Tags
Books about Paris and France, Eiffel's Tower, France, Joan DeJean, Paris, The Age of Comfort, The Less You Cry, The Sharper Your Knife
Carrousel, by Michelle Schwartzbauer
It’s August, and in August all good Parisiennes leave town. We could follow them and tell you all about the delights of A Woman’s Deauville, A Woman’s Saint-Tropez or A Woman’s Biarritz, but really, we’d rather put our feet up, pour ourselves a glass of chilled rosé, and crack open a good book.
There are plenty to choose from, but here are a few from our bookshelves that you might enjoy, whether you are reading on the beach, at a café, or in your favourite armchair. To share your favorite books, email: barbara@awomansparis.com
Book: The Age of Comfort: When Paris Discovered Casual ― And the Modern Home Began
By Joan DeJean. (Hardcover – 2009.)
DeJean, who favours long subtitles, is also the author of The Essence of Style: How The French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafés, Style, Sophistication and Glamour, another hugely enjoyable read. Here she tells you about the origins of things like sofas, hardwood floors, white-painted ceilings, boudoirs, and the art of interior decoration. All French, and all dating from roughly the time between the accession of the Sun King and the death of Madame de Pompadour. Who knew? 304 pages. Publisher Bloomsbury USA.
Book: The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School
By Kathleen Flinn. (Hardcover – 2007.) (Paperback – 2008.)
In 2003, Flinn lost her job in corporate America, packed her bags, and flew to Paris to take the Cordon Bleu course – the same one that formed Julia Child’s approach to cooking. It’s a terrific intro to French food, complete with recipes. 304 pages. Penguin Publishers. (Reprint edition – 2008.)
Book: Eiffel’s Tower
By Jill Jonnes. (Hardcover – 2009.)
The title is a little misleading, because this book is really about the extraordinary outpouring of creativity and general insanity that was the Exposition Universelle of 1889. It is peopled with larger-than-life characters such as Annie Oakley (the crack shot who headlined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show), the artist Rosa Bonheur (one of the few women legally allowed to wear trousers in those days), and, of course, Gustave Eiffel himself, who braved criticism, labour problems, and the elements to build the tower that is now the symbol of the city. 368 pages. Viking publishers, a division of Penguin Group.
Alors, amusez-vous bien. On va à la pêche (Gone fishin’).
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Text copyright ©2010 Philippa Campsie
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A Woman's Paris 
Susan Gebelein said:
What a treat! I’m heading for the library.
Sue
Paris Karin (an alien parisienne) said:
I’ve spent quite a bit of time this afternoon, reading this fantastic blog, and now this new post has arrived. I’m so glad! I’ve been enjoying myself here so very much. This is a wonderful place to learn more about Paris.
I just received an Amazon.fr gift certificate and so I appreciate very much these suggestions for good reads! I am especially interested in the last title and the mention of Rosa Bonheur. I just finished researching her a little bit online and writing about her on a blog post as there is a guingette and restaurant named after her in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Almost two years after my arrival into Paris and also two years since the restaurant’s opening, I finally had a chance to check it out not long ago. I was just thinking today that I would like to know more about Rosa and her art. This sounds like a book I might like.
Have fun “fishing”! 😉 See you at the rentrée in a few weeks.
Karin
Kathy Morton said:
Hi Barbara,
Loved, loved, loved this information! I had forgotten about Kathleen Finn’s book, so I’ll read it the moment I have some free time 🙂