Paris Tales

by Helen Constantine (editor/translator)

If you've never been to Paris, here is your chance to experience it; if you have been there, here is your chance to return. Paris Tales is a highly evocative collection of stories by French and Francophone writers who have been inspired by the mystery and charm of different locations in this most visited of capital cities. The twenty-two stories- by well-known writers including Nerval, Maupassant, Colette, and Echenoz- provide a captivating glimpse into Parisian life from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. The stories take us on an atmospheric tour of the arrondissements and quartiers of Paris, charting the changing nature of the city and its inhabitants. Viewed through the eyes of characters such as the provincial lawyer's wife seeking excitement, a runaway schoolboy sleeping rough, and a lottery-winning policeman, the collection presents a stage for the intimacies and insights of these distinctly Parisian people. From the artists' haunts of Montmartre to the glamorous cafés of Saint-Germain, from the shouts of demonstrators on Boul Mich' to the tranquillity of Parc Monceau, Paris Tales offers a fascinating literary panorama of Paris. Illustrated with maps and striking photographs, the book will appeal to all those who wish to uncover the true heart of this seductive city. Translated by well-known linguist Helen Constantine, Paris Tales is the first title in a series of literary tours of key capital cities. Rich in atmosphere, this literary tour will enchant both tourists and armchair travelers alike.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, France, Travel, French Literature, Classics

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Helen Constantine read French and Latin at Oxford. She was Head of Languages at Bartholomew School, Eynsham, until 2000, when she gave up teaching and became a full-time translator. She has published volumes of translated stories, Paris Tales, and French Tales and edits a series of City Tales for Oxford University Press. Paris Metro Tales will be published in March 2011. She has translated Mademoiselle de Maupinby Théophile Gautier and Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos for Penguin and is currently translating Balzac’s La Peau de Chagrin for OUP. She is married to the poet, David Constantine and with him edits Modern Poetry in Translation.

(from http://www.mptmagazine.com/author/hel...)

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading for Maryse Conde's story about what it means to be human. Seriously, one of the best short stories in the world.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its very French, no its very Parisian. Avant guard, quirky little stories translated from french to english about that most wonderful city. Some of the stories were odd but thats the beauty of short stories. Recommended

[Lost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of stories, I read this while in Paris which made it even that much better :) I loved that is wasn't filled with ALL cheerful stories, Paris isn't always a magical city of romance and happy times. This book showed the other sides of Paris!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty-two short stories set in Paris over three centuries, in different 'arrondisements'...neighbourhoods in English...'manors' in London 'argot'! I was 'un peu' disappointed, though the translations are fine enough. I just had the feeling that I'd read some of them before...when I haven't! So familiar are the streets, squares and parks of Paris...so familiar are many of the characters. Perhaps I watch too many French films...so many based in grim & gay Paris...so many full of the characters in these well-illustrated (monochrome photographs) slices of Parisian life...like watching...scenes from a film...? Je ne sais pas...

[Dave Harmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

kind of neat idea but I don't think it worked too well. and the stories mostly weren't that good.

[Emelie27]

"And then I want to hoot with pleasure like the owl, run over the roofs like a cat; and in my veins I feel the warmth of a sudden and irresistible desire for love."

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paris propaganda so strong

[Harmony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to savor small bits of Paris in various times and places.

[Vivienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paris Tales is a series of 22 short stories, written over a time spanning from the 19th century through to the late 20th century by a series of French and French speaking writers and translated by Helen Constantine. Each story evokes a part of Paris and each story has that enigmatic 'French feel', hard to articulate but easy to feel and definitely strong and real.
As is the case with most short stories, there are some I liked more than others, particular favourites being In Notre Dame by Julien Green, Family Portrait by Maryse Conde,The Runaway by Georges Perec and The Joyful Death of Fassola by Andrew Ched.
The different times in which the stories are written is very noticeable, but all retain the French feel and are entirely enjoyable for anyone who is a lover of France and French people.
A short, easy read, I enjoyed every moment of these tales. ***

