Review: Paris Trance

Paris Trance by Geoff Dyer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



In the most trivial of ways - regarding initial circumstances - I was briefly put in mind of Orwell's [b:Down and Out in Paris and London|393199|Down and Out in Paris and London|George Orwell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327954139s/393199.jpg|2374970], but that resemblance quickly faded. Instead I found myself caught up in an almost magical world. The dust jacket blurb uses the phrase "photographic precision" and I can't improve on that description. The plot was secondary to the study of characters and setting, and as such left me feeling unsatisfied and confused. However, I was treated to a glorious wash of scenes, which pulled me into the world in nearly-cinematic detail.
I think that the label of "romance" is appropriate - but not because of the sex scenes or love between the characters. It is a romance between the author/the characters and the lifestyle captured in the pages. Not a smooth romance, but a heady one.
I yearn to visit Paris and the French countryside, to have the places described in this book come to life for me. I wondered what it would be like to read this book without knowing any French - those untranslated sentences would be frustrating. I felt smug in my understanding, although humbled by the thought of how difficult it would be to actually live in a place where another language (even one with which I have a passing familiarity) is spoken. I was envious of the expats around whom the book centered because they had the courage to try that adventure.



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