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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
At first I was just curiously intrigued by the title and wasn't sure what to expect given the mention of the other cities I've never been to but I found Lauren to be such a kindred spirit. It was one of those books that gave me validation and confidence in who I am as a traveler, wanderer and explorer of new places. She included so many other aspects to travel including books, women of the past and histories of places including protests in France.
I loved how she normalized simply existing in a place as its own form of art. That there is such beauty of sitting on a sidewalk cafe with a journal or sketchbook or combing city streets without an agenda just to admire the facades and sunset light reflected on windows.
At the very beginning of the book, she describes how being a woman out in public was once not an acceptable pastime. It was perfectly fine for a man to wander but if a woman was out, she would likely be seen as a woman of the night. Not to mention her safety would be in question. I realize, it is a privilege to exist pretty much anywhere I want in the city to observe life with my camera or just myself.
As far as the fluidity of the book goes, she does tend to jump around a bit. There were a couple times that I zoned out and had to reread a paragraph to catch what she said. Once I did, it was always fascinating. The part about the protests in France got a little long and I didn't feel bad skipping over that.
This was a book that inspired me to read other works -- she even mentioned out of my favorite authors Amor Towles. See? Kindred spirits. I'm adding Virginia Woolf to my list as well. And I may or may not have promised myself a trip to Paris, perhaps extending longer than a visit. We'll see. The power of books, right? I would highly recommend for people who have lived in other cities/countries, who love literature, women history, the magic of street life and even photography.
“The London [Woolf] loved: there are fewer and fewer people who remember it any more, leaving those of us who read her diaries and letters and books to reconstruct it for ourselves. We have to rebuild a world from the rustle of paper.
Or we could put on our shoes and go out the door.”
I loved how she normalized simply existing in a place as its own form of art. That there is such beauty of sitting on a sidewalk cafe with a journal or sketchbook or combing city streets without an agenda just to admire the facades and sunset light reflected on windows.
At the very beginning of the book, she describes how being a woman out in public was once not an acceptable pastime. It was perfectly fine for a man to wander but if a woman was out, she would likely be seen as a woman of the night. Not to mention her safety would be in question. I realize, it is a privilege to exist pretty much anywhere I want in the city to observe life with my camera or just myself.
As far as the fluidity of the book goes, she does tend to jump around a bit. There were a couple times that I zoned out and had to reread a paragraph to catch what she said. Once I did, it was always fascinating. The part about the protests in France got a little long and I didn't feel bad skipping over that.
This was a book that inspired me to read other works -- she even mentioned out of my favorite authors Amor Towles. See? Kindred spirits. I'm adding Virginia Woolf to my list as well. And I may or may not have promised myself a trip to Paris, perhaps extending longer than a visit. We'll see. The power of books, right? I would highly recommend for people who have lived in other cities/countries, who love literature, women history, the magic of street life and even photography.
“The London [Woolf] loved: there are fewer and fewer people who remember it any more, leaving those of us who read her diaries and letters and books to reconstruct it for ourselves. We have to rebuild a world from the rustle of paper.
Or we could put on our shoes and go out the door.”
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
This book was not what I expected and wanted it to be. Born in Paris, studied in New York and now living in London I thought this book would be for me - a lover of the Flaneur concept and newly introduced to the possibility of recontextualising it with a female gaze I was expecting more analysis on this rather than her musings that rarely have anything to do with the flaneuse.
Though I see why the cover claims she is the new Sontag because of her writing style that is about her to talk about the world, she doesn't do it as effortlessly (though I'm no Sontag super fan).
Her love for Paris is clear and beautiful but it's clear it's the only place which she knows and loves which makes her writing of other cities... less than interesting. Her chapter on Tokyo is infuriating - and this is coming from someone who isn't necessarily drawn to the city.
I will give it that her Cleo 5 a 7 reference made me watch and adore the movie by Varda.
Though I see why the cover claims she is the new Sontag because of her writing style that is about her to talk about the world, she doesn't do it as effortlessly (though I'm no Sontag super fan).
Her love for Paris is clear and beautiful but it's clear it's the only place which she knows and loves which makes her writing of other cities... less than interesting. Her chapter on Tokyo is infuriating - and this is coming from someone who isn't necessarily drawn to the city.
I will give it that her Cleo 5 a 7 reference made me watch and adore the movie by Varda.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Wanderlust, melancholy, homesickness, adventure all mixed into this story of women, including the author, who travel the world. Women who leave home, who walk, who travel, who are independent or at least want to be. I think I learned something but I know I felt something. It made me question my whole life and all the choices I made but also love every step I’ve taken. And inspired me to take more steps and be that independent woman.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
En bok jag alltid vill ha i min närhet och jag sörjer att den nu är utläst.
