Parisian points of view

by Ludovic Halévy

English, French (translation)

195 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Ludovic Halévy was a French playwright, operettas/operas librettist and novelist.
He was the son of Léon Halévy.

Ludovic Halévy était un dramaturge, librettiste d'opérettes/d'opéras, et romancier français.
Il était le fils de Léon Halévy.

Reviews

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of short stories revealing Paris through the eyes of different people (but of course most are important or rich people). Some are prosaic but the ball-gown dress is somewhat forward for its time being told through the view point of a dress. The insurgent is sad but shows the political instability of Paris for decades.

The Chinese Ambassador is probably my favorite. Not only is it funny, it shows how ludicrous the situation was with different claims of who and what type of government was the legitimate one in France. Surprisingly, the Chinese Ambassador is not a complete stereotype. He is, instead, used to show the hypocrisy of the Europeans to call China and the "Orient" barbaric considering the atrocities committed during the Commune and other events. Not only that, the Chinese have had a continuous civilization for centuries longer than the more "civilized" Europeans.

I was surprised at the deft skill shown in the stories. This is a writer I need to read more.