Dawn of the Belle Epoque: The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau, and Their Friends Review

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Dawn of the Belle Epoque: The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau, and Their Friends ReviewThis is one of the few books that I've read in the past few months that offers a fascinating treasure trove of memorable facts, in this instance about Paris and the evolution of the Belle Epoque. In places it is excellent and in many others merely irritating - with abrupt changes in topic that are confusing with the most awkward of segues. Topic A is discussed, Topic B is then introduced with no continuity, to move to Topic C and then move back to Topic A where sometimes the relationship with Topic B is clarified and more often not. Clearly the author knows her subject backwards - however she frequently forgets the reader. For instance on page 57 in discussing the actress Sarah Bernhardt, the author notes that "she might not have the talent to become a sculptor". The reader stops to wonder whether sculptor was inserted in error as the previous pages were on Rodin. But no, this is correct - just the extremely awkward writing in the introduction to the section While the subject matter is never dull this book is is not an easy read and would have benefited from the input of a good editor.
The illustrations are of poor quality and not always relevant to the text while others are missing. An example of the latter is the major buildup to Mucha's Gismonda poster (p.251) which has the reader turning pages to see. It is absent while in the next few pages a photo of a statue of Dreyfus that is lacking in contrast gratuitously occupies space.
While Dr. McAuliffe is clearly an expert of Paris, she is not the most fluid of writers and there is just so much information shoe horned into limited space. There is also far too much in the way of repetition - Cesar Ritz's progression as hotelier to the wealthy is repeated in detail twice and at least 4 other times in passing and this is just one example. Others include the Statue of Liberty appearing above the roofs of houses during its construction being mentioned in several places (we got it the first time!), the Panama Canal and, inevitably the Tour Eiffel. I was also surprised about the minimal detail on the Metro. If this book were better written and edited and properly illustrated- it would easily rate 5 stars PLUS!Dawn of the Belle Epoque: The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau, and Their Friends OverviewA humiliating military defeat by Bismarck's Germany, a brutal siege, and a bloody uprising-Paris in 1871 was a shambles, and the question loomed, "Could this extraordinary city even survive?"Mary McAuliffe takes the reader back to these perilous years following the abrupt collapse of the Second Empire and France's uncertain venture into the Third Republic. By 1900, Paris had recovered and the Belle Epoque was in full flower, but the decades between were difficult, marked by struggles between republicans and monarchists, the Republic and the Church, and an ongoing economic malaise, darkened by a rising tide of virulent anti-Semitism.Yet these same years also witnessed an extraordinary blossoming in art, literature, poetry, and music, with the Parisian cultural scene dramatically upended by revolutionaries such as Monet, Zola, Rodin, and Debussy, even while Gustave Eiffel was challenging architectural tradition with his iconic tower. Through the eyes of these pioneers and others, including Sarah Bernhardt, Georges Clemenceau, Marie Curie, and César Ritz, we witness their struggles with the forces of tradition during the final years of a century hurtling towards its close. Through rich illustrations and evocative narrative, McAuliffe brings this vibrant and seminal era to life.

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