The Riches of Paris: A Shopping and Touring Guide [Paperback]

Maribeth Clemente (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2001

Long considered the epitome of all that is chic, glamours, and desirable, Paris is every shopper's dream. But even the most indefatigable shopper is sure to be overwhelmed by the embarras de richesses. In The Riches of Paris, Maribeth Clemente shares her insider's knowledge of the choicest boutiques, restaurants, wine cellars, and auctions to help you find endless treasures. Whether you're looking for designer fashions, Limoges china, the finest perfumes, the best Bordeaux, or just browsing, The Riches of Paris is an indispensable guide for making your visit to Paris enjoyable and unforgettable.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Here's the ideal book to help shopaholics max out their credit cards in high Parisian style. Clemente, professional shopper and author of The Riches of France (LJ 8/97), takes the reader on a geographic shopping tour of the city, stopping only for lunch, afternoon tea, or a leisurely spa treatment. Although Clemente includes a section on bargains and markets, the majority of shops described are expensive and chic, and many of their names (Chanel, Lacroix, Lanvin, Dior) are known around the world. Each shop and its products (fashion, chocolates, porcelain, antiques) are described in tempting detail, and Clemente includes address, phone number, opening hours, web site, and price range for most. She also recommends a number of hotels, mostly expensive and steeped in luxury, and offers useful information on shipping purchases home and reclaiming sales tax. This well-written but specialized book should be used to supplement more traditional travel guides to Paris, not to replace them. For public libraries. (Maps and index not seen.) Linda M. Kaufmann, Freel Lib., Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Maribeth is a first-rate tour guide." --Associated Press

"Part shopping guide, part travel guide, part cultural history...a rich mixture indeed for the francophile." --The New York Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (June 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312269072
• ISBN-13: 978-0312269074
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,034,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Paris Shopping Map-Don't Leave Home Without It!, February 12, 2003

By 

Sharon Chan (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Riches of Paris: A Shopping and Touring Guide (Paperback)

Most of the Paris guides available give plenty of information on using the Paris Metro, the museums, and taking a taxi. However, what they lack is information on the very things that make a visit to Paris memorable and personal. Maribeth Clemente's "The Riches of Paris" provides key information on a wide variety of shopping interests. Are you into antique books?-the book has it....Are you into food stores, children's boutiques, or flowers? - the book has it. How about the best place to get a couture scarf, a pen, a cigar? - Again, the book has it. What I especially found useful was my ability to plan my shopping excursions before I got onto the plane...when I arrived I was able to fit in both the best sightseeing and museums AND the shops I knew would be of interest to me. My time was efficiently planned and I was able to fit many more memorable experiences into my trip. Ms. Clemente's index is especially useful in personalizing your trip...seperating shops by like categories, and presenting them in the book by area. This categorization takes the work out of planning a day....one day I planned to visit a particular area...I was set because of the book. Another day I decided to visit all children's toy stores...no problem again because of the book! A must have for getting the most out of your time!

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PARIS - A CITY OF ROMANCE, LIGHTS AND DELIGHTS!, July 5, 2001

By 

Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Riches of Paris: A Shopping and Touring Guide (Paperback)

One has not travelled until you have visited Paris. It is a city of wonder, history, romance, excitement and fashion. I studied for a short time in Paris many years ago and fell in love with the city. It also fell in love with my pocket book! The cafes, exquisite boutiques, and Epicurean cuisine will forever be a cherished memory; however, the first-time traveller to Paris should be forwarned; it can be a VERY EXPENSIVE city to enjoy, particularly if you do not know where you will get "the best value for your dollar." As this book clearly points out, most of the better hotels are luxurious and quite costly, as are the better known, finer restaurants. You definitely will not want to leave home without your trusty credit card! I purchased a Chanel Tee-shirt and for the same price, I could have purchased an entire rack of tee-shirts in my country. However, the joy of Paris is for many, a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one you will never regret no matter what the cost. The book is not complete; however, many of the special places of interest are not included in the book, which was rather disappointing. There are also some excellent more affordable restaurants and places to stay in Paris which are not listed here. The book was interesting and informative but did tend to patronize basically the higher-end, upscale facilities.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally something different, August 3, 2007

By 

Christine E. Rankin "Touring the world" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Riches of Paris, 2nd Edition: A Shopping and Touring Guide (Paperback)

I am sitting here looking at 7 different travel books of Paris that I received as gifts prior to my trip to Paris. Now this was my 2nd trip; the first one was in 1966 and I was in high school so I don't think it really counts. I felt like I was starting over and I really didn't know where to start. While some of the guide books were helpful, I really wanted to get a few very special momentos of the trip - especially scarves - so I was just thrilled when I happened upon Maribeth's book at Shakespeare and Co. when we were already there. I devoured the book that night and from it easily found several wonderful shops that I never would have seen were it not for her shop. I look forward to using it to an even greater degree as I plan a trip back next year.