dwhatson reviewed Left Bank by Agnès Poirier
An Accessible History of a Fascinating Time.
5 stars
It had me hooked. This is a wonderful piece of non-fiction that chronicles the development of the Paris Left-Bank intellectuals. The author explains how the second world war was a prime influence in shaping the minds and attitudes of Parisians and how, in the time after the war, the intellectuals and artists influenced the public and government through publications, demonstrations and debate. All this is played out on the world's political, artistic and intellectual stage. The author's style draws the reader in as she uses source material to extrapolate the personal and emotional events of her subjects. This is an accessible history of a fascinating time.