The article begins with a strong and effective title, envoking curiosity and directly linking with the theme of the piece without being overbearing or preachy. The first paragraph opens with uncanny descriptions (nagging cell phone, ant colonies, jam and jangle, etc.) which I felt were a bit too colloquial and did not fit with the rest of the story. However, the author clearly states his angle at the end of the first paragraph, allowing the reader to ignore the awkward wording of the first few sentences.
Morgan does an incredible job of keeping his focus around the central theme and selling Paris in August, though he does not come off as a solicitor. He discusses places to go in Paris which may be undiscovered by the everyday tourist, such as the Garden of Love, the flea market, and the Cluny.
Morgan's historical , geographical and statistical intellegence adds to the credibility and authenticity of the article. The information about the 20% gap in population during August intrigued me and made me want to witness this phenomenon myself.
Morgan's historical , geographical and statistical intellegence adds to the credibility and authenticity of the article. The information about the 20% gap in population during August intrigued me and made me want to witness this phenomenon myself.
Time is a major concept in the article and is carried throughout with ease and success. The concluding paragraph brings the piece full circle without sounding corny or cliche. The article has a genuine plot and works as an effective short story as well as a first-hand account.
I like the metaphor of the Sunday throughout and how he talks about how seeing a place is so much better if you just sit back and take it in or walk around and enjoy the sights instead of just trying to go to as many tourist destinations as possible and taking a million pictures but never appreciating the beauty and sometimes silence.
ReplyDeleteI this way I feel like he evoked a Paris that is much more personal and even more interesting than the Paris that everyone thinks they know.
I agree with you here, Andrew; "Morgan does an incredible job of keeping his focus around the central theme and selling Paris in August, though he does not come off as a solicitor. He discusses places to go in Paris which may be undiscovered by the everyday tourist, such as the Garden of Love, the flea market, and the Cluny."
ReplyDeleteThis piece almost feels like a tourist's insider from a Parisian resident, which is kind of nice. The author stays true to the Sunday theme of Paris in August, and the relaxed tone and action really help represent this. That being said, I think this piece rants on a bit. There's a lot of information that I deemed "extra." Maybe it's just late, but I really had to force myself to read this to the end, if only because of the length of the piece itself and that lax, Sunday tone.
This piece was really intriguing to me. I think the tone is perfect and consistent throughout, and impores you to be patient and watch Paris unfold with this person as he discovers the non-touristy-but-a-little-bit-touristy new things in his own backyard. I like that he acknowledges the fact that even as a native, there are always new things to be seen in one's own neighborhood. He seemed very knowledgeable and trustworthy, and his language was sharp and thoughtful throughout.
ReplyDeleteI liked his tone throughout and it fit with what he was talking about, he likes to step back and smell the roses. I also really enjoyed the quotes he had throughout; they helped to support his ideas without overwhelming the reader with quotes. My only huge problem with this piece was the first paragraph, but after that it was really good.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a nice angle to use. Instead of looking at a Paris piece and being like "oh, another Paris piece" he introduced this Sunday metaphor that put a twist on the paradise and made it look even more sweeter. But even though he keeps to this idea of a "lazy Sunday," his writing doesn't get sloppy at all. The paragraphs are filled with historical and cultural knowledge that kept my attention.
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