Author: John Baxter
Started: June 18, 2018
Finished: July 1, 2018
Pages: 298
Genre: Non-Fiction
First Sentence: Every day, heading down rue de l'Odeon toward Cafe Danton on the corner of boulevard Saint-Germain or toward the market on rue Buci, I pass them.
Summary: [From BN] From the author of Immoveable Feast and We’ll Always Have Paris comes a guided tour of the most beautiful walks through the City of Light, including the favorite walking routes of the many of the acclaimed artists and writers who have called Paris their home. Baxter highlights hidden treasures along the Seine, treasured markets at Place d’Aligre, the favorite ambles of Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Sylvia Beach, and more, in a series of intimate vignettes that evoke the best parts of Paris’s many charms. Baxter’s unforgettable chronicle reveals how walking is the best way to experience romance, history, and pleasures off the beaten path . . . not only of La Ville-Lumière, but also, perhaps, of life itself.
Thoughts: I thought this book would be a straightforward take on being a pedestrian in Paris. It was not. Instead, The Most Beautiful Walk in the World is more a memoir. Yes, there are bits about walking around Paris, but the story is about how Baxter came to be a tour guide in this beautiful city.
Baxter is a skilled writer who can elegantly craft a scene, add some historical facts, then toss in a personal memory all on one page. It all just works. His writing is well-crafted with perfectly chosen vocabulary and emotional impact. He also does a wonderful job of mixing his personal story with facts and narrative storytelling. I would recommend this book for the writing alone.
I have a feeling most people leave this book envying Baxter. His life seems full of the right amount of drama, free-time, and work. I, for one, would love to spend as much time in French cafes and bars as he does. Then again, he also seems to attract characters (for better or worse).
While I was disappointed in the content of this book, it was still a good read. I went in to this book wanting more a tour of the city, instead I got a story. That's not a bad thing, it's just not what I was expecting. I think my enjoyment of The Most Wonderful Walk in the World would have been higher if I knew what I was getting myself into.
Rating: 7/10 [Very Good]
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