Les anguilles

Three books set in Paris.

Lol! ChatGPT got this in one.

My deepest apologies, book enthusiasts. I took a long break because I have been writing and editing work stuff! Except for last week when I took spring break off to hang out with my family and the four thousand house finches in my backyard, so really I have no excuse there. But rest assured, I have been reading like it’s going out of style (it’s not, it is very stylish), so I have lots of material with which to get back on track.

I’ve been planning this EELS for ages. The friend who I travel with loves Paris, and as such, I have been there several times, like a charmed person! The last time we went, she suggested I read A Moveable Feast beforehand. I don’t have any jokes about this! It was just a dang good tip!

Coming soon: As promised, I have not been idle. I’ve been following the Tournament of Books very closely, have lots of thoughts on the same, and am excited about the International Booker Prize shortlist.

🌷 Friends, it’s been awhile, so if you’ve forgotten all the books I’ve ever recommended, here’s a spreadsheet that lays it all out, for your scanning purposes. You may have access if you’re a subscriber. It’s that easy.

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🍷 A Moveable Feast

Ernest Hemingway, 1964 (posthumously)

I genuinely had no idea what this was about. I’d dabbled in Hemingway — The Sun Also Rises and all that — and sort of assumed it was another novel. It’s not! Probably you all already knew this! I didn’t! And don’t let that scare you at all! It should, in fact, enchant you, because it’s a totally absorbing little unreliable history of Papa’s time in Paris. He’s just over there being poor, writing, drinking cheap wine, betting on the horses, nuzzling his wife, talking smack on the Fitzgeralds, and basically describing exactly how the Lost Generation lived.

It’s truly fascinating, and it really can’t have been as blissful and free as he makes it out to be. I mean his wife (who later left him) surely was like, “No thanks” during a lot of this, but it’s an extremely compelling read and Paris is at its best and worst.

Recommended for: Those who want to believe that wine is totally fine and good and definitely not habit-forming. It’s the Fitzgeralds who have a problem.

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🥑 The Dud Avocado

Elaine Dundy, 1958

I could listen to Sally Jay Gorce talk forever. This book — seriously, where has it been all my life? Have you heard of it? Has everyone heard of it? What is going on? My friend Gabby read like a single page and demanded I add to queue because she knew I would be into it and she was correct. Here’s the deal: Sally Jay Gorce is a sort of detached socialite Cassandra at the Wedding (see EELS: A sense of the selfies) type plus Bell Jar. Bundle it all up in an evening gown that’s inappropriate for the occasion and stick it among a bunch of other American expats in Paris, and hilarity ensues.

I almost think of this as the women’s answer to Bertie Wooster (see EELS: Loafing about). Instead of an aunt to avoid, she’s got an uncle, and she’s steeped in slang and bad decisions. But she doesn’t have a Jeeves to guide her, so things go off the rails in a satisfying way.

Recommended for: Those who are into screwball comedies but also young women who are both wise sages and total idiots at the same exact time. And Paris, of course!

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🏬 The Ladies’ Paradise

Émile Zola, 1883

Until almost exactly a year ago, I worked for a business publication. Twenty-ish years ago I read this in college for a class on the urban novel. And yes, this fantastic and fast-paced novel definitely talks about how a department store’s massive growth takes a toll on a city’s physical layout and economics.

However! Rereading this with new eyes (full disclosure, I did so because, in my quest to watch absolutely every period drama on PBS and BritBox, I watched the not-very-good show Paradise—you can skip—and realized it was an adaptation of this book! An adaptation that misses a lot of the point! But that’s a rant for another day!), I realized that it is an 100% relevant business book for our times. H&M or whoever didn’t invent fast fashion! Department store manager/owner Mouret did, at least in the world of this book. Bezos didn’t invent taking a loss to destroy competition; Mouret was doing it back in 1883. Was late-stage capitalism already in its late stages back then? You tell me!

A second read in 2024 was utterly fascinating. Plus, like, these ladies were nuts about lace, man.

Recommended for: Those who like a good business book OR just a good read. OR just a good lace?

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And now, a bonus literary TV show recommendation

📜 Upstart Crow — BritBox

David Mitchell stars in this sitcom about Shakespeare that is the most English major show to ever exist. The kids are digging sonnets and ever shall!

If you need convincing, here is a clip.

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That was the fifty-seventh EELS! If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend and like it by hitting the heart! It’ll help others find it and maybe they’ll like it, too.

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📚 Susan

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