Paris To the Moon
One of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this month is Paris To the Moon by Adam Gopnik. As a bit of a Francophile, my want went off in my head as soon as I saw it in the store quite some time ago.
Paris To the Moon isn’t exactly a quick, easy read, as the stories it collects were originally printed as essays in The New Yorker and are wonderfully dense. Adam Gopnik moved with his wife to Paris shortly after their son was born, and stayed for the next five years, through the turn of the century and the birth of their daughter. Each chapter addresses its own topic, from finding an apartment to French politics, to high couture, to raising a son in a culture and surroundings in which his own parents are not entirely comfortable themselves.
This book captivated me, and is partially responsible for rekindling my own urge to spend some serious time not only in the City of Lights, but in the rest of France. Gopnik is witty and eloquent and captures perfectly the charm that I imagine Paris to have, all while patiently exploring and navigating the many differences between his native culture and that of his adopted city.
Comments
Comment from Amy
Time February 26, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Nope, haven’t read it, but you can bet that it’s going to my to-read list! Paris To the Moon isn’t really a comedy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hilarious in parts — it’s just not a laugh-a-minute kind of book.
Comment from zibilee
Time February 25, 2009 at 11:58 am
Have you read A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke? I think it is similar in subject to Paris To the Moon, but A Year in the Merde is billed as a comedy, whereas I get the picture that this one is not. It has been on my shelf for a long time. Hopefully I can get to read both and compare them.