Paris and Her Cathedrals

September 5, 2022
Bloch (One Toss of the Dice), a professor of French and humanities at Yale, tours six Parisian cathedrals in this stimulating cultural history. Conveying the passion he’s developed over decades spent visiting these feats of Gothic architecture with his students, Bloch explains that when the world failed to end in 1000 CE, as had been predicted by theologians and others, a flurry of construction produced the “Age of Cathedrals” in Paris and beyond. Noting that the Tree of Jesse motif, which illustrates “the royal genealogy of Christ from the Old Testament Jesse to Jesus,” appears in stained glass at Saint-Denis and Chartres, Bloch acknowledges the “habit of reiteration” that saw medieval artists and architects imitating designs they had seen elsewhere but draws clear distinctions between each cathedral. Reims, for example, is known as the “coronation cathedral” because it is believed to be the location where Clovis, the first king of France, was baptized, while Amiens, a “great wedding cake of a cathedral,” houses a particularly impressive collection of statues. Throughout, Bloch evokes a sense of what has been lost to fire, storms, war, and time, including the “sound, like angels, of a solo singer or choir” that once reverberated through these cathedrals. Distinguished by Bloch’s infectious enthusiasm and vivid descriptions, this will appeal to tourists and armchair travelers alike.

Starred review from October 1, 2022

Reading this book is like being taken on a breathtaking but leisurely tour of some amazing Parisian cathedrals by an avuncular docent--Bloch (God's Plagiarist), who is a professor of French at Yale University. His gorgeous and expansive work explores the architectural details of the exteriors and interiors of six cathedrals: Saint-Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Sainte Chapelle, Amiens, and Reims. A two-page map shows the locations, and the text provides brief but helpful directions (by foot or subway). A wealth of exquisite detail is included that relates to specific chapels, transepts, naves, labyrinths, facades, friezes, door jambs, reliquaries, choirs, quatrefoils, stained glass windows, statues, sculptural textiles, medallions, columns, towers, and spires. Readers will appreciate the author's keen eye and conversational and informational tone as the spiritual and intriguing histories of these structures are explored and explained. The work also includes excellent illustrations, a brief glossary, suggested readings, links to images online, and an index. VERDICT Essential reading for first-time and return visitors to Paris.--Elizabeth Connor

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2022
An exploration of six great cathedrals in Paris. In his latest book--part travel guide, part history book, and part homage--Bloch, a professor of French and humanities at Yale, provides a thorough account of the "monumental churches" of Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens, and Reims, all from a variety of perspectives. In each case, Bloch discusses the predecessor buildings that stood on the sites of the current cathedrals. Many of these histories are surprisingly ancient. Saint-Denis, for instance, "had been the burial place of French kings, beginning with the Frankish leader Dagobert, who died in 639." These histories, which wind through medieval times into the Renaissance, offer intriguing tales of court politics, church power, and cultural change. Each capsule history also seems touched by two of the great enemies of Parisian cathedrals: fire and the French Revolution. Fire has been an ever present threat, most recently destroying Notre-Dame in 2019. However, the revolution was just as devastating for most of the cathedrals. Bloch examines the art and architecture of each cathedral in great depth, noting that the art was not merely decorative or sacred, but also practical for elucidating sermons and lessons. "In an age in which few could read or write and literacy was the sign of a clerical education, the cathedral was, in the popular phrase, 'a poor man's Bible' and a teaching tool," writes the author. "The priest preaching a sermon might illustrate his lesson by pointing to the astonishing array of sculpture and stained glass illustrations of biblical figures and stories by which he was surrounded." Though the text is well written and filled with meaningful information, general readers may be overwhelmed by countless descriptions of sculpture and stained glass, which tend to blur together. The book contains nearly 100 photographs. Useful for tourists, students of French culture, and historians of Christianity.

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November 1, 2022
Renowned for his student tours of Paris' great Gothic ecclesiastical monuments, Yale professor Bloch (One Toss of the Dice, 2016) distills his insights into the history and art of central France's leading cathedrals at Amiens, Chartres, Reims, Saint Denis, the iconic Notre Dame de Paris, and the transcendent Sainte-Chapelle. North of Paris, in Picardy, Amiens' cathedral's immense vault soars above the pavement, drawing the eye ever upward. To Paris' east, Reims' war-ravaged cathedral features modern stained glass. Chartres continues to amaze architectural historians. Bloch's own photographs illustrate the text, complementing his descriptions. Bloch details each building's historical significance, even delving into the provenance of the holy relics housed in the precincts. Bloch's book could not be a more perfect guide to these marvels for in-person tourists, nor a more evocative, comprehensive, or vivid tour for easy-chair travelers. Bloch's epilogue wonderfully contextualizes the golden age of cathedral construction, noting how these edifices served as economic engines, correlated ancient pagan concepts and Christian ideas, and gave impetus to new modes of Renaissance thought.

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