Description
Book SynopsisThis first-person account of a legendary necropolis will delight Francophiles, tourists and armchair travelers, while enriching the experience of taphophiles (cemetery lovers) and aficionados of art and architecture, mystery and romance. Carolyn Campbell's evocative images are complemented by those of renowned landscape photographer Joe Cornish. City of Immortals celebrates the novelty and eccentricity of Pere-Lachaise Cemetery through the engrossing story of the history of the site established by Napoleonic decree along with portraits of the last moments of the cultural icons buried within its walls. In addition to several 'conversations' with some of the high-profile residents, three guided tours are provided along with an illustrated pull-out map featuring the grave sites of eighty-four architects, artists, writers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers and actors, including Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison of the Doors. Frederic Chopin, Georges Bizet, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas, Isadora Duncan, Eugene Delacroix, Gertrude Stein, Amedeo Modigliani, Sarah Bernhardt, Simone Signoret, Colette and Marcel Proust.
Trade Review"In City of Immortals, Carolyn Campbell gives readers three books in one; a personal dialogue with the immortals, a scholarly history of funerary architecture and design, and an intimate tour of the world's most famous cemetery." "City of Immortals is not only beautiful but helpful. Pere-Lachaise is the final resting place of Sarah Bernhardt, Frederic Chopin, Eugene Delacroix, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, Isadora Duncan, Oscar Wilde and, somehow most famously, Jim Morrison. It's a great place to visit--but a tough place to find your way around. Though, as Campbell is quick to point out, 'Sometimes getting lost can be as rewarding as arriving at your intended destination.'" "The artist's voluminous work is a gorgeous collection of words and images that captures the awe of the place, its legacy, its grace, its sense of peace and mystery." "It is indispensable for anyone who wants to truly get their mind around this amazing maze of art and death. Thankfully, a passionate American has set her laser focus on these 107-acres of corpses and copses."
