.


ps. maybe someday I'll convince her to join GR and post her own reviews

On completion:
Who is this book for I mention this problem below in a partial review.
Maybe you want a book offering a little bit for everyone, I prefer a book that has a central focus, A book for weekend tourists, a book for expats and that for a reader seeking information on the citys history will be three very different books.


I dont know what you may be seeking from this book, I wanted to know interesting details about the citys past, Some, but not enough, of the chapters did offer insights that satisfied me, I wanted it to capture the feel of the place, and how its denizens behave, The only chapters that came close to doing this are the one on cafés and the one on the authors night perambulations.
You learn a bit about the booksellers along the Seine and the boat people and posh Parisian dog owners.
but these are not your typical Parisians, I dont think this book captures the French Parisian mentality,

This is a book of essays, Some essays are in fact very similar to other essays, Information is repeated. If you want a chapter on cemeteries have one and put all related information there.
The book should have been better organized,

Then there is the tone, There is lots of whining, Rather than the author stating clearly that he dislikes a particular trend he insinuates it, The author is opinionated you are getting his point of view, He is one for nostalgia change is usually bad, While he does list the improvements of particular modernizations you hear from his choice of words what his general sentiment is toward the change, and it is most often negative.
The gist is that things were definitely better before, He doesnt offer constructive solutions!

The author has a separate essay on Parisian dogs.
He is NOT a dog owner, Only occasionally does he and his wife dog sit, He writes about hair styling salons for dogs, clothing stores for dogs, dog cemeteries, dog taxi services.
You hear his ridicule clearly, OK, jeweled collars and such are ridiculous, but he simply has no idea what it is like to be a dog owner.
He has nothing good to say, This is just one example of what I mean by opinionated writing, You begin to wonder to what extent other topics are presented in a balanced fashion,

Some sentences were beyond my comprehension, What is the author trying to say Maybe the problem lies with me, but I didnt always understand what the author was trying to get across.
I didnt think his explanation for the term bobos was adequate, There I turned to Wiki for clarification,

I hope you understand now why I gave this book only two,

If you choose to read the book, dont listen to the audiobook narrated by Max Winter! See below.




I have listened to half:

Wow, the book definitely does improve once it starts talking about the people of Paris.
What people The booksellers along the Seine, the boat people, Modigliani, Coco Chanel and the French symbolist painter Gustave Moreau.
I didn't know at all about Moreau and there is a wonderful museum just devoted to his artwork!

If I complain, I must also point out when a book improves.
It certainly has.



I have listened to about/to/so far:

I am having serious trouble with this book.


The author throws around names, politicians and authors, but often they are mentioned over and over again.
Balzac, Victor Hugo and Emile Zola are his favorite authors, It is like, look what I have read, what I know, where I have been,

MUCH is derogatory, So much whining.

Who is this book for A weekend tourist An expat living in Paris Someone wanting the background story of Paris and its history Or is the focus Paris today and modern trends What is offered is a mix.
Parts are walks don a particular street and what the author saw at numberoror.
This means nothing if you don't have a photo or don't have the street in front of you.
These sections are for the weekend tourist, perhaps.

BUT, a recent chapter read was about Les Halles, the old food market replaced by Forum des Halles, a huge subterranean shopping mall.
You don't go to Paris to shop there, Does a weekend tourist want to know about this ugly, cold, sterile shopping mall filled with vacancies Maybe all you need to know is NOT to go there.
Sure, you go there if you have to find something particular, and then you get out.
Then pages are spent on the numerous failed attempts to make improvements, A new center is planned, And . we are told how to spell shampoo and how it is pronounced! I don't quite see why that was thrown in.


There are some bits of interesting history, for example, Roman history, the origin of the city's name and about the ancient Cimetière des Innocents replaced by the Père Lachaise Cimetièr.
But actually what I most liked was looking at images on Wiki of what you can see there.
Does the book have adequate photos There are fantastic tombs to be seen, Again the weekend tourist is told where they can see that or that person's tomb, Maybe that is important for you,

Why do we have to be told how many trees and bushes are in this park or that park

You don't get the feel of Paris AT ALL! The next essay is about the people of Paris.
Will it cover only those of fame Will we meet the people you would bump shoulders with on a stroll in Paris or sitting next to you on a park bench

Make up your mind, Downie, who is this book written for

For a short trip to Paris I would recommend an "Eye Witness Travel Guide".
Full of pictures, great maps and helpful museum, hotel, restaurants and transport information, I swear by them.

AND for God's sake if you have decided to offer a book on Paris in an audio version get a narrator that knows French! My audiobook is narrated by Max Winter.
He cannot pronounce boules. He cannot even decide how he will pronounce Medici he tries several pronunciations,

I don't understand why there are so very many positive reviews for this book.
Could this guy have so many GR friends

I will continue, but my temper is running short.
The next essay/chapter better be good,
.