How Paris Amuses Itself

Smith wanders open-air concert cafés on the Champs-Élysées, through theater pantries where Madame sells seats with violet ink and a shrug, into the dazzling nights of venues like the Alcazar d'Été. He captures Belle Époque Paris as a city that had elevated leisure to an art form - where a gentleman could purchase a new hat and have it charged to his account at one establishment, then have his shirt fronts laundered at another, all while being serenaded by an orchestra. The writing hums with wry observation and sensory detail: the steaming sauces, the swinging doors worn smooth by hurrying waiters, the ingenious public conveniences designed for the convenience of gentlemen on the town. This is Paris as perpetual entertainment, where joy infuses both grand spectacles and simple café moments. Smith clearly loves this world and his affection is infectious.