History: from the Middle Ages to the 18th century
Some believe that the first traces of literature in Paris date back to the Middle Ages, with works in Old French and Latin, but it wasn't until the Renaissance that a new literary era - the first, according to others - emerged in the capital. Authors such as François Rabelais are figures from this era. In the 17th century, as the court of Louis XIV acted as a patron to encourage literature, Molière and Racine were figures of the age; in 1635, Richelieu founded the Académie française; and the Comédie-Française was created in 1680. From then on, Paris and Versailles were considered the almost unique centers of French literature.
From the 18th century to the present day
In the early 19th century, Romanticism took over, with writers such as Victor Hugo, Alfred de Musset and George Sand. Hugo's works, in particular Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris, left a lasting imprint: the latter, published in 1831, remains a benchmark, and the character of Quasimodo became an incarnation of Parisian mythology. The middle of the 19th century saw the emergence of realism, with writers such as Gustave Flaubert and Émile Zola: no more pretty stories, just works with a minimalist social backdrop. In the 20th century, Paris was at the heart of the artistic and literary avant-garde. Movements such as Surrealism, with André Breton, and Existentialism, with Jean-Paul Sartre, left an indelible mark. In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Saint-Germain-des-Prés was the meeting place for the crème de la crème of French literature at the time: in addition to Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Prévert and Boris Vian were also to be found there. Contemporary literature in Paris has since undergone a new evolution: the great philosophical concepts have disappeared, and many works are set in Paris, in all its beauty or sometimes its harshness, like Virginie Despentes' Vernon Subutex.
A vast offer
A city of literature par excellence, Paris boasts hundreds of bookshops. Let's skip the big names, which are certainly convenient, and turn to the countless independents. Whether generalist or specialist, Parisian bookshops cover every arrondissement. In the suburbs, it's hard not to find one in the main cities covered by this guide. The determination of public authorities, from local to national levels, coupled with a book policy that enables the sector to make a decent living, have enabled small structures to stand up to the industry's behemoths. Admittedly, nothing is perfect, but the offer is so broad that Parisian life in this field is characterized by countless possibilities: local bookshops, libraries, second-hand bookshops..
Numerous events
There are hundreds of meetings, book signings and readings in and around Paris every year. The most important of these is undoubtedly the Paris Book Fair. Held at the Grand Palais Ephémère in April, it brings together authors, actors... and readers, in a highly popular event. On another note, the Nuits de la Lecture (Reading Nights) are held every year on the initiative of the Centre National du Livre (CNL). Stay tuned for countless events in bars, libraries and public spaces.
Focus on Zola and Balzac
Zola's naturalism. Émile Zola (1840-1902) is the figurehead of naturalism. For this literary movement, it's not the imaginary that prevails, but reality, raw and unvarnished, down to its most concrete and sordid details. A number of volumes in the Rougon-Macquart saga are set in the capital. Through the evolution of a family, we discover different parts of the city. For example, La Curée is set in the wealthy districts of Paris and explores the theme of speculation. Au Bonheur des dames shows us the world of small shopkeepers gradually being "swallowed up" by the emergence of department stores. As for L'Assommoir, it depicts the misery of the Parisian working class. Zola's novels are filled with authentic details, as he himself investigates the situation on the ground. His description of the atmosphere at Les Halles in Le Ventre de Paris, for example, is highly accurate.
Balzac's realism. It's impossible to talk about Paris without mentioning Balzac, the father of realism and of La Comédie humaine, a monumental work comprising over 95 novels. Balzac's genius was to place recurring characters in his fictions as the reader navigates through them. To read Balzac is not only to be confronted with a series of destinies from all walks of life, but above all to discover the Paris of the first half of the 19th century, to enter the last salons where people talk and plot their way up the social ladder. From the slums to the gilded opera house, from wealthy heiresses to penniless landladies, the reader is taken through all the strata of Parisian society. rastignac's "À nous deux, Paris!", uttered from the heights of Père Lachaise, has become a classic of the genre.
