When Paris Sizzled Summary

Following the shell shocked feelings that permeated many European cultures after World War I, the 1920s were a time of rejuvenation for much of the world. While America had their Roaring Twenties, the name for this era in Paris was known as the Crazy Years. With the prospect of war behind them, the citizens of Paris took on new and exciting ventures that were thought too extreme just a few years prior. Great strides were made in many sectors including music, fashion, behavior, and much more, all driven by this human instinct to feel alive after surviving the brutal horrors of war. What Mary McAuliffe is able to bring to life in When Paris Sizzled: The 1920s Paris of Hemingway, Chanel, Cocteau, Cole Porter, Josephine Baker, and Their Friends, is the vibrant life of the 1920s told by a multitude of characters. From writers to entertainers, engineers to politicians, McAuliffe inspects many facets of Paris’ culture to show the reader the new course Parisians were pursuing to shake the terrors of World War I.

As with Friedrich, this creates a sense of progression as the reader is walked through the development of the historical figures mentioned in the book and the city of Paris as a whole in this energetic period. To showcase Paris during the Crazy Years, McAuliffe introduces several characters in abundant detail. These lengthy introductions give the reader a sense of the person that she will use throughout the book as their lives in Paris are shaped by the changing culture around them. One such figure is Ernest Hemingway: as with others, McAuliffe gives the reader a sense of the person’s aspirations and personal history to better show how figures like Hemingway found themselves in Paris, and how they will leave their mark on Parisian