F E A T U R E S

What is it about Paris?
By Don George, Editor
The seductive heart of the City of Light

Philosophy au lait
By David Downie
I pose, therefore I am. "Philocafes" conquer Paris.
- Books on Paris
- Philocafes schedule

D E P A R T M E N T S

The Surreal Gourmet
By Bob Blumer
Asparagus with attitude

Passages:
"Anatomy of Restlessness"
Gone to Timbuctoo
By Bruce Chatwin
- Getting there

Postmark: Los Angeles
Lost in Los Feliz
By Dawn MacKeen
What happens when Madonna, Gwyneth and Brad take over your old neighborhood?
- Books on Los Angeles

Readers' Tips and Tales
Your favorite city in the whole wide world!

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Your virtual travel agency

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L A S T + W E E K

Tuesday, May 6

Riding high
By Cintra Wilson
Our resident enfant terrible does the Kentucky Derby

A full list of all
Wanderlust articles

               B O O K S  O N   P A R I S

A MOVEABLE FEAST 

BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY | in 1957, just four years before his death, Hemingway began writing this memoir. In this marvelous collection of essays, Hemingway captures his years in Paris of the '20s as an unknown expatriate writer attempting to write his first novel. From his rich descriptions of the food and drink of Paris' cafes to his recollections of friendships with writers such as Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway successfully gives the reader a tour of Paris -- his Paris. His tale of a road trip to Lyon with Fitzgerald is both humorous and sad. His opinions on Stein and Zelda Fitzgerald present an interesting dilemma to the modern feminist. Throughout, Hemingway is able to bring an ornate and lively world to life in his trademark direct, journalistic style. The final paragraph of the book's eponymous essay truly captures the spirit of the book and the world he describes: "There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy."

THE SUN ALSO RISES

BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY | his first novel established Hemingway as one of the leading talents of his generation. His mastery of narrative and ability to yield detailed and meaningful descriptions with a sparse amount of text is evident throughout. In the doomed relationship between Jake Barnes, a hapless journalist living in Paris, and Lady Brett Ashley, a carefree yet poignantly sad wanderer, Hemingway finds a metaphor for his generation -- one that Gertrude Stein pronounced "lost." All the characters in this novel are searching, wandering aimlessly through the streets of Paris and through their lives. The narrative is enriched with detailed and vivid descriptions of life on the Left Bank in Paris and the brutal sport of Spanish bullfighting; and Hemingway's love for both shines through this novel brilliantly.

THE CAFES OF PARIS

BY CHRISTINE GRAF | one could visit every monument in Paris, pause before each work of art in its countless museums, ride the Metro a hundred times -- but without passing several long afternoons in one of Paris' famed cafes, the city would remain a mystery. In the cafes of Paris, history has been made, great works of philosophy and fiction have been written, numerous monumental love stories have begun and ended. Cafes are a pastime in this city of lights. Proprietors turn the chairs that face the window and line the sidewalk outward so those sitting down for their cafe au lait or afternoon glass(es) of wine can gaze onto the streets that have known so much history. This is the basis for Graf's guidebook to Paris. Instead of directing readers on walking tours down the Champs Elysées or through the Jardin du Luxembourg, she describes the rich history of Paris' cafes: where Simone de Beauvoir met with Jean-Paul Sartre, where Henry James complained about the onslaught of Brits to the city, where Balzac would duck in for an aperitif before hiding from his creditors. Graf mixes historical notes with lively description, making this an amusing and informative guide to the cafes of Europe.

PARIS

BY JULIAN GREEN | there are few things more horrible to read than a poorly composed love letter. But a well-written love letter? It can resonate in the mind and soul for years, filling the reader with a sense of warmth and comforting passion. "Paris" is Green's love letter to the city he grew up in. Born to American parents in Paris in 1900, Green spent the majority of his years living and writing an astonishing volume of work in Paris. Written in French, with the English translation running parallel, this collection of essays is all about being in love with a place and expressing that love in a way that doesn't distort or cheapen the emotion. Green writes a particularly touching piece on one of Paris' least known treasures: St.-Julien-le-Pauvre. This lush cathedral sits across from, and in the shadow of, Notre-Dame. To discover it, as Green has, is to come into brief contact with the sublime. There are few mentions of Paris' great monuments, but rather sweet memories of the steps that led to his childhood home and the joys of wandering Paris' cobblestone streets by moonlight.

LE DIVORCE