Customer Reviews

The Nightinghouls of Paris

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I pretty much picked up this book randomly as an option for coursework and I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. "The Nightinghouls of Paris", edited by Sanford Smoller, takes place in Paris in the 1920s. It is said that during that time, Paris was one of the most exciting places to be. The story really shows that. When the characters in the story meet Robert McAlmon he takes them around, showing them what life in Paris is about. It makes you wish you were living there during the 1920s. The nightlife seemed pretty intense. It is no wonder why so many writers resided there. Sometimes in order to have something good to write about you have to go out and experience life to the fullest. I became pretty envious. I wish I could have lived there during that time and it has me searching for the modern equivalent. When it came down to the style of the writing it was a bit more difficult than your average read. I have to admit, I really enjoyed the way I had to read between the lines when it came down to the more explicit material. It made it that much better.

The Nightinghouls of Paris by Robert McAlmon is about the lives of people who lived in Paris in the 1920s. It was mainly about the night lives of people and the journey but everything felt pretty out of place. Although it is very rare for me to connect with a book, The Nightinghouls of Paris was out of the league of any other book I've ever read. I couldn't help but get distracted while reading it because of the randomness that would be spread across every page. The book felt as if it was trying to capture everyone's attention by placing in famous names nearly everywhere in the story but somehow manages to turn you away. The story is crammed with things that would normally grab a young teenager's attention, like partying and sex, but is actually relatively boring. Overall this book is certainly not for everyone, especially not those who get turned off by randomness and clichés. Maybe it would be great for those who dream about meeting famous writers in the world but I'm certainly not one of them.

The fictional memoir written by Robert McAlmon was a dedication to the secret life that was created in the 1920s, and had an outpouring of the most random and odd literature I have ever read. It was not consistent, and I could not find myself getting into this book. McAlmon was a true intellect; however I could not make a connection with his readings. It was the type of book that you would have to read between the lines if you wanted to understand and get something in return. The time it took to read this book was not adequate for what I got out of it. The amount of name dropping that was being used turned me off. One page after another, more and more characters were being introduced which took away from an actual plot. The introduction of homosexuality in the literature was a seductive touch that made the book tolerable. I have always wanted to visit Paris, and this book gave a good description of what it used to be like in the 1920's. The unusual book manages to bring a combination of obscurity and reality onto the pages. There are many things that I enjoy reading, but this memoir was not one of them. I do not find it to be an important novel in the history of the Roaring Twenties, and the characters and story lacked a plot. The adventures of the young Canadians, John Glassco and Graeme Taylor were anything but entertaining. I would have enjoyed getting to meet Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, and other characters described throughout the book; however it is not the same when you read it. It is similar to Britney Spears being in the cover of People magazine every week for anther accusation, but you truly don't care unless you were there. McAlmon's memoir was of the Paris that was. I am interested on the Paris that it has become.

The Nightinghouls of Paris is sort of the memoir of Robert McAlmon edited by Sanford J. Smoller and I mean sort of since who knows in the editing how much was gained or lost.

The book narrates the days when McAlmond was in Paris around the 1920 and how he interacts with different writers and expatriates from that time. It focuses on the day by day in which all sort of places, and characters are introduced while the days pass.

The daily activities run through cafes, bistros, nightclubs and all sort of places in which McAlmond and his friends only seek to live life to the fullest.

While reading the book, you get a chance of feeling what you read since it has very vivid parts that let your mind unwind and get caught in the story.

The book Nightinghouls of Paris by Robert McAlmon takes place in Paris in the beginning of the year 1928. This book included many well-known authors which include Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein. Robert McAlmon fictionalizes this memoir of the dark lives people lived in this period and journey they took every night in Paris. When McAlmon left Paris in the late 40's he could not retrace or los his manuscript for this book and had to redraft it out of his memory. It was then dug up as a typescript from Yale University by Smoller who brought this together. Two coming up Canadian writers, John Glassco and Graeme Taylor, make the trip through Paris stumbling upon Robert McAlmon, who is kind enough to show them around the nightlife they were and were not expecting. Throughout the journey they get introduced to many writers like Kay Boyle, Bill Bird, Djuna Barnes, Claude McKay, Hilaire Hiler, Peggy Guggenheim. Their adventures throughout the city is filled with many late nights, plenty of alcohol, and sex, including gay sex, partying, and smoking enjoying themselves and not worrying about the outside world. Some even end up some nights from being drunk in jail to little moments with each other, and even broken noses. Although not an easy book to read, I think it is great and it will challenge the readers maybe even to read some parts more than ones to really understand the detailed events that take place throughout the storyboard in this memoir.

Nightinghouls of Paris was not my type of book. I have never read a book with such weird literature. The book seemed to be all over the place with no clear story. I could not grasp the plot at all. The book obviously takes place in Paris, but in the 1920's. It depicts the life of Paris one did not know existed in the early days. The life of late night partying, drinking, sex, and even homosexual encounters. There were so many names mentioned I lost focus. Names such as Bill Bird, Claude McKay, Djuna Barnes, Hilaire Hiler, Kay Boyle, Peggy Guggenheim, Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, etc. It is not easy to read at all. In fact I could not help but divert my attention at times due to the lack of interest. Sometimes I had to re-read a section or read in between the lines to somewhat understand. I'm not much of a reader, so this book made it twice as hard to get through. With all the names of famous writers it should have been made into a documentary instead of a novel. This novel could interest anyone who is interested in Paris in the 1920's, or someone who likes to read the adventures of famous writers. If you are not much of a reader, you are going to have a hard time finishing the book.