Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Paris (Irreverent Guides) [Paperback]

Balliett & Fitzgerald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000 | Series: Irreverent Guides

Travelers who are tired of cliche-ridden guidebooks packed with promotional fluff will welcome Frommer's Irreverent Guides -- the travel series that no tourist board would dare to recommend. These travel guides offer an insider's view of each destination, and take a fun, honest look at everything reviewed, including:
-- The Euro-trashiest hotels
-- Restaurants that don't live up to the hype
-- Where the supermodels eat and don't eat!
-- Luscious love nests and lavender lodgings
-- The most overrated museums
-- Bars where you can hear yourself think
-- And much, much more

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Irreverent Guide to Paris gives you the lowdown, the inside story. It has nothing to sell but the truth, which includes a balance of good and bad. It praises, it trashes, it weighs, and leaves the fianl decision up to the reader. Our writers take a special pleasure in leading you where other guides fear to tread.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Frommers; 3 edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028637895
• ISBN-13: 978-0028637891
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,912,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Those tired stereotypes, May 19, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Paris (Irreverent Guides) (Paperback)

If you still believe that all French waiters are rude, that Parisians structure their lives around making unsuspecting Americans feel bad, and that being in France's commercial establishments means always being on your guard, then this is the book for you. Unevenly written (can't Frommer afford copy editors?) and sometimes downright silly, what this book nevertheless has going for it is an excellent and up-to-date list of restaurants, shops, bars, and hot spots (although look elsewhere for accommodations). That alone makes the book worth a look. The map of recommended establishments and the excellent bits of advice on how to take care of daily necessities make this book valuable, but it is unnecessarily smug, ultimately feeding into the same tired stereotypes of the French we've heard for years. As in any major city, no one in Paris much cares about insulting or dissing you, but this book would sometimes have you believe that it's the national pastime.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second-timer for the irreverent guide, January 4, 2002

By 

Nicole Bradshaw "Nicole Bradshaw" (Jackson, MS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Paris (Irreverent Guides) (Paperback)

I bought the Irreverent Guide to London when I traveled to Britain two years ago, and I had such a good experience with that book that I bought this one for my upcoming trip to Paris. I have also read Fodor's and have done extensive research online, but I like the irreverent book because it's small, informative, and opinionated. I don't need another sixty pages listing the museums in France. What I need is for someone knowledgable to tell me which museums are worth the time and which ones aren't

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so irreverent, and not so complete, December 23, 2001

By 

F. G. Hamer "MadManxMan" (Isle of Man) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Paris (Irreverent Guides) (Paperback)

If being irreverent is stating that Parisian waiters can be rude, then I've missed the point of this book somewhere. Everbody KNOWS that Parisian waiters can be rude. Just be rude back!

I can't help feeling that Alexander F. Lobrano (Heidi Ellison in the first edition) have just dug around to exaggerate the things they don't like, and played down (or even omitted) the good things. For example, in a section marked 'Secret Gardens', how can Parc Andre Citroen be considered secret and Jardins Albert Kahn completely missed? It makes a mockery of claiming to be a true guide. Much better (if you're French-speaking) to get yourself a copy of 'Paris inattendu' by Michel Dansel. You get the truth AND a lot of fresh information.