Éric Hazan's 'L'Invention de Paris' Reissued by Seuil

Seuil has reissued Éric Hazan's 'L'Invention de Paris,' originally published in 2002. Hazan joins the tradition of erudite Parisian flâneurs like Louis-Sébastien Mercier and Jacques Hillairet, but gives the city's cobblestones a historical meaning. He presents Paris as a constantly reinvented urban palimpsest, shaped by its people. The subtitle 'Il n'y a pas de pas perdu' suggests no step is wasted. Hazan traces resistance in working-class neighborhoods against the inertia of wealthy districts. As a publisher, he highlights the historic role of bookseller-publishers along rue Saint-Jacques, Palais-Royal, and Odéon arcades. He draws on writers such as Balzac, Hugo, and Léautaud. This illustrated edition includes maps, photographs, and paintings that show Paris's outward expansion. The review was written by Jean-Guillaume Lebrun.