[Liesl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The experience of reading this book reminded me of searching a location tag on Instagram and scrolling through the different pictures that strangers have taken there. Obviously, some are going to be more artistic and stylistically appealing than others. Here, The Joyful Death of Fassola (beautiful! endearing!) neighbors The House in the Place des Fetes (YIKES). Worthwhile read if not totally what I expected.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite Avant Gard, quite quirky , but the perfect short stories to quickly show the reader the accurate energy of Paris and Parisian writing. The story by Guy de Maupassant is a must read (Nightmare) and “What goes on in Saint-Germain” by Anna Gavalda was hilarious. Will be returning to this book each time I go to Paris, definitely making it all the more special.

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is ok. Sometimes, it accomplishes its goal of evoking different parts of Paris. Other times, it showcases some great writing (de Maupassant, Zola, Condé, Chedid). Often, it is not consistently good. I had to read it in spurts.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories range from well-known French authors (Colette, Georges Simenon, Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola) to modern authors with ties to Charlie Hebdo.

[Feridon Rashidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent translation

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

22 short stories set in Paris mainly by well known French writers in translation.

Unfortunately I only really enjoyed 5 to 7 of them, but my favorites were definitely Emilie Zola’s “Squares” and Maryse Conde’s “Family Portrait”.

[Crazytourists_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love Paris, then this short story collection is for you! Some of the stories were brilliant, some not so much, but a truly enjoyable collection!

[Urenna Sander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book of short stories by two authors: Guy de Maupassant and Maryse Condé. I read short stories by Maupassant some time ago. I had begun Ms. Condé’s Segu, but never completed it. Next year, I will complete Segu.

In Family Portrait, Maryse Condé, a native of Guadeloupe, gives a non-fictional slice of her eight-year-old childhood, in 1946. Although unable to do so during the Second World War, every year, her upper middle-class parents visited France with their seven children. When complimented by waiters on their fluid French, her parents later stated to their children that they were more French and more educated than the waiters. As a child, this evoked sadness in Ms. Condé. The waiters considered themselves better and had French identity, denied to her parents.

Guy de Maupassant’s Nightmare is written prose-like, he weaved the beauty of night: “…I love it with all my senses. I love to see it, I love to breathe it in, I love to open my eyes to its silence, I love my whole body to be caressed by its blackness.” In comparison, he is vexed and depleted by harsh daylight and its loudness.

Nightfall appears more earthy, more voluptuous and sensual to him. But deep into night, long after midnight, he felt the darkness’ loneliness. In the pitch-black night, he floundered like a blind man, lost, frightened, and alone, succumbing to his fate.

Maupassant also wrote A Parisian Adventure. This story involves a young wife not content with her provincial life. Although married to a country lawyer, she craved Paris society and is an avid reader of society news. Seized by the gaiety and excitement, she contrived a lie to visit relatives in Paris without her husband and children. In Paris, her adventure lead to an adulterous affair, but her conclusion is not like Madame Bovary’s.

Honoré de Balzac’s the Last Napoleon, concerns a gold coin in use until the First World War. A glum, ‘cash-strapped’ young man possessed one gold coin. He planned to use it at the gaming table, hoping to wind a windfall. This story is concise and well written.

Colette described Montmartre Cemetery and Flora and Fauna in Paris. Colette compared the overcrowded, unpleasant odor of the Montmartre Cemetery to the beautiful and lush flora and fauna in the Bois de Boulogne. One can almost imagine the various trees, scented, colorful flowers and fauna in the Bois de Boulogne.

Roger Grenier’s The House in the Place des Fêtes reveals an ambivalent, disloyal Antoine that has two loves, Suzanne and Dejanira. But he is happiest when visiting, whom he calls ‘rabbit teeth’ Dejanira and her sister, Antigone, at their home in the Place des Fêtes. He married Suzanne, but continued to see Dejanira.

