The Shape of a City
![]() First edition | |
Author | Julien Gracq |
---|---|
Original title | La Forme d'une ville |
Translator | Ingeborg M. Kohn |
Publisher | José Corti |
Publication date | 1985 |
Published in English | 2005 |
Pages | 213 |
ISBN | 9782714301062 |
The Shape of a City (French: La Forme d'une ville) is a 1985 book by the French writer Julien Gracq. It is a portrait of Nantes, the city where Gracq grew up, in the form of memories, anecdotes, reflections and dreamlike descriptions.[1] The title comes from a quotation by Charles Baudelaire: "The shape of a city, as we all know, changes more quickly than the mortal heart". An English translation by Ingeborg M. Kohn was published in 2005.[2]
Reception[]
In 2007, Thomas McGonigle described the book for Los Angeles Times as "a model for how to write about one’s home place[.] ... It should be required reading for anyone setting out to describe their home place."[3]
References[]
- ^ Mongin, Olivier (2003). "Julien Gracq et la Forme d'une ville". De la ville et du citadin (in French). Marseille: Éditions Parenthèses. pp. 41–43. ISBN 2-86364-141-7.
- ^ "The shape of a city". WorldCat. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
- ^ McGonigle, Thomas (2007-12-31). "The passing of Julien Gracq". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
External links[]
- The Shape of a City at the American publisher's website
- The Shape of a City at the French publisher's website (in French)
Categories:
- 1985 non-fiction books
- Books about cities
- Books about France
- French non-fiction books
- French-language books
- Nantes
- Works by Julien Gracq
- Architecture book stubs