Though he walks it end to end, even through the very heart of the historic city, he manages to remain in predominantly working class areas. What does the working class city look like today? If you want to see how the Rue Mouffetard was once working class, check out Varda’s short essay-film L’Opéra-Mouffe. Perhaps this scientific background explains why this is not a lyrical walk through Paris: Hazan rarely stops to analyse or ruminate. An ardent student of the anatomy of the city, Hazan is a keen observer with a remarkable memory: despite his limitations, he has written an unmissable account of Paris’s unique and defiant physiognomy.

Source: The Guardian March 16, 2018 09:00 UTC