Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris

A man walks the streets of Paris, alone and without a destination. He covers the long avenues with their great buildings, he gets lost in the crowds of the grands magasins. Buttoned up in his black overcoat, he wanders, restless, through the city. But what is he looking for? Where is he going? The word flâneur derives from the French verb flâner, which means "to wander", "to waste one's time". Being a flâneur means walking, free of all commitments, immersing oneself in the living spectacle of Paris. Flâneur teaches how to roam without an aim, to get lost in the city. It contains some stories about rovers, about people who have lost their way and who have thus discovered new and wonderful things on their route. It provides information on the personages, artists and the authors who have made the history of the aimless strolling in Paris. The reader has two possibilities: * A sequential reading, from the first to the last chapter. * A free reading that allows for the creation of a preferred route through the text. The rule of the game is simple: the chapters with odd numbers are fiction, while the chapters with even numbers are nonfiction. Flâneur is, ultimately, an exercise for the mind. It teaches how to immerse oneself in exteriority, and how to give less importance to the self and one's own petty needs. Because in order to listen to the voice of the world, one must first of all silence the ego. ""An inspiring book for flâneurs and Paris lovers." Flâneur teaches how to roam without an aim, to get lost in the city. It will transform your walk around Paris into an exciting and memorable experience. A man walks the streets of Paris, alone and without a destination. He covers the long avenues with their great buildings, he gets lost in the crowds of the grands magasins. Buttoned up in his black overcoat, he wanders, restless, through the city. But what is he looking for? Where is he going? The word flâneur derives from the French verb flâner, which means “to wander”, “to waste one’s time”. Being a flâneur means walking, free of all commitments, immersing oneself in the living spectacle of Paris. This book contains some stories about people who have lost their way in Paris and who have thus discovered new and wonderful things on their route. It provides information on the personages, artists and the authors who have made the history of the aimless strolling in the French Capital.The reader has two possibilities: a sequential reading, from the first to the last chapter or free reading that allows for the creation of a preferred route through the text. The rule of the game is simple: the chapters with odd numbers are fiction, while the chapters with even numbers are nonfiction. This book is, ultimately, an exercise for the mind. It teaches how to immerse oneself in exteriority, and how to give less importance to the self and one’s own petty needs. Because in order to listen to the voice of the world, one must first of all silence the ego"--amazon.com "A man walks the streets of Paris, alone and without a destination. He travels long avenues of great buildings, loses himself in the crowds at the Grands Magasins. Wrapped up in a black overcoat, he wanders the city restlessly. But what is he looking for? Where is he going? This book teaches you how lose yourself in the city: it contains stories of promenades and urban adventures, stories of dandies and flâneurs... It contains information regarding characters, authors and artists who have wandered the streets of Paris. By reading these pages you will discover the secrets of flânerie, the noble art of wandering without a destination"--Back cover