Permanent Parisians: An Illustrated Guide to the Cemeteries of Paris

Rating:
Summary: A great resource for cemetery tourists traveling to Paris
Review: Another fine volume in the series by Culbertson and Randall, this book has four separate tours of the legendary Pere Lachaise, as well as coverage of the Pantheon, St. Etienne-du-Mont, Montmartre, St. Vincent, Les Invalides, Passy, St. Germain-des-Pres, the Catacombs, Montparnasse, La Chappelle Expiatoire, St. Denis, and some suburban sites.

Interesting narrative fleshes out very complete information: directions to each site, maps of each site, biographical sketches of more illustrious permanent residents, and quite a few photographs.

An invaluable resource for anyone interested in cemeteries, travelers to Paris, or (especially) both!

Rating:
Summary: A Permanent Guide to Perished Parisians
Review: Paris has what must be the most beautifully peaceful cemeteries in all the world. Each tombstone becomes a extraordinary tribute to a life well lived. This guide book provides maps, some photographs and interesting biographical clips about a few of the permanent residents of Paris. The book gives directions to graves of such well known Parisians as Marcel Proust, Emile Zola, Isadora Duncan, Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, Gertrude Stein just to name a few. Walking tours are provided for Pere Lachaise, The Pantheon, St. Etienne-du-Mont, Montmartre, St. Vincent, Les Invalides, Passy, St. Germain-des-Pres, The Catacombs, Montparnasse, La Chapelle Expiatoire, St. Denis and a few others.

After taking this guide with me on a trip to Paris I was able to find every grave I searched for with ease and an understanding of exactly what made these permanent Parisians so interesting. Pere Lachaise is overwhelming in scale but probably the most popular cemeterie in Paris. The Pantheon holds scientists and philosophers. Les Invalides proudly holds the remains of a little man named Napoleon with a great big history. The Catacombs are spookily interesting. Montparnasse has many tombstones that could be sculptures standing in the best art houses of Paris. My favorite cemeterie in all of Paris is Passy, a peaceful, quaint refuge underneath the Eiffel Tower, where birds are chirping and old graves lay covered in simple coats of moss and chipped iron, you can almost feel the restful sleep of those who reside within its walls.

Rating:
Summary: A different view of Paris
Review: This is a fairly specialist guide book. If you already know you want to follow the cemetery trail, then take it with you, for it is full of fascinating insights into the lives of some of the most famous people buried in this most wonderful of cities.

If you are a repeat visitor to Paris, or an armchair dreamer, then this is definitely for you. A morning, afternoon or day spent in Pere Lachaise cemetery is an absolute delight. This book can take you there, and beyond.

Recommended.