Official Review: Cities of Kings by Atreyee Gupta

[vfreeman]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cities of Kings" by Atreyee Gupta.]

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This book is a brief comparative history of two world-class cities: Paris and London, theoretically through an examination of the architecture and city planning. The first sentence is “A city is more than the jumble of buildings we see each day.” Ultimately, this book amounted to more a history, including stories of the architecture. It is clear that the authors love to travel, it rings in the writing and stories and is a core positive element in this book.

There were some elements in this book, however, that did present challenges for the reader. One was the brevity, the shallow treatment of these stories. For example, Notre Dame de Paris involves only three pages, with a picture. The Tower of London three pages. I would have preferred a more fleshed out rendition, with more of the historical actors playing a role. Also, I would like to have known where the stories came from. Did they come from tours that the author went on? Was it researched? What? Ultimately, I just wanted more.

The biggest issue that I had with this book was that it did not ever seem to find its feet, though it ended more strongly than it began. While it started out to be a book about how two powerful cities grew, largely through their respective sovereign, the structure seemed somewhat arbitrary. Broken up generally by time periods to illustrate the two cities side-by-side, there were no direct references to the other city, no direct comparisons, resulting in a somewhat disorganized feeling.

For all that I may seem hard on this book, I did find it very readable. If it did not stay especially close to the intended purpose, it did deliver an enjoyable, informative read. I have read much on the history of London, as well, and some of the stories presented here were new to me, which was refreshing. The pictures helped to provide an image for the place in the reader’s mind.

In the end, I have to give it 2 out of 4 stars. I wanted to give it a 3, but my focus kept getting interrupted by structure decisions. For all that, though, It is very approachable, understandable, and enjoyable content. It would have be a great short collection of stories, instead of comparative approach. Ultimately, anyone with an interest in Paris or London will enjoy what amounts to a walk through eras past.

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