Through Parisian Eyes: Reflections on Contemporary French Arts and Culture - Hardcover

Porter, Melinda Camber

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195041046 ISBN 13: 9780195041040

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1986

Synopsis

This book brings together some of the rich and varied voices that continue to place Paris at the cutting edge of European cultural and intellectual life. From Francois Truffaut to Jean-Paul Sartre, from Eugene Ionesco to Marguerite Duras, from Jean-Francois Revel to Andre Malraux, the book covers a wide spectrum of figures involved in such areas as film, theatre, poetry, philosophy, and political commentary.
As she interviewed her subjects between 1975 and 1985, British journalist Melinda Camber Porter set out to reveal the people behind the highly cerebral and complex ideas endemic to France and, through her interviews, to test the authenticity of their views and to oblige the "speakers" to make their thoughts and theories accessible to a general audience. The dominant trends in French artistic and political thought thus emerge vividly in this kaleidoscopic array of portraits: the rise and demise of structuralism, the birth of a moderate feminism, the ambivalent attitude towards America, French xenophobia, disillusionment with communism, the role of cafe life, cross-cultural influences, the predominance of the French film industry, and much more. The various "speakers" often appear to be in dialogue with each other as they disagree over many issues and discuss each other's work and contributions.
Alive with the insight, wit, and occasional outrageousness for which Paris is famous, this book evokes the experience of living in a city that retains its historical role as a major international cultural capital and shows why it still nurtures the creative spirit.

About this title

About the Author:

Melinda Camber Porter is a cultural correspondent for the London Times, and was based in Paris throughout much of the last two decades. Her journalism and poetry have appeared internationally; her books include The Art of Love: Love Poems and Paintings and Badlands, a novel. She lives in New York.”

Review:

"A particularly readable and brilliantly compiled collection. The voices of French intellectuals mingle in this uniquely constructed volume of interviews and commentary."
                                                                                                    -- Boston Sunday Globe 

"An inviting opportunity to tap into Paris' thinking . . . thanks to Melinda Camber Porter's willingness to listen well and challenge when necessary."    -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"For those passionate about French arts and culture, Melinda Camber Porter's Through Parisian Eyes is like a daylong trip to the candy store. Porter's eclectic gathering provides an area of interest for almost every palate. A well-rounded, intelligent look at the contemporary Parisian spirit." --San Francisco Chronicle 

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1986
• ISBN 10: 0195041046
• ISBN 13: 9780195041040
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256