This is Paris through the eyes of five families: the aristocrats, the “low-life”, the Jews, the workers and the merchants. Five different perspectives from the Middle-Ages to 1968, five ways to look at Paris, to be in Paris, to make Paris what it is today.  The novel shows the relationship between people and the city; how a city has an effect on its people, and how the people and their beliefs shape a city.

This is a fast read (despite its 800-something pages) and a very interesting look at the main events in French history that have left their mark on Paris.

This is not your typical book about New York. This one is all about impressions, about slices of life, about what a city does to you and how you can influence a city.

Manhattan Transfer is a wonder of literary mastery. Its shadowy characters evolve in a New York that evolves with them. A tremendous novel that takes you deep in the heart of a large metropolis. A pure jewel.