Bonjour
Paris needs very little introduction. The cultural and historical significance of the city of lights cannot be overstated and French literature is no exception. We collaborated with one of Paris’ favorite independent bookstores Shakespeare and Co to bring new and fresh recommendations from their team specifically curated for Vacation Reads.
In Montmartre by Sue Roe
Discover Paris through art and its superstar painters such as Picasso, Matisse and Derain. Uncover what life was like in Montmartre from opium to the origins of Cubism. A must read for any art fan, In Montmartre, Sue Roe paints a rich and vibrant portrait of the Modernists in their early years.
Left Bank by Agnes Poirier
“I devoured this remarkable portrait of Paris during the forties.” - Eloise of Shakespeare and Co bookstore in Paris
Weaving together the fascinating lives and opinions of characters such as Beckett, Picasso, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Flanner, the book explores the complexities of the occupation and includes anecdotes like how masterpieces from the Louvre were smuggled out. With the end of the war, there was an "orgy of fraternity" as de Beauvoir described it and no-one could be indifferent, everything was political. This is an enthralling read, it left me with a new appreciation of what Paris stands for and how close it came to destruction
Parisians by Graham Robb
A great history of Paris! This reads like a collection of fictionalized non fiction short stories, a series of first person narratives from the point of view of characters at historical events. Very readable and a fascinating selection of more famous events and things I never knew happened, I live here and have revisited parts of Paris since reading..
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
A rich and unusual book about the construction of Paris through the ages by the Master of French literature. Journey through medieval Paris with its dark and dangerous streets such as the Cour des Miracles where thieves, jugglers and street artists hide at night time. There you’ll meet Claude Frollo the archdeacon of Notre Dame de Paris on his impossible quest to find the key to alchemy in the symbols sculpted on the cathedral's gate. You’ll also meet Esmeralda the beautiful gypsy fortune teller and watch how both Claude Frollo and his adopted son Quasimodo fall madly in love with her. A true masterpiece.
The Mandarins by Simone De Beauvoir
An intimate portrayal of post-Occupation Paris and both the personal and political trials faced by newly liberated Parisians by one of the era's most prominent voices.