Permanent Parisians: An Illustrated Guide to the Cemeteries of Paris (Paperback)

by Judi Culbertson (Author), Tom Randall (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"There is little depressing about French cemeteries. Although the three or four hundred cats of Père Lachaise lie low during the day, its passages are alive with gatekeepers, picnickers, and tourists looking for famous names. Such names are around every corner. Here is Chopin, there Gertrude Stein. Among those buried in Père Lachaise alone are Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Isadora Duncan, Auguste Comte, Georges Seurat, Edith Piaf, and Héloïse and Abélard."

Permantent Parisians provides a guided tour through the cemeteries of Paris, with lively biographical discussions and photographs of the beautifully decadent sculptures and statuary to be found on each itinerary. Lest you think such sights morbid, consider these words by Balzac: "I seldom go out, but when I feel myself flagging I go and cheer myself up in Père Lachaise ... while seeking out the dead, I see nothing but the living." --Jhana Bach

From Library Journal
Parisian cemeteries are a major tourist attraction. Most guide books to Paris mention to the cemeteries of Pere Lachaise, Montmartre, and, of course, Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides. Here each cemetery is given a chapter, save for Pere Lachaise, which has four chapters. The graves of the prominent, famous, and infamous are noted with a brief sketch of each person's life. Photographs are abundant and maps are clearly drawn. A compendium of little-known facts about people, this unique guide is as much fun to browse as the graveyards themselves. This is the first in a series (New York City is next). Highly recommended. Paula M. Zieselman, Sarah Lawrence Coll. Lib., Bronxville, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802774709
• ISBN-13: 978-0802774705
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,332,775 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different view of Paris, April 5, 2004

By	saliero (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This is a fairly specialist guide book. If you already know you want to follow the cemetery trail, then take it with you, for it is full of fascinating insights into the lives of some of the most famous people buried in this most wonderful of cities.

If you are a repeat visitor to Paris, or an armchair dreamer, then this is definitely for you. A morning, afternoon or day spent in Pere Lachaise cemetery is an absolute delight. This book can take you there, and beyond.

Recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for cemetery tourists traveling to Paris, May 6, 2001

By	audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Another fine volume in the series by Culbertson and Randall, this book has four separate tours of the legendary Pere Lachaise, as well as coverage of the Pantheon, St. Etienne-du-Mont, Montmartre, St. Vincent, Les Invalides, Passy, St. Germain-des-Pres, the Catacombs, Montparnasse, La Chappelle Expiatoire, St. Denis, and some suburban sites.

Interesting narrative fleshes out very complete information: directions to each site, maps of each site, biographical sketches of more illustrious permanent residents, and quite a few photographs.

An invaluable resource for anyone interested in cemeteries, travelers to Paris, or (especially) both!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Permanent Guide to Perished Parisians, June 21, 2004

By	V. Marshall (North Fork, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Paris has what must be the most beautifully peaceful cemeteries in all the world. Each tombstone becomes a extraordinary tribute to a life well lived. This guide book provides maps, some photographs and interesting biographical clips about a few of the permanent residents of Paris. The book gives directions to graves of such well known Parisians as Marcel Proust, Emile Zola, Isadora Duncan, Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, Gertrude Stein just to name a few. Walking tours are provided for Pere Lachaise, The Pantheon, St. Etienne-du-Mont, Montmartre, St. Vincent, Les Invalides, Passy, St. Germain-des-Pres, The Catacombs, Montparnasse, La Chapelle Expiatoire, St. Denis and a few others.

After taking this guide with me on a trip to Paris I was able to find every grave I searched for with ease and an understanding of exactly what made these permanent Parisians so interesting. Pere Lachaise is overwhelming in scale but probably the most popular cemeterie in Paris. The Pantheon holds scientists and philosophers. Les Invalides proudly holds the remains of a little man named Napoleon with a great big history. The Catacombs are spookily interesting. Montparnasse has many tombstones that could be sculptures standing in the best art houses of Paris. My favorite cemeterie in all of Paris is Passy, a peaceful, quaint refuge underneath the Eiffel Tower, where birds are chirping and old graves lay covered in simple coats of moss and chipped iron, you can almost feel the restful sleep of those who reside within its walls.