BooksVictor Hugo was one of the first to immortalize Paris in literature, and his lead was taken up by many other French writers. Since the 1920s many American writers have made Paris their home, perhaps most famously Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The African-American writers were no less prolific, but are less well remembered. Richard Wright spent 13 years here prior to his death in 1960; his remains lie in the Columbarium at Père Lachaise. Also here in the 1950s were James Baldwin and Chester Himes, who penned more than one of his detective novels here. French literatureHugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Modern Library Classics, 2001). When Hugo’s poignant romance about the hunchback Quasimodo was published in 1831 it drew attention to the cathedral, which was then restored. Hugo, Victor, Les Misérables, (Signet Classics, 1987). Thirty years later Hugo published his unflinchingly brutal story about the lives of the downtrodden poor in early 19th-century Paris. Queneau, Raymond, Zazie in the Metro (Penguin, 2001). A fun, quirky tale of young Zazie’s trip to Paris in the 1950s. Balzac, Honoré de, La Comédie Humaine. Balzac’s ‘Human Comedy’ series is rich in detail about Paris. Zola, Emile, Nana (Oxford World Classics, 1998), L’Assommoir (The Dram Shop, Penguin, 2000), Thérèse Raquin (Oxford, 1998). These titles from Zola’s Rougon-Macquart series are probably the ones that most powerfully portray life in 19th-century Paris. Proust, Marcel, In Search of Lost Time (Penguin, 2002). A 13-volume story of Paris in the early 20th century. The French title is À la Recherche du Temps Perdu. Perec, Georges, Life, A User’s Manual (Harvill Press, 1996). Life in Paris told through the microcosm of a Haussmannian apartment block. Widely hailed as one of the masterpieces of 20th-century fiction. Other fictionDickens, Charles, A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin, 2003). Dickens shares his story between London and Paris during the bloody time of the Reign of Terror. Hemingway, Ernest, A Moveable Feast (Arrow, 1994). A series of interconnected stories about his early writing life in Montparnasse in the early 1920s, featuring his wife and fellow writers in Paris at the time, including Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and Scott Fitzgerald. Orwell, George, Down and Out in Paris and London (Penguin, 1999). A comparative account of the author’s experiences of poverty on the fringes of these two societies, first published in 1933. Miller, Henry, Tropic of Cancer (Flamingo, 1993). An alternative look at the city’s seething underbelly, written when Miller first arrived in Paris. When it was published in 1934 its explicitness caused a stir. Baldwin, James, Giovanni’s Room (Penguin, 2001). A moving tale about a struggling, homosexual man in Paris, first published in 1957. Süskind, Patrick, Perfume (Penguin, 2002). The sickening tale of a fishmonger’s bastard son, born in the stinking fish market of Paris, who was to have the finest nose of his time. Travel writingWhite, Edmund, The Flâneur, A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris (Bloomsbury, 2001). An intimate tour of the city from the perspective of an American in Paris, interwoven with historical information and personal anecdotes. Steinbach, Alice, Without Reservations (Bantam, 2001). The touching story of a middle-aged woman’s ‘year out’, in which she spends time rediscovering herself in Paris, Oxford and Milan. Gopnik, Adam, Paris to the Moon (Vintage, 2001). Another American in Paris, this time on commission for five years for The New Yorker. A funny collection of his dispatches and journal entries. Green, Julian, Paris (Marion Boyars Pubrs, 1991). A collection of the author’s impressions and memories about Paris. Barclay, Steven (Ed.), A Place in the World Called Paris (Chronicle Books, 2002). Paris extracts from fiction, poetry, essays and memoirs by a number of 20th-century writers, including Franz Kafka, Trumane Capote and Maya Angelou. HistorySchama, Simon, Citizens (Penguin, 1994). A hugely readable, but very lengthy, account of the Revolution. Cole, Robert, A Traveller’s History of Paris (Phoenix Press, 2002). A decent, standard overview of the history of Paris. Horne, Alistair, Seven Ages of Paris: Portrait of a City (Macmillan, 2002). This book entertainingly tackles Parisian history from pre-historical times until 1969, the end of de Gaulle’s presidency. Higonnet, Patrice, Paris: Capital of the World (Belknap Press, 2002). A study of Paris the city of creativity, myths, cultural freedom, sexual expression and