Anna Gavalda’s What Goes On in Saint-Germaine, female character meets a handsome, suave, well-dressed man on the street. They are instantly attracted to each other, and decided to meet later for dinner. After dessert, the most momentous occasion, when she thought of how pleasurable this relationship could be, his phone rang, something she found especially annoying. Then, he glanced at his phone when he thought she wasn’t looking. To her, their date took a nosedive.

There are almost two dozen short stories; I highlighted above the ones I found exceptional. I gave this book four stars.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

*spoiler alert*

I wanted to like this collection of short stories, I really did. I wanted the essence of Paris, but by and large these stories were dark, dreary, sexually-charged, or all three. Is that what Paris really is? Is that all it is? Isn't there any joy or hope there? Could Helen Constantine (the translator of all the stories, and the compiler of this collection) not have noticed that every single story is so depressing? Didn't she care?

The first story, by Guy de Maupassant, Nightmare: a man who loves the night gets lost in Paris, and eventually finds himself on the edge of the Seine, in fact in the mud along the river, and knows he will never get out again. Too bad.

The last story, by Vincent Ravalec, Feeding the Hungry: a man wins the lottery but keeps working in order to have his retirement too, then goes on a giving spree, handing out cash to the derelicts he'd formerly arrested...including the whores - oh did you know it's two hundred for intercourse, more if you don't use a condom. Well now you know. What seems to be an act of charity turns out to be, well, scorn. Maybe even hatred. For the hungry. Animals.

And in between are twenty more stories.

Soooo unpleasant.

[JK · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this breathtaking. I'm not sure whether this was because of the writing (which was wonderful!) or because I am quite obsessed with the city of Paris, having lived there for a while and having fallen head over heels in love with it.

I love reading about the different parts of Paris and the kinds of people who live in them, and this was an excellent collection. Some of the stories I couldn't understand fully, and they were a bit too poetic for my tastes, but I really enjoyed the majority of them.

The photographs were also a highlight - I find pictures of Paris to be fantastic, and they give me such a longing sense of nostalgia that I find it quite difficult not to sit and gaze at them for ages. The metro map on the last page was also a treat - I found myself sitting tracing routes I'd taken many times and thinking about how lovely the city is.

A lovely light read - I'd definitely recommend it if you're a bit of a Paris romanticist like myself!

[Sylvie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like so many collections, this was incredibly uneven. I like a good short story, but, for me, essay and short story collections just aren’t worth the reading time investment for the few good ones, especially in translation. However, despite my general reservations about collections, I had high hopes for this one because of the Paris setting, but there were very few stories that provided a real sense of place, notably “Montmartre Cemetery” by Colette, “The Adventure” by Cyrille Fleischman, and maybe “Family Portrait” by Maryse Condé. I can’t imagine getting a lot out of it if you don’t know Paris well.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written short stories collection - a gift from a friend as I anticipated my first paris vacation.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

a mixed bag. Some very good others not so

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy it as much as I expected. But it was cheaper than a trip to Paris so well worth the time. I found the more modern stories most compelling.

[Andrew Edward Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot. Short stories with many hidden depths, all exploring an aspect of the human condition - our faults and positive qualities.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a whole tour of Paris over many years, and in many corners of the city. I loved Maryse Condé's story of coming from Guadaloupe to Paris with her family and her reflections on being alien. I love the classics, Julien Green and Colette, for example, and enjoyed just opening the book at random and reading from that page. Pure delight!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collection of short stories all written by either French or Francophone writers; a very eclectic assortment of stories, all of which attempt to evoke a representation of Paris at different points in time. The authors are all well known in their own right and their individual stories were inspired by specific locations in the city of lights. However, the majority of the stories have themes of loss and pain, as if the editors purposefully assembled a collection which purposefully expresses an overall sense of pessimism. The accompanying black and white photos aptly convey this trend, as if this is a city devoid of color and happiness. While the stories are for the most part enjoyable and evocative, at upon completing the collection, I was left wanting more. However, readers with even a remote semblance of interest will certainly find one or two selections appealing and powerful so for that reason I would not completely dismiss the book in its entirety.