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Haussmann, Or the Distinction

By Paul LaFarge

(3)

| Others | 9780312420925

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Book Description

Fat Delesse and skinny Hennezel chuckle, thinking of their secret orders. ...
Hennezel and Delesse walk from one end of Paris to the other, handing back and ...

2 Reviews

1 person find this helpful

haussmann hubris and haute societe

Those of us who live in Paris, often dream about having the perfect Haussmannian apartment- high ceilings, fireplaces, molding. We think of these apartments as an elegant remnent from the past. But that wasn't always the case. When built, they were the equivalent of the glass buildings in Soho. Haus ... (continue)

Those of us who live in Paris, often dream about having the perfect Haussmannian apartment- high ceilings, fireplaces, molding. We think of these apartments as an elegant remnent from the past. But that wasn't always the case. When built, they were the equivalent of the glass buildings in Soho. Haussmann tore up large portions of the city, expropriated loads of people, destroyed numerous churches and artifacts to get us our beautiful avenues, buildings and parks. This novel, set in the 1860s in Paris, shows us both the good and the not so flattering side of Haussmann and the political and social webs of the time. The voice of the narrator is annoying at times (this is a novel in a novel -supposedly written at the time of Haussmann - so feels like an awkward version of Dickens at times) but the story worth reading. Loved the Madeleine character who goes from street urchin to lady.

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Gail Paris said on Oct 23, 2011 | Add your feedback

A rather dry I'm-writing-with-cynical-detachment-but-sophisticated-readers-can-read-through-that-and-appreciate-my-prose style rather spoiled this book for me. I think I would have enjoyed it very much more with a more straightforward narrative approach.
The subject matter was interesting and the s ... (continue)

A rather dry I'm-writing-with-cynical-detachment-but-sophisticated-readers-can-read-through-that-and-appreciate-my-prose style rather spoiled this book for me. I think I would have enjoyed it very much more with a more straightforward narrative approach.
The subject matter was interesting and the story was captivating in its way. I liked the ambiguity, the gaps and the uncertainties in the storytelling, which were dotted about the novel. I also liked the sense of flux induced by the emergence of the Paris to come that Haussmann was creating, mingled with anticipatory regret for the Paris that was.
Overall, an interesting, rather than an enjoyable read for me.

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Hélène Wilkinson said on Oct 22, 2011 | Add your feedback