self-consciousness. Price, Munro, The Fall of the French Monarchy (Macmillan, 2002). An atmospheric study of the French Revolution, as seen from the perspective of the French monarchy. Art, architecture and photographyLittlewood, Ian, Paris: Architecture, History, Art (G. Philip, 1992). Everything rolled into one. Morand, Paul (foreword), Brassaï: Paris by Night (Flammarion, 2001). A great collection of Brassaï’s haunting and occasionally surreal documentary photos taken as he roamed the streets of Paris in the early 1930s. Weeks, Willet, The Man Who Made Paris Paris (London House, 1988). An illustrated biography of Georges-Eugene Haussmann. Gautrand, Jean-Claude, Paris Mon Amour (Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2001). A lovely photographic tour of Paris, including works by the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson. LanguageA belief persists that Parisians tend to be supercilious with foreigners who try to speak French. On the contrary, the reality is that, as in most parts of the world, efforts to speak the language are greatly appreciated – don’t expect people not to try to practise their English though. Basics thank you merci please s’il vous plaît hello bonjour hi salut good evening bonsoir goodnight bonuit goodbye au revoir I’m sorry, excuse me excusez-moi yes oui no non Numbers one un, two deux, three trois four quattre, five cinq, six six, seven sept, eight huit, nine neuf, 10 dix, 11 onze, 12 douze, 13 treize, 14 quatorze, 15 quinze, 16 seize, 17 dix-sept, 18 dix-huit, 19 dix-neuf, 20 vingt, 21 vingt-et-un, 22 vingt-deux, 30 trente, 40 quarante, 50 cinquante, 60 soixante, 70 soixante-dix, 80 quatre-vingts, 90 quatre-vingts-dix, 100 cent, 200 deux cent, 1000 mille. Questions how? comment? how much? combien? when? quand? where? où? why? pourquoi? what? quoi? Problems I don’t understand Je ne comprends pas I don’t know Je ne sais pas I don’t speak French Je ne parle pas français How do you say …(in French)? Comment vous dites … (en français)? Is there anyone who speaks English? Est-ce qu’il y a quelqu’un qui parle anglais? I need a doctor j’ai besoin d’un médecin/la police! help! au secours! Shopping this one/that one celui-ci/celui-là less moins more plus How much is it/are they? C’est combien/ce sont combien? I would like … Je voudrais … good value bon marché expensive cher Eating/drinking I would like to reserve a table for two je voudrais réserver une table pour deux personnes Can I have the bill? l’addition, s’il vous plaît? What’s this? qu’est-ce que c’est? Is there a menu? est-ce qu’il y a un menu? Where’s the toilet? Où sont les toilettes? breakfast le petit déjeuner lunch le déjeuner dinner le dîner dish of the day le plat du jour wine list la carte des vins a bottle of beer/a draught beer une bouteille de la bière/une bière à la pression I’m a vegetarian je suis végétarien/végétarienne (masc/fem) steak and chips/ mussels and chips steak frites/moules frites rare saignant (literally, bloody) medium à point (literally, just right) well cooked bien cuit chicken in wine coq au vin rabbit with mustard lapin à la moutarde beef stew la boeuf bourgignon snails les escargots oysters les huîtres grilled fish le poisson grillé roast lamb l’agneau rôti lobster le homard ham le jambon fresh pasta les pâtes fraiches open toasted sandwiches des croques ... with ham and cheese un croque monsieur ... with ham, cheese and egg un croque madame Travelling one ticket for… un billet pour… single aller-simple return aller-retour does this go to Versailles? c’est pour Versailles? airport l’aéroport bus l’autobus underground le métro train le train car la voiture taxi le taxi is it far? c’est loin? stop arrêtez Hotels I have a reservation j’ai fait une réservation a single/double room une chambre à une personne/deux personnes a double bed un grand lit with bathroom/shower avec salle de bains/douche Is there a view? est-ce qu’il y a une vue? Can I see the room? puis-je voir la chambre? When is breakfast? le petit déjeuner est a quelle heure? the key la clef Conversation you’re welcome de rien good luck! Bon courage! Bon chance! cheers! à la votre! (literally, here’s to you) one moment un instant hello (when answering a phone) allo! let’s go! on y va! I like... j’aime … how’s it going? Very well, thanks ça va? Très bien, merci how are you? Comment allez-vous? Comment vas-tu? (polite/informal) Time morning le matin afternoon l’après-midi evening le soir night la nuit soon bientôt later plus tard What time is it? quelle heure est-il? today/tomorrow/yesterday aujourd’hui/demain/hier
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