'The Only Street in Paris' captures something essentially French
Rue des Martyrs is more than just a street. It is, as Sciolino describes, 'a half-mile celebration of [Paris] in all its diversity.'
Rue des Martyrs is more than just a street. It is, as Sciolino describes, 'a half-mile celebration of [Paris] in all its diversity.'
Paris has always been a city that fascinates and inspires its visitors. Oscar Wilde captured the sentiment in 鈥淭he Picture of Dorian Gray鈥�: 鈥淭hey say that when good Americans die, they go to Paris.鈥�
There are many things that attract people to the so called 鈥渃ity of light鈥�: its status as a hub for artists, its remarkable history, its architecture, its art, its food and its wine. Maybe it is easier to sum it all up by simply saying: its vibe. And that鈥檚 what Elaine Sciolino attempts to capture in her book The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs.
Sciolino moved to Paris in 2002 as bureau chief for The New York Times, and in 2010 she and her husband decided to move to an apartment on Rue des Martyrs. Being a journalist, Sciolino did not just become another resident on the street, but also became its observant eye.
The book is set in a street in northern Paris. But Rue des Martyrs is more than just a street. It is, as Sciolino describes, 鈥渁 half-mile celebration of the city in all its diversity鈥� and the representation of 鈥渨hat is left of the intimate, human side of Paris.鈥澛�
Rue des Martyrs is in a neighborhood where big writers and artists left an indelible mark: Emil Zola lived there for a time, Francois Truffaut went to school there, and in the early 20th century a 鈥減oor, thin and only four feet, eight inches tall鈥� singer would peform in the street鈥檚 courtyards for its residents. She eventually became well known as Edith Piaf.
Besides its proud history, Rue des Martyrs is full of colorful contemporary characters. There's Ezzidine, the street鈥檚 green-grocer, originally from Tunisia, whose fantasy it is to one day kiss Sharon Stone. There's Yves Chataigner, a cheese shop owner in his eighties who was raised in a poor family and spent two years in a sanatorium after becoming sick from tuberculosis. There's Laurence Gilerry who proclaims proudly 鈥渢hat she is the only artisan in Paris who repairs mercury barometers.鈥澛� And there's Michou, the owner of the nearly 60-year-old transvestite Cabaret in the neighborhood who likes to say 聽鈥淚 am the best-known, the most-beloved homosexual of France.鈥澛�
On Rue des Martyrs residents are members of a big family. When the street鈥檚 longtime fish store is going to be closed, the neighborhood does not take the news easily, because 鈥渋t was the end of a family business and the destruction of a web of neighborhood relationships with the fishmongers.鈥� And the neighbors give a hand to one another. When Sciolino wants to go to a black-tie event, the street鈥檚 antique dealer Guy Lellouche lends Sciolino a necklace for a black-tie event and at the time that Guy鈥檚 apartment is flooded, Sciolino invites him and his daughter to celebrate Passover at hers.
Throughout the book Sciolino explains the French mentality. We learn that the French prefer the pleasure of verbal play to going straight to the point and believe that 鈥渃onstructing a beautiful argument is more important than which side to take.鈥澛�
鈥淭he Only Street in Paris鈥� also offers occasional flashes of Gallic humor. When Sciolino finds a mouse at her apartment and asks the butcher鈥檚 advice on how to deal with it, he says 鈥淵ou鈥檙e American, so use your gun!鈥� Another time the owner of pastry shop Patisserie des Martyrs says he does not know to which historical character the word 鈥淢artyrs鈥� refers. When Sciolino asks 鈥淒on鈥檛 you have customers who wonder about the origin of the name?鈥� he answers 鈥淭he only origin my customers want to know is the origin of the strawberries and lemons in my pastries.鈥澛�
Each book chapter starts with an introductory photo. However the photos do not give much of information to the reader. The photos would have made a more useful contribution to the book if they had been more about the people and the life that goes on on the Rue des Martyrs.
Nevertheless, this is a pleasant read with All in all, the book is a pleasant read with something interesting for everyone: If you like food, architecture, history, art or simply human stories, you will not be disappointed.
鈥淭he Only Street in Paris鈥� is a well-researched book that goes beyond a simple depction. Henry Miller once remarked that 鈥渢o know Paris, is to know a great deal.鈥� So too could be said about Sciolino鈥檚 version of Rue des Martyrs.