Radioprogram: Litteraturens städer byggs av män
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/848630?programid=503
Radioprogram: Litteraturens städer byggs av män
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/848630?programid=503
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
From a young urban planner's perspective, this book was disappointing.
It was touted by urban planning media and newsgroups as an urban planning book that talks about women and their experiences walking in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London. And sure, the very first chapter really went into some urban planning history in New York and that got me SUPER excited. Beyond that first chapter, though...the rest of the book was a huge letdown.
What I expected was a book about different women who live in these places [in the modern era] to explain their experiences of living in and exploring these cities by foot. What you get is the author telling you HER experiences and then throwing in unknown female artists from decades to centuries ago (photographers, videographers and filmmakers, literary writers, etc) and quoting what flaneusing meant to them....except 90% of the time, it wasn't about explaining what flaneusing was, but rather, what their personal lives were like (who they married, where they traveled, where their homes were...it was basically a book of Lauren raving about these women artists and their lives, highlighting particularly on the Parisian artists).
I didn't pick up this book to read about the personal lives of artists I've never heard of. I picked it up to learn what is a modern woman's experience walking in these cities (I'm completely aware that women felt unsafe walking around in large cities in the 1800s and weren't allowed to go traipsing around on their own most times because...men). I also picked it up to get some urban planning history maybe thrown in ("a woman's experience walking in London is like this because the streets were designed as such..."). THAT is an example of what I wanted to find. I did not find that in this book, and so for that I give it two stars. I should give it less because the chapter on Tokyo was especially disheartening (Lady, I don't care how much you hated Tokyo and let your boyfriend at the time sour your experience there...I also don't care how much you love Paris and want to live there so goddamn bad and cried at a customs officer who asked you why you're in Paris and you tell him "I'm not here illegally, I consider Paris home as much as you do! Just leave me alone to wallow in self-pity for having to travel back home to my family in New York because my visa expired and the French government refuses to accept my application for citizenship! Life fucking blows!").
If you want to read a book about one lady's EXTREME love of Paris (she brings it up in EVERY chapter even though she was supposed to be focusing on Italy, or England, or the US, or Japan....she kept derailing and going back to Paris because she loves it so much) and have 90% of the book just be her discussing the artistic viewpoints of women artists from the 1800-1900s (I don't care about why this movie was filmed the way it was or why this photograph was taken and what it represents), then this is totally for you! Obviously, I hated this book. It might suit others, but for me it just wasn't my taste and ended up being a big fat disappointment. Sorry.
It was touted by urban planning media and newsgroups as an urban planning book that talks about women and their experiences walking in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London. And sure, the very first chapter really went into some urban planning history in New York and that got me SUPER excited. Beyond that first chapter, though...the rest of the book was a huge letdown.
What I expected was a book about different women who live in these places [in the modern era] to explain their experiences of living in and exploring these cities by foot. What you get is the author telling you HER experiences and then throwing in unknown female artists from decades to centuries ago (photographers, videographers and filmmakers, literary writers, etc) and quoting what flaneusing meant to them....except 90% of the time, it wasn't about explaining what flaneusing was, but rather, what their personal lives were like (who they married, where they traveled, where their homes were...it was basically a book of Lauren raving about these women artists and their lives, highlighting particularly on the Parisian artists).
I didn't pick up this book to read about the personal lives of artists I've never heard of. I picked it up to learn what is a modern woman's experience walking in these cities (I'm completely aware that women felt unsafe walking around in large cities in the 1800s and weren't allowed to go traipsing around on their own most times because...men). I also picked it up to get some urban planning history maybe thrown in ("a woman's experience walking in London is like this because the streets were designed as such..."). THAT is an example of what I wanted to find. I did not find that in this book, and so for that I give it two stars. I should give it less because the chapter on Tokyo was especially disheartening (Lady, I don't care how much you hated Tokyo and let your boyfriend at the time sour your experience there...I also don't care how much you love Paris and want to live there so goddamn bad and cried at a customs officer who asked you why you're in Paris and you tell him "I'm not here illegally, I consider Paris home as much as you do! Just leave me alone to wallow in self-pity for having to travel back home to my family in New York because my visa expired and the French government refuses to accept my application for citizenship! Life fucking blows!").
If you want to read a book about one lady's EXTREME love of Paris (she brings it up in EVERY chapter even though she was supposed to be focusing on Italy, or England, or the US, or Japan....she kept derailing and going back to Paris because she loves it so much) and have 90% of the book just be her discussing the artistic viewpoints of women artists from the 1800-1900s (I don't care about why this movie was filmed the way it was or why this photograph was taken and what it represents), then this is totally for you! Obviously, I hated this book. It might suit others, but for me it just wasn't my taste and ended up being a big fat disappointment. Sorry.