
A kaleidoscopic journey through the streets and night‑life of a restless metropolis, this work stitches together fragments of barroom chatter, fleeting glances, and the hum of machinery into a single, breath‑less rhythm. The narrator drifts from glittering boulevards to dimly lit taverns, cataloguing strange encounters with strangers, lovers, and the ghost of a bygone celebration. Each line shimmers with the clash of modernity and nostalgia, inviting listeners to taste the metallic perfume of gin, the rustle of silk, and the distant echo of a marching band.
Yet beneath the flamboyant imagery runs a quiet search for identity, as the speaker questions mirrors, colors, and the pulse of his own blood. The text plays with musical forms—jazz‑like riffs, polyphonic chants, and the ticking of typewriters—turning language itself into an instrument. Listeners will find a celebration of the everyday made extraordinary, a mosaic that captures the restless joy of a city that never sleeps.
Language
fr
Duration
~17 minutes (16K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Laura Natal Rodriguez & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online soon in an extended version,also linking to free sources for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational materials,...) (Images generously made available by the University of Iowa Libraries.)
Release date
2017-10-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1897–1982
A leading voice in 20th-century French literature, this poet and novelist helped shape Surrealism before becoming known for politically charged writing and work inspired by the French Resistance. His life and art were deeply bound up with the cultural battles of his time.
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