Notre-Dame: the Soul of France

by Agnès Poirier Narrated by Jilly Bond

Overview

The profound emotion felt around the world upon seeing images of Notre-Dame in flames opens up a series of questions: Why was everyone so deeply moved? Why does Notre-Dame so clearly crystallise what our civilisation is about? What makes `Our Lady of Paris' the soul of a nation and a symbol of human achievement? What is it that speaks so directly to us today? In answer, Agnès Poirier turns to the defining moments in Notre-Dame's history. Beginning with the laying of the corner stone in 1163, she recounts the conversion of Henri IV to Catholicism, the coronation of Napoleon, Victor Hugo's nineteenth-century campaign to preserve the cathedral, Baron Haussmann's clearing of the streets in front of it, the Liberation in 1944, the 1950s film of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, starring Gina Lollobrigida and Anthony Quinn, and the state funeral of Charles de Gaulle, before returning to the present. The conflict over Notre-Dame's reconstruction promises to be fierce. Nothing short of a cultural war is already brewing between the wise and the daring, the sincere and the opportunist, historians and militants, the devout and secularists. It is here that Poirier reveals the deep malaise - gilet jaunes and all - at the heart of the France.

“Poirier's hugely enjoyable, quick-witted and richly anecdotal book is magnifique.” THE TIMES on Left Bank

Editorial Reviews

Michèle Roberts

'A passionately recounted history, a compelling story of destruction, restoration and the rebirth of hope.'

Michèle Roberts

'A passionately recounted history, a compelling story of destruction, restoration and the rebirth of hope.'

New European

'Concise and erudite.'

Catholic Herald

'Notre-Dame is both the soul of France, and the beating heart of Paris. I haven’t been there in a long time. This book left me aching to return.'

The Times

‘I doubt that any book published this year will start with a more gripping opening chapter than hers...Poirier recounts these and many other stories with terrific élan and a wry eye for eccentric details.’

France

‘An elegant and razor-sharp chronicle of Our Lady of Paris.’

Herald

‘Unlocks the door to the past and illuminates Notre-Dame’s role in French culture.’

Spectator

'This is not so much a history of the 850-year-old cathedral as an act of thanksgiving for its unknown medieval builders and its modern restorers. Poirier has interviewed several of those involved in the salvage operations. Their emotional involvement with the cathedral and its relics is at the heart of this engaging book.’

Literary Review

‘Brisk and entertaining... there is much to be learned here.’

Observer

‘Vivid and engrossing... the opening chapter repays the cover price: a breathless, exhaustively researched and utterly unputdownable account of the drama... elegant, witty and constantly informative.’

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2020-07-08
The great cathedral’s history as seen through the lens of its near destruction by fire in April 2019.

Poirier is commended for not setting out to write a history of Notre-Dame itself. Rather, she seeks to contextualize the history of Paris and of France through the story of the great edifice, a task she executes masterfully. The narrative is necessarily bookended by both the conflagration, which nearly destroyed the cathedral, and by the controversial plans for restoring Notre-Dame to a lasting landmark. The author begins with a detailed, emotional account of the day of the fire, describing heroic efforts to control it as well as the public shock and dismay over the unfolding tragedy. She carries the story through to the point at which the fire was under control, with President Emmanuel Macron promising that it would be rebuilt. From here, Poirier takes readers back to the origins of Notre-Dame in the 12th century, examining what is known about its design, construction, and financing while also describing life in Paris at the time. The author also examines other eras in French history—e.g., the Bourbon kings, the Revolution, the era of Napoleon—showing how the cathedral has acted as a solid background, a site of calm and reverence even in the most chaotic moments of France’s national story. Poirier then moves on to modern reformers and restorers, especially Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879), “a rebel against the academies [who] also belonged to those lovers of old stones who tirelessly campaigned to restore and treat medieval monuments with dignity.” In conclusion, the author considers the plans to rebuild Notre-Dame, noting the controversies over design and funding, all set against the backdrop of a race against time. The timing of the book—before the restoration—is also noteworthy, as Poirier captures a poignant moment in history: Paris without her Lady.

An evocative, emotionally satisfying look at one of the world’s great architectural treasures.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173318657
Publisher:	W. F. Howes Ltd
Publication date:	04/02/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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