Literary Paris for Expats: Tory’s Top Picks
January 16, 2010
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One of the most gratifying things about being a Francophile is that, no matter where you are, you can always read your way back to France. When I’m not in Paris and my wanderlust kicks in, I reach for a book that will take me back, and I’m never disappointed. And while French literature can send me into a stay of pure bliss, I’m equally enamored with English-language expat literature. Whether it’s Hemingway’s “Lost Generation” or whatever today’s equivalent would be, there is something perpetually intriguing about cultural castaways—those outsiders who become insiders only to realize they’ll always be outsiders, etc.
A few of my top picks:
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
For anyone who has ever suspected that the meaning of life resides somewhere in Paris, this is the book for you. The story’s protagonist, Larry Darrell, is a classic drifter who—after serving as a fighter pilot in WWI—eschews convention and, to the bewilderment of those around him, sets out to discover a deeper, more existential raison d’être. As the supporting characters wallow in materialism and drunkenness, Larry roams from bohemian Paris to greater Europe to India and back… and captivates us along the way with his mysterious theories about life, love, and enlightenment (or some version of it).
Everybody Was So Young by Amanda Vaill
Amanda Vaill’s biography of Gerald and Sara Murphy—the golden couple whose patronage of such talents as Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, and John Dos Passos defined the Jazz Age in Paris in the 1920s. From wild nights in Montmartre to sultry summers in Antibes (this crew helped give the Côte d’Azur its cachet), the Murphys and the exploits of their artistic entourage defined an era—and a lifestyle. Everybody Was So Young both glorifies this historic moment and lifts the veil on the behind-the-scenes action (much of which was more sordid than glamorous). Spoiler alert: Hemingway was a misogynist and Fitzgerald was a drunk!
Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunée
Ok, so this one is a bit of a guilty pleasure. If you enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love (admit it… you did), you will get the same kind of rush from living vicariously through this book’s lovelorn heroine, Kim Sunée. This account of her real-life romance with French entrepreneur Olivier Baussan (the founder of L’Occitane and O & Co.) is set mostly in idyllic Provence. And while the love story here is not particularly notable, the book is redeemed by the fact that it’s full of mouth-wateringly delicious recipes. Just when the melodrama has you rolling your eyes for the thousandth time, Sunée distracts you with a Provençal-inspired dish that transports you to a land where daily lunches consist of local lamb with spiced lentils, orange couscous salad, almond saffron cake, an abundance of fresh cherries, and endless bottles of crisp rosé. So while she has yet to master the art of love, Sunée comes up big in the kitchen. (I keep my copy next to my cookbooks).
I hope you enjoy, and we would love to hear what you’re reading as well!
Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
Written by Tory Hoen
After attending Brown University and spending two years in New York, Tory bought a one-way ticket to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a writer (and of drinking wine at lunch). During her time in the City of Light, she chronicled the euphoric highs and the laughable lows of ex-pat life on her blog, A Moveable Beast. Though she's now based in New York, she travels frequently to Montreal and Brazil, and she'll use just about any excuse to jet to Paris ("I ran out of fleur de sel"). A regular contributor to Hip Paris, Tory also writes for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, and she is a co-author of Gradspot.com's Guide To Life After College.
Website: http://www.toryhoen.com/
Tags: amanda vaill, books about paris, books and paris, everybody was so young, expat literature, expat paris, french literature, hemingway, kim sunee, literary paris, lost generation, the razor's edge, tory hoen, trail of crumbs, w. somerset maugham
Posted in Arts | 2 Comments »
I am heading down to Santiago, Chile in a few weeks for two months. I wanted to bring along a few special books and this is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for this post!! xo
I actually really enjoyed Trail of Crumbs a lot-even though I wanted her to dump Oliver-I love L’Occitane and Olivier and was a little disappointed to know that I support his stores-he struck me as rather controlling.