DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with author Ruth Reichl about her novel 'The Paris Novel.' Reichl discusses the transformative experience of the novel's protagonist, Stella, who travels to Paris and discovers pleasure through food, fashion, and art. Reichl describes a pivotal scene where Stella eats her first oyster and is awakened to the joys of savoring food.
Reichl shares that the inspiration for the novel came from her late editor, Susan Camel, who encouraged her to write a novel based on a chapter from Reichl's previous memoir about trying on a transformative black dress in Paris. Reichl aimed to capture the romantic, dreamy essence of 1980s Paris before the city became more globalized.
Reichl also delves into Stella's interest in the forgotten 19th-century artist Victorine Meurent, who was Manet's famous model but whose own artistic achievements were overshadowed. The novel explores Stella's mission to uncover Victorine's paintings and reclaim her legacy as an artist in her own right.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The novel 'The Paris Novel' by Ruth Reichl explores a young woman's transformative journey of self-discovery in 1980s Paris.
- Food, fashion, and art play pivotal roles in awakening the protagonist, Stella, to the pleasures of life.
- The novel was inspired by Reichl's late editor, who encouraged her to write a book based on a real-life experience trying on a transformative dress in Paris.
- Reichl aimed to capture a romanticized, dreamy vision of Paris before it became more globalized and expensive.
- The novel also delves into the story of Victorine Meurent, a forgotten 19th-century female artist who was overshadowed by the male artists she modeled for.
- Reichl has a personal connection to Victorine's story, as she had initially wanted to write her master's thesis on the artist.
- The novel explores themes of embracing pleasure, overcoming psychological barriers, and reclaiming the legacies of overlooked women artists.
- Reichl's vivid descriptions of food, such as Stella's first oyster experience, play a central role in depicting her character's awakening.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Stella has had a very traumatic childhood. And how she responds to this is by closing her life down. She has a very small life where she does the same few things over and over again. It's how she feels safe. And so the idea of going to Paris, of going anywhere, of getting out of her routine, is horrible to her.“ by Ruth Reichl
- “And this is very close to my heart. I have a master's in history of art, and I actually wanted to write my master's thesis on Victorine, who we know that she became an artist because she showed in the salon six times, and she has virtually been erased by history.“ by Ruth Reichl
- “I wanted access to Paris of the eighties, which was, the dollar was very strong, the franc was weak. People like me, who had no money in the eighties, could be in Paris on a couple dollars a day, which was also kind of dreamy.“ by Ruth Reichl
- “So Susan, who was a legendary editor, I mean, truly one of the great editors, and my last book, save me the plums, I had a chapter about a little black dress that I tried on, and this is a real story. I tried it on, and it transformed me, and I desperately wanted it, but it was $6,000, and I didn't buy it.“ by Ruth Reichl
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Episode Information
NPR's Book of the Day
NPR
5/22/24
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