What: In 1995, Adam Gopnik, a writer for the New Yorker, received a plum assignment: Move to Paris for five years and write about it. For me, at least, Gopnik actually earned that privilege, because he sent back some damn fine writing on everyday life, including strikes, cafes, fax machines, haute couture, Alice Waters, and a baseball bedtime story. This isn't just an American in Paris; this is an American becoming Parisian.
Comparable to: A New Yorker in Paris.
Representative quote: "[It was] symbolic of a common human hope that the world could be something other than it is --- younger and more musical and less exhausting and better lit."
You might not like it if: The privilege of it all really gets in your way.
How to get it: When it's cold out! I always associate this book with winter, mainly because of the memorable "Winter Circus" section. Also, Pro Tip for you: Go ahead and buy a few copies right away. I've owned several different copies of the book because I keep loaning it to people ("You really should read this.") and people keep . . . not always giving it back.
[Originally posted 2/7/11.]
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