Books on films, Films on books, Paris has never been more ebullient.

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Nicolas d’Estienne d’Orves signed almost two hundred copies at le Grand Rex

The publication of one of Nicolas d’Estienne d’Orves‘s book is always a fun and trendy event since 2001 when the hero of his first book was a cannibal. This time, “Ce que l’on sait de Max Toppard” (what we know of Max Toppard), was launched at le Grand Rex, a mythical movie theatre on the Grands boulevards, which also has a night club below. We all had popcorn and delicious champagne while NEO, as he calls himself, was signing books away. Almost two hundred as I was told on my way out… All the girls were ravishingly beautiful with blond hair including the mother of his son Valentin and grandparents, uncles and aunts were part of the event as well as his colleague at Albin Michel, the successful novelist Stéphanie des Horts, who is publishing her own book on Doris Delevingne at the end of April.

The book reads like a thriller and tells the story of a young boy raised on a light house in Brittany who is obsessed by cinema. When his father dies, he is only 13, and after a short stay with his uncle, he starts to work in Paris with Bernard Natan at the studio of Pathé. His adventures will take him to Hollywood where his young age and inquisitive eye attract the directors Griffith and Chaplin’s attention. He will return to France to fight in WWI and takes up cinema again successfully in Paris until he disappears. He worked as an adviser to the greatest directors but no-one has ever seen a film by him.

In parallel, a young journalist does some research on a very secretive film theater in Paris called “Le Belphégor”. The two stories are intertwined and end up becoming one at the end of the 500 page book. Nicolas d’Estienne d’Orves, has quit being a music critic to write full time about his many passions. Food as he described it brilliantly in “Petit Eloge de la Gourmandise“, music and opera in “Jacques Offenbach”, Paris in his “Dictionnaire amoureux illustré de Paris” (Illustrated Dictionary of Paris for lovers) and cinema… His culture of the turn off the century is immense as he proved it in the charming novelization of the film Eiffel which he wrote. The novel published by Michel Lafon is much better than the film.

Jade Labeste, teh new star of Maigret, would have been a perfect guest at NEO’s book launch

Just before the book signing, I had been to see Maigret, the new film with Gérard Depardieu on the famous police commissioner who is the hero of so many George Simenon novels. It is excellent and the actor looks like a quiet and affectionate ogre in the film. The revelation though comes from Jade Labeste, a superb young woman whom he saves from the street and who becomes an informal agent for him. She is very sensuous and reminds me a little of Lea Seydoux.

“Ce que l’on sait de Max Stoppard” has just been published by Albin Michel.

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