On that journey, Downie is the consummate guide. Understanding the romantics requires understanding Paris, and searching for the real Paris is part of the journey. The French are complex, ambiguous and contradictory by nature, and they are proud of their weaknesses and faults. Literature of this age reflected the essence of romanticism, where chronology and logical plots were reactionary. He recounts the lives and loves of Hugo, Dumas, Sand, Delacroix and so many others in the romantic shrines of the Marais, Luxembourg Gardens and the Arsenal Library. Throughout the book, the author shares his love of places that he has explored for 30 years. Victor Hugo based his play Hernani, about adulterous lovers and their unfortunate end, on true life, and as Paris audiences often did, they rioted, opening the war between romanticism and classicists. Throughout the 1800s, there was a host of activists who mocked the status quo. But romanticism is not just literary or artistic it’s also political.
Early on he notes that Paris may be romantic just because writers, artists and musicians say it is. In search of what makes Paris romantic, the author takes us to the 19th century. James, 2013, etc.) for a top-notch walking tour of Paris. Join Downie ( Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of St.
