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And the Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris Audiobook
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(3.01) - 158 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In the weeks after the Germans captured Paris, theaters, opera houses, and nightclubs reopened to occupiers and French citizens alike, and they remained open for the duration of the war. Alan Riding introduces a pageant of twentieth-century artists who lived and worked under the Nazis and explores the decisions each made about whether to stay or flee, collaborate or resist. We see Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf singing before French and German audiences; Picasso painting and occasionally selling his work from his Left Bank apartment; and Marcel Carné and Henri-Georges Clouzot, among others, directing movies in Paris studios (more than two hundred were produced during this time). We see that pro-Fascist writers such as Louis-Ferdinand Céline and Robert Brasillach flourished, but also that Camus's The Stranger was published and Sartre's play No Exit was first performed—ten days before the Normandy landings. Based on exhaustive research and extensive interviews, And the Show Went On sheds a clarifying light on a protean and problematic era in twentieth-century European cultural history.
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"This book is really interesting. I've read a lot about the Nazi occupation of Paris (it was my concentration in college) but not a lot about the culture. This book breaks things down into each concentration painting, music, ballet, etc... and discusses how each group worked with and against the nazis, hid Jews, and survived the occupation."
— Heidi (4 out of 5 stars)
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A stark account of how we act when evil enters our door.
— Kirkus
And the Show Went On Listener Reviews
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" Somehow I expected more from this book which covers the Nazi Occupation of Paris and how it affected the artistic community. I had already read Occupation by Ian Ousby which piqued my curiosity about the actions of those involved in the arts and maybe settle the question as to collaboration vs. trying to keep their work alive. But the question was not really answered, at least not for me. There were so many individuals in those pages, many of whom were only known to the French population, that I had trouble remembering who they were. Except for a handful, most of them worked in cooperation with the Nazis, some more blatantly than others, but were never called to task for what appeared as collaboration. The book does not paint a pretty picture of the Parisian artists' community and certainly does not take an apologist tone.....but it just did not capture my interest as I though it might. "
— Jill, 2/11/2014 -
" Have read four chapters and the book is great reading. A very human story about a proud people facing the consequences of defeat and occupation and the struggles of the cultural elite to adapt to the new situation. "
— Paul, 1/27/2014 -
" Scholarly, in-depth, and, frankly, a bit of a slog if you aren't already very interested in interwar and wartime French culture. The author likes to mention figures without always mentioning why they were important, although the people he does linger on are well fleshed out. Anecdotes are also deployed well, helping keep the reader interested, but again, only recommended for people with a strong interest in the subject. "
— David, 1/10/2014 -
" I poured over this book, and found it fascinating, mainly because I was already researching this city and time. The book is very valuable in bringing to life one of the most unusual time periods of Paris. It is a must have resource for anyone who is interested in this period of the city. "
— David, 1/4/2014 -
" Not a fan. Everyone else seems to have loved it but I just couldn't read it. "
— Pattie, 12/27/2013 -
" so much information, so little gripping narrative. i really wanted this to be so much better than it was. "
— Katie, 10/26/2013 -
" I'm hooked so far "
— Cara, 8/7/2012 -
" An interesting book that makes one think about how one would react if our country were occupied by a foreign power. There are no simple answers. Regarding the French fascists/collaborators however, one is chilled and sickened by them and their welcoming of the Nazis. "
— Linda, 6/26/2012 -
" Too many lists; not enough musicians, singers, or composers. "
— Brian, 6/5/2012 -
" Brilliant so far, I'm only on chapter 4 or 5 but its already startling and insightful !!! "
— Pete, 1/14/2012 -
" I listened to this audiobook at work, and it took me three and a half days plus to finish. It's very interesing, but quite dry. "
— Nicole, 1/5/2012 -
" Good starting point for research - certainly led me to buying a lot more books on the topic. I'll see how it compares after I've read the rest. "
— Aleksandr, 6/14/2011 -
" so much information, so little gripping narrative. i really wanted this to be so much better than it was. "
— Katie, 3/29/2011
About Alan Riding
Alan Riding is a Brazilian-born Briton who studied economics and law before becoming a journalist and writer. He has worked for Reuters, the Financial Times, the Economist, and the New York Times, reporting from the United Nations in New York, Latin America, and Western Europe. During the final twelve years before he retired from journalism in 2007, he was the European cultural correspondent for the New York Times, based in Paris. Riding is the author of the bestselling book Distant Neighbors and coauthor of Essential Shakespeare Handbook and Opera. He lives in Paris with his wife, Marlise Simons, a writer for the Times.
About Stephen Hoye
Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.