NEW PARIS BOOK IN PROGRESS IN 2025: THE TRUE STAR OF THE NOVEL; PARIS OR THE CHARACTERS IN PARISIAN NOVELS? – Blog 32Quasimodo or the cathedral – the shining star is …
Paris has long served as the muse for writers and creatives, inspiring countless novels that capture the city's essence. When considering these stories, a question I ask myself as I write my book, set in Paris, is: who – or what – is the true star of the novel? Is it the characters who drive the narrative, or is it the city of Paris itself that takes centre stage? Victor Hugo: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Victor Hugo’s 1831 masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame brings this question of who is the true star of the novel into sharp focus. The hunchback Quasimodo is undoubtedly a memorable character, with his tragic existence and undying devotion to Esmeralda. Yet it is theNotre-Dame Cathedral of Paris that looms largest in the novel, which has continued its prominence in the Parisian and international press since the fire of 15 April 2019, its subsequent renovation and re-opening in December 2024. Hugo uses the cathedral as a living, breathing entity – a symbol of Gothic grandeur and the passage of time. The title of the novel has the hunchback in the premier role, although the cathedral is not merely a backdrop but a cornerstone of the plot, representing Paris’s heart and soul. My verdict: Notre-Dame Cathedral is the star. Honoré de Balzac: Le Père Goriot Honoré de Balzac’s 1835 novel Le Père Goriot delves into the social hierarchies and ambitions of Paris in the 19th century. While characters like Eugène de Rastignac and Père Goriot are central, the city itself, with its salons, boarding houses, and bustling streets, provides the ultimate battleground for their struggles. My verdict: Paris shares the limelight with its characters. Alexandre Dumas: The Three Musketeers Although much of the swashbuckling adventure of The Three Musketeers (1844) extends beyond Paris, the city plays a crucial role in setting the stage for intrigue, romance, and duels. However, it is the characters that Alexandre Dumas creates who dominate the action: D’Artagnan and the three musketeers (infantry soldiers with guns) Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Paris is a vibrant setting, but does not steal the spotlight. My verdict: The characters are the stars. Émile Zola: Thérèse Raquin In the 1867 novel, Thérèse Raquin, Émile Zola paints a vivid portrait of Paris’s underbelly. The story unfolds in a claustrophobic shop and the city’s murky river Seine. While Thérèse and her doomed lover, Laurent, captivate readers with their spiraling moral descent, the damp, oppressive atmosphere of Paris’s working-class districts reinforces the story’s tension. My verdict: The characters are the stars, but Paris shapes the mood. Marcel Proust: In Search of Lost Time Marcel Proust’s monumental work In Search of Lost Time, set in Paris and Normandy, was published in France between 1913 and 1927. It is deeply tied to Paris, yet it is the narrator’s inner world that takes precedence. Paris serves as a canvas upon which memory and time are revealed, with its salons, parks, and boulevards providing the stage for a profound exploration of love, art, and society. While Paris is significant, it remains a secondary player to the narrator’s journey. My verdict: The main character Marcel Proust is the star. Colette: Chéri Colette’s 1920 romance novel Chéri, the exploration of an affair between an older woman and a younger man, is set in opulent Paris of the Belle Époque. The deeply intimate and personal nature of the story keeps the characters in focus. My verdict: The characters are the stars. George Orwell: Down and Out in Paris and London George Orwell’s 1933 semi-autobiographical novel Down and Out in Paris and London is an account of poverty in Paris and the gritty realities of the city’s working-class life. Orwell himself is the lens through which we experience the grime of Parisian kitchens and lodgings, but the city’s vivid depiction remains unforgettable. My verdict: A tie – both the author George Orwell and the city of Paris shine as stars of the novel. Simone de Beauvoir: She Came to Stay Set in the intellectual circles of Paris, Simone de Beauvoir’s 1943 novel She Came to Stay explores existentialist themes of freedom, identity, and human relationships. While the city provides a rich cultural location, the psychological drama between the characters takes precedence. My verdict: The characters are the stars. Ernest Hemingway: A Moveable Feast Although not a novel, Ernest Hemingway’s memoir of his time in 1920s Paris, published posthumously in 1964, captures the city with exquisite detail. While Hemingway himself narrates the story, describing his relationships with other literary and creative figures, such aswriters Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Paris emerges as the magnetic force pulling everything together. The title A Moveable Feast places the importance on Paris. Hemingway reportedly said to a friend in 1950 that, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” It also refers to a religious date or even lunch at a non-fixed time – shifting according to the calendar, the phases of the moon, or the mood. For Hemingway, the cafés, markets, and streets of Paris form the lifeblood of the narrative. My verdict: The city of Paris is the star. Patrick Süskind: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Set in 18th-century France, part of Patrick Süskind’s historical fiction, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (1985), takes place in the dark streets of Paris. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, the sinister protagonist, seeks to master the art of scent, the allure of perfume. He sets out to create the most irresistible perfume in the world. The grimy, oppressive Paris of the 1700s mirrors Grenouille’s own twisted psyche, amplifying the atmosphere. While Grenouille dominates the story, the city’s pungent smells are vividly central. My verdict: The main character is the star, although Paris plays a compelling supporting role. Cara Black: Murder Mysteries in Paris In Cara Black’s Aimée Leduc Investigations series, Paris becomes a character in its own right. Each novel (published from 1998 and continuing), explores a different arrondissement (district) of Paris, offering a detailed portrait of the city’s varied personality. The character Aimée Leduc is a fictional French detective and private investigator, with an American mother and French father. While Aimée is a compelling protagonist, Paris often feels like the star, with its shifting moods and neighbourhoods stealing the spotlight. My verdict: Paris is the star. Paris, over the years, has been a city of contrasts – seedy and romantic, ever-changing and timeless – but always a city more than suitable for an fascinating story setting. Paris, as a city, has the exceptional ability to shape stories. Ultimately though, whether the star of a Parisian novel is its protagonist or its setting depends on the story’s focus. But one thing is certain: Paris always leaves an indelible mark, its presence lingering long after the final page is turned. Don’t you think?
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Tuesday, 7 January 2025
NEW PARIS BOOK IN PROGRESS IN 2025: THE TRUE STAR OF THE NOVEL; PARIS OR THE CHARACTERS IN PARISIAN NOVELS? – Blog…
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