Where the Writers Slept in Paris: Literary Haunts in the City of Light

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Where the Writers Slept in Paris: Literary Haunts in the City of Light
Author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, once said: “The best of America drifts to Paris. The American in Paris is the best American.” Having drifted to Paris myself – and continually drifting back for shorter stints – I wholly endorse this statement. Paris is like a lighthouse for artistic souls who want to create, and fertilize their creativity with all the art, culture, life, food, and magic that the City of Light has to offer. Paris has attracted countless authors over the centuries, and here are some famous authors who once called Paris “home.” Victor Hugo Victor Hugo, author of some of the greatest literary works of our time – Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame – rented an apartment in the Marais from 1832 to 1848 at what was formerly 6 Place Royale (it’s now Place des Vosges). The Besançon native said of Paris, “To breathe Paris is to preserve one’s soul.” He moved into the apartment at age 30 with his wife, Adèle. At this museum, Maison de Victor Hugo, you can walk through its well-preserved rooms, soaking up the essence of the literary history there. The museum, which is free to enter, describes the area thusly: “it is currently laid out in such a way as to take you through his life, evoking his writing through furniture, objects and works of art that belonged to him or that he created himself.” Address: 6 Place Des Vosges, 4th   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Maisons de Victor Hugo (@maisonsdevictorhugo)
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Lead photo credit : La Seine. Photo credit: Rinat Abdullin/ Flickr

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Anne McCarthy is a contributing writer to BBC News, Teen Vogue, The Telegraph, Dance Magazine, and more. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Westminster and is the Editor in Chief of Fat Tire Tours’ travel blog. She lives in New York City.

Comments

  • Joyce Adams
    2023-03-03 11:07:16
    Joyce Adams
    I enjoyed your article! I had forgotten that Edith Wharton had lived in Paris also!

    REPLY

  • Cynthia Kulikov
    2023-03-03 07:52:10
    Cynthia Kulikov
    Lovely article, thank you so much for providing all the addresses in one place!

    REPLY

  • Richard Figueroa
    2023-03-02 06:06:17
    Richard Figueroa
    I was disappointed in that Oscar Wilde was not listed , I have slept in his Suite, where he died, L’Hotel 13 Rue de Beau Arts , Paris 6 or 7

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