Eric Hazan. 2010 (November 2013)
This book is not for everyone, but for those interested in
revolutionary history or the way that social forces shape, and are shaped by,
urban geography, this is wonderful. Hazan’s rich and detailed knowledge of the history
of Paris gives the reader a deep understanding of how a city develops, how each
neighbourhood keeps (or doesn’t keep) its unique character and social context. Hazan
describes, for example, the impact of diverse factors such as street lighting, the
royal promenade, the need for railways to find a level access to the city (I
always wondered why the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l'Est were so close), and sales
tax policy.
The book is in three main parts that are not linked to each
other except by reference to the same regions. It seems to be a collection of essays
by Hazan on different themes relating to Paris. The longest section describes
each arrondissment, and the next situates the nineteenth century revolutions in
specific parts of Paris. The third reflects on the literary and visual heritage
of the city. Each has a different appeal, although I found the first two of
greatest interest.
Especially rich is Hazan’s frequent quotation of the
descriptions by social and literary figures of the melieu in which they lived
and worked. They add imagery and a sense of the atmosphere (very dark and dirty
in most of the city until the twentieth century) that will certainly colour my
own appreciation of Paris when I next visit or read about the city.
This isn’t a tourist guide, although it provides a street-by-street
view of many neighbourhoods that would illuminate many walks through the city. Reading
it, I found many sections were much easier to follow with Google maps handy, so
I could search for the street references. Even better, I could go into Street View,
and look at the intersections or lanes that he describes.
Hazan writes from the perspective of a social revolutionary,
so his acidic comments on the bourgeoisie of the nineteenth century or the governments
of the most recent decades are strong and entertaining. (He refuses to call the
Centre Pompidou by its name, preferring to call it the Centre Beaubourg after the
neighbourhood that was flattened to build it.) If you are sympathetic to his
point of view, this will add an entertaining quirkiness to his text –
otherwise, it will likely come across as opinionated and irritating. Tant pis, as the French say. I spent
many pleasurable evenings reading through the book and thinking about the city.
