Impossible City

“Though Kuper is one in a long tradition of expat journalists making these observations, this book is not a retread of Ernest Hemingway or Adam Gopnik. It’s a cross between memoir, reportage, and something akin to Paris for Dummies. The book is certainly informative as a sociological study and discourse on Parisian life…Kuper comes across as thoughtful and candid, a man aware of his own flaws and willing to recount his embarrassing missteps.”
 

“[A] persuasive defense of the very idea of the city.”

“As [Kuper] recounts in this entertaining mix of memoir and anthropology, his time in the city, although pleasurable, has often seemed a never-ending struggle to be accepted into what, as the book’s title suggests, is one of the most closed societies in the world.”
 

“His affection for Paris shines throughout the text, making it an enjoyable, balanced read. With a dry wit and a journalist’s eye, Kuper unravels the layered past and looks to the complex future of Paris.”

"In self-aware prose shot through with droll wit, Kuper renders Paris’s triumphs and challenges alongside more mundane yet no less revealing moments... a loving and illuminating ode to the City of Light."

"Kuper’s trenchant, emotionally moving insights into Parisians’ lives offer a very humane portrait of Parisians trying to build productive lives for themselves and their offspring in a complicated metropolis far removed culturally, politically, socially, and geographically from their homelands."
 

"An affectionate take on Paris, by turns amusing and quaint… I learned that dressing dowdy is acceptable as long as you’re sporting a well-chosen scarf, and had my suspicions about Parisian waiters confirmed. Next time you travel to the former City of Light, take this book. You’ll enjoy it.”

“The style is elegant and flinty, the humour dry."

“Essential reading not only for anyone fascinated by Paris but also for those curious about how old-world powers reconcile with their cultural legacies in contemporary society. “