Fictions Of The City: Class, Culture And Mass Housing In London And Paris (language, Discourse, Society)

Critical orthodoxy has tended to see the flâneur or urban wanderer as the characteristic type of urban modernity and consequently studies of representations of the city have tended to dwell on its streets, plazas and parks. Through original analyses of novels and films set in London and Paris — from the novels of Emile Zola and H.G. Wells to films such as La Haine and Nil By Mouth — Fictions of the City argues that mass housing is a more important category for an understanding of the culture and class structures of the modern city. Exploring the ways in which novelists and filmmakers engage with ideas from architecture and urban planning, this book focuses on four key developments that have shaped the two cities: Haussmann's renovations of Paris, the growth of the London suburbs, the emergence of the grand ensemble in the Parisian banlieue and the development of the London council estate. Many studies of fictions of city life take the flaneur as the characteristic metropolitan type and streets and plazas as definitive urban spaces. Looking at novels and films set in London and Paris from L'Assommoir to Nil By Mouth, this book shows that mass housing is equally central to images of the modern city. Critical orthodoxy has tended to see the flaneur or urban wanderer as the characteristic type of urban modernity and consequently studies of representations of the city have tended to dwell on its streets, plazas and parks. Through original analyses of novels and films set in London and Paris - from the novels of Emile Zola and H.G. Wells to films such as La Haine and Nil By Mouth - Fictions of the City argues that mass housing is a more important category for an understanding of the culture and class structures of the modern city. Exploring the ways in which novelists and filmmakers engage with ideas from architecture and urban planning, this book focuses on four key developments that have shaped the two cities: Haussmann's renovations of Paris, the growth of the London suburbs, the emergence of the grand ensemble in the Parisian banlieue and the development of the London council estate Machine generated contents note: List of Illustrations * Acknowledgements * Introduction * Haussman's Paris and the Immeuble * The London Suburbs * The Rise of the Parisian Banlieue * The London Council Estate * Conclusion * Notes * Bibliography * Index List of Illustrations * Acknowledgements * Introduction * Haussman's Paris and the Immeuble * The London Suburbs * The Rise of the Parisian Banlieue * The London Council Estate * Conclusion * Notes * Bibliography * Index. Many studies of fictions of city life take the flâneur as the characteristic metropolitan type and streets and plazas as definitive urban spaces. Looking at novels and films set in London and Paris from L'Assommoir to Nil By Mouth , this book shows that mass housing is equally central to images of the modern city.