Paris to the Moon Audiobook By Adam Gopnik cover art

Paris to the Moon

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Paris to the Moon

By: Adam Gopnik
Narrated by: Adam Gopnik
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Paris. The name alone conjures images of chestnut-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés, breathtaking façades around every corner - in short, an exquisite romanticism that has captured the American imagination for as long as there have been Americans.

In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of the City of Light. For Gopnik, this was above all a personal pilgrimage to the place that had for so long been the undisputed capital of everything cultural and beautiful. So, in the grand tradition of the American abroad, Gopnik walked the paths of the Tuileries, enjoyed philosophical discussions at his local bistro, wrote as violet twilight fell on the arrondissements.

At the same time, there was also the matter of raising a child and carrying on with day-to-day, not-so-fabled life. As Gopnik describes, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not completely dissimilar journeys: both hold new routines, new languages, a new set of rules by which everyday life is lived.

Experience this weaving of the magical with the mundane in a wholly delightful, often hilarious look at what it was to be an American family man in Paris at the end of the 20th century.

©2000 Adam Gopnik (P)2001 HighBridge Company Art & Literature Europe Journalists, Editors & Publishers Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary Funny Witty

Critic reviews

"Magisterial." (Entertainment Weekly
"Gopnik is an artful reporter, dapper in his prose, sharp in his sense of absurdity." (The Seattle Times)

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This is a perfectly and wonderfully written story of being an American expat in Paris. But any of us who have lived abroad will recognize the experience and people. And ourselves.
Absolutely loved this book; all the more for Adam reading it.

Life in Paris ....

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More Parisian culture then Paris tour book. I got the book to get ready for a weekend trip to Paris and was looking for more history and sites to see - like Bill Bryson. But it was a nice romantic look at the authors insights in two Parisian and American culture

A romantic look at a American in Paris

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Enjoyable overall. Didn't get the story about baseball, but this was a good and dun refresher before a trip to Paris.

Perfect Paris primer

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It's an amazing collection of essays, and so much fun to hear them read by the author, but the fact that it is abridged is a true buzzkill. I have the book, so I was able to read the whole thing, but would have been much happier to have been able to "read" it in complete form from audible.

Wish this wasn't abridged!!

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One cannot really implant oneself into Paris and simultaneously think he is now French while constantly reflecting g back on New York and USA roots. The story is mildly interesting because the writer is a good observer and can convey images and thoughts with words well. So much of what the author notes as being specific to Paris could really be applied to the entire country but it seems this author never writes about any place but Paris. This is like going to New York City and thinking you have seen the United States! The whole piece feels very self indulgent… but then it did take place in the 90’s!

Indulgent American affects Being “French “

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Some parts of this are very sweet, and touch you in an affecting way…then the author will go into a 40 minute break bedtime story he tells his kids, which is sort of like hearing your friend describe his weird dream for 40 minutes—no one wants to hear that for that long. Not only that, but these stories often only have tenuous at best connections to Paris. 70% of the material is child related.
Also the speaker does this Ira Glass cadence and voice tone which I personally think is annoying.

Not great if you don’t have kids, narrator has “NPR voice”

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