Tues Paris Reading Rec: A CORNER IN THE MARAIS

There's a certain giddiness that suffuses many Paris memoirs, even the sad or bitter ones (of which there are quite a few, perhaps even a majority). Not so Alex Karmel's A CORNER IN THE MARAIS, which takes a quiet, thoughtful, and historically-informed approach to a somewhat familiar subject: the couple who's long wanted an apartment in Paris finally finds one.

If reading that last sentence whets your appetite for sawdust and anecdotes of contractor frustration, look elsewhere (perhaps at Ron Tanner's excellent ANIMAL HOUSE TO OUR HOUSE , but if you're looking for a thorough investigation of a storied quarter of Paris, stop here first.

On my last trip to Paris, I found myself in the Marais (as always), engaged (as always) in my least favorite Paris pasttime, Finding the Perfect Place to Eat. I've rarely been disappointed by a Paris meal, but I'm always sure that I'm missing out on a more transcendent experience just around the next corner. But on this evening, I'd kept looking around those next corners so much that I'd walked straight through the dinner hour and finally found myself at a tiny little sidewalk crêperie on a quiet street. The food was fine. The service was professional. The wine was incredible. But more incredible still, once I settled back, was the realization that I was sitting...just beneath Karmel's apartment building. Parfait.