I’ve first read Rosencrans Baldwin’s work when he wrote for the website The Morning News. I enjoyed his writing and was aspirational to read because of the way he wrote. Whereas reading something written by Malcolm Gladwell is interesting because he picks interesting topics and viewpoints, Baldwin’s writing is enjoyable even if the topic is not so much. His way of story telling and use of colourful language/metaphors is something I wish I could do.
At some point, I read an excerpt from his book Paris, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down. It was a long version of his writing, and the topic sounded fun too! I put this book on my to-read list.
And now I have read it and enjoyed it very much. It is a memoir about the year-and-a-bit that he spent working in Paris and how he had to adapt his New York sensibilities to living in a city full of French people. He has a lot of funny anecdotes to share (some of which are in the above excerpt), but as the book progresses he also tries to interpret why French people act the way they do, and the differences between American and French cultures.
I can’t tell if the book is entirely based on true events or not, but it doesn’t really matter. If you can classify a book as a pop song, this would be a catch one that takes a fun look at Paris and its culture, from a viewpoint that is relatively similar to mine.
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