Paris Was Yesterday

Paris Was Yesterday collects Janet Flanner's dispatches from Paris for The New Yorker magazine between 1925 and 1939. Written under the pen name "Genêt," these pieces document the cultural, social, and political life of Paris during a pivotal era. The reportage covers major events and figures of interwar Paris, from art exhibitions and literary movements to criminal trials and political tensions. Flanner's observations capture both the glamour of expatriate society and the mounting darkness as Europe moved toward war. Through precise prose and careful detail, Flanner records her encounters with notable personalities including Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Gertrude Stein. The pieces maintain journalistic distance while conveying the energy and contradictions of a city in transformation. These collected writings reveal how Paris served as a crucible for modernism in art, literature, and society during a defining period in European history. The book functions as both cultural chronicle and subtle commentary on the relationship between art, politics, and impending conflict.

Readers appreciate Flanner's sharp observations and wit in capturing Paris between the wars through her New Yorker "Letter from Paris" columns. Many note her ability to document both major historical moments and small cultural details with equal precision. Common praise focuses on her firsthand accounts of artists, writers and personalities like Picasso, Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein. Readers highlight her "crisp, incisive writing style" and "keen eye for telling details." Main criticisms mention the dated references and assumption of cultural knowledge that can make some pieces hard to follow without context. Some readers find the collection uneven, preferring certain time periods over others. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (50+ reviews) Sample review: "Flanner brings 1920s Paris alive through carefully chosen details and dry humor. Her observations feel remarkably current despite being written nearly 100 years ago." - Goodreads reviewer

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway This memoir captures the pulse of 1920s Paris through encounters with artists and writers in the cafes and streets of the Left Bank.

When Paris Sizzled by Mary McAuliffe This chronicle documents the cultural renaissance of 1920s Paris through the lives of Picasso, Hemingway, Chanel, and other luminaries who shaped the era.

Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach The memoirs of the founder of Paris's famous English-language bookstore reveal the intersection of literature and life in interwar Paris through her relationships with Joyce, Hemingway, and Stein.

Americans in Paris by Charles Glass This account follows American citizens who remained in Paris during the Nazi occupation, documenting their daily lives and choices during a dark period of the city's history.

The Greater Journey by David McCullough This narrative traces the experiences of American artists, writers, and doctors who traveled to Paris between 1830 and 1900 to learn, create, and make their mark on both cultures.

🗼 Janet Flanner wrote her "Letter from Paris" column for The New Yorker magazine for 50 years under the pen name "Genêt," chronicling Parisian life from 1925 to 1975. 📝 The book compiles her columns from the vibrant period between World Wars (1925-1939), capturing the cultural renaissance of Paris through intimate portraits of Hemingway, Picasso, Josephine Baker, and other luminaries. 🎨 Flanner's distinctive writing style combined sharp wit with poetic observation—she once described the death of Isadora Duncan as "a long scarf floating away in the wind." 🇫🇷 Though she became one of the most respected voices on French culture, Flanner spoke little French when she first arrived in Paris, learning the language gradually through immersion. ✨ The author lived openly as a lesbian in Paris with her partner Solita Solano during an era when such relationships were taboo in America, making her part of the influential expatriate LGBTQ+ artistic community.