Rooftop Paris by Laurent Dequick

Every book I translate is a pleasure because deciphering and selecting the right words and message, as well as the author’s tone, is a job for which I have a great deal of passion, no matter the topic (plus I just simply love books). Just as when a person cooks with love, and that love can be “tasted” in the final dish, a translator’s love and passion should be detectable in his final work. 

I am excited to dive into any topic to translate, as it’s also an opportunity to learn something new from the original author while performing my job. However, when a translation project offers a topic that I’m particularly passionate and knowledgeable about, that is the perfect storm! Rooftop Paris: A Panoramic View of the CIty of Light (Abrams, 2022) by Laurent Dequick (French title Toits de Paris) was just such a project. As I stepped through each paragraph while translating it from French to English, I relived all my times in Paris; I could relate to every vantage point and author’s description.

I was back in Paris just a couple of weeks after the English version was released in October of 2022. I looked for it at the bookstore at the Musée d’Orsay, but I found only the French version (no doubt the English version will be widely available in France soon). Still, it was equally exciting for me to hold the original in my hands.

This is one of the most uniquely formatted books I’ve seen. It’s an accordion-folded book (stretching out to an incredible 125 feet/38 meters if completely unfolded) divided into morning and evening panoramas. Morning is represented on one side, and evening is represented when you flip the book over. The small inset maps in each section are my other favorite feature. They indicate the exact vantage point from which the photographer Dequick stood while taking the photos, and the monuments and sites in that particular panorama are identified on the photos.

This is a delicate book due to the lack of a spine, so be careful when handling it to avoid tearing the pages. I love it, and I know you